Every Act of Love Shifts The Balance Toward The Light
Follow up to yesterday's post on No Kings Day.
Hey Folks, Still a bit more time to use my June 25% off discount to become a Supporting Subscriber. I know this is not for everyone, but if you would like to support this creative endeavor, I deeply appreciate. Here’s the link.
Now onto the post…..
I did my weekend post on Saturday this week, but I wanted to post a few photos from the protest.
I have heard people say for years that it is human nature to be cruel, aggressive and violent. It is a cynical viewpoint, but one that is often held up as some kind of generally agreed upon truth. But I don’t believe this to be true. I believe that human potential is so much more potent and complex than assuming the worst as a given.
My friend, Scott, told me once that when we do something kind, generous, hospitable, decent or loving we feel “good.” Something feels settled and satisfied or even happy when we operate from a loving orientation. But when we do something hateful, mean-spirited and intentionally cruel it doesn’t satisfy us, it’s like drinking salt water that only makes you more thirsty. We ultimately feel bad.
Does something in this idea ring deeply true for you?
I don’t dispute that difficult personal/community histories and experiences get into the equation. When someone has experienced great bullying and cruelty, they may begin to bully as a way of creating their own sense of safety and agency. Some folks have been taught, from a very young age, to hate certain kinds of people. A terrible conflict may take just as many years of intentional healing to heal, as it did to create the harm and conflict. The cruelty or violence done today can echo for generations.
“Violence is what happens when we do not know what else to do with our suffering.” - Parker J. Palmer
But again and again, history has also shown that when people work faithfully and intentionally to break a violent cycle, the cycle can be broken. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It happens one action, one person, one choice at a time. For a more peaceful world we must tap into the potential of our best nature. In the history of the world it is the non-violent movements that ring and resonate with hope and true power. We have seen examples of this in history but also in our own lives and experience.
This weekend our president decided to put on a parade to celebrate violence, military might, and instill fear in anyone who might witness our many weapons of mass destruction. He created a reality TV show of his access and control over all that potential violence and power. But I don’t actually believe this “show” helped us feel safer. A person that feels compelled to make a pretentious show of their personal weapons, is probably the same person that will most likely use those weapons out of ego or an escalating need for attention and domination.
Quiet or secure strength and courage doesn’t need a parade. Strength that is build upon cooperation, compassion, mutual trust and integrity has a foundation built upon rock, upon something much stronger and long lasting.
All this is to say, I loved being in the energy of people protesting in love and non-violent solidarity. I loved that we were proving to one another that we can can hold the complexity of these times. We can be angry and heartbroken by events and yet, we can make the next show of power be one that is grounded in the best of who we are, sustained by our most beautiful values and actions that we can feel good about passing on to our children and grandchildren.
Anyway…in a time of gale force winds, let us find the calm eye of the storm, find the community and connections that are leaning into our best nature and finest dreams. Lets remember the win…because we need to tell the stories of those wins, those times when we came together in love and solidarity for the common good and better world.
AND TO EVERYONE
AND Thank You to everyone who did their own part yesterday. Not everyone was able to go to a rally or protest, but every act of love and kindness, decency and beauty mattered…you mattered. We are changing the world, one loving action at a time.
Question
What do you think of this idea that human experience is complex but our truest human potential is so powerful in its capacity for love and for good. What do you think, are there pathways to the goodness and love made visible we hope to see in the world? Have you seen quiet power and strength that rises up from love in your life?
i once heard it said that “being human explains everything and excuses nothing”. yes we may be prone to primal instincts to defend and protect but that will never warrant the use of violence against one another. we also have primal instincts to seek solace and safety by surrounding ourselves with others. if we need any further proof of our inherent inclination to simply do good, look at the scientific studies of altruism in infants. from the very beginning, it is life-giving to help and death-dealing to hurt (credit to parker j. palmer for this dualistic terminology). stronger together, safer together, sweeter together.
Some of my friends are huge MAGA supporters. From conversations I've had with them, it's clear that they are not supporters of LGBTQ+ issues, seriously anti-choice and fearful of immigrants who are not white. But they do a tremendous amount of good work around the community like volunteer firefighting, and charitable work to support schools in Africa. And when I've needed a hand, they were eager to respond. I don't think this is unusual. I wish they could open up a little to some of the issues that are important to me. I'll bet they wish I could be more open to some of the issues that are important to them. If only we could have a long conversation about important things without getting triggered. But we'd have to be willing shed the certainty that we're correct, and that would be really hard.