A friend of mine in another community writes:
Sigh
We have let the angry right dominate the news and comment agenda for too long. It is time for us to point out the small-mindedness of nationalism, to make the case that the French and Germans are our friends, that the EU may be flawed but is not some devious conspiracy trying to trick us out of our fish, that we owe it to the new member states to make it work, that we owe it to the rest of the world to make restitution for colonialism, that people are people, wherever they or their great-grandparents happened to be born, to state the vision of a world where immigration controls are not needed, because the entire world is rich.
I have to say I agree. And though this is prompted by a political event of sadness in the UK, I think much of it is applicable everywhere.
How do we go about doing this?
I think it means we must seriously treat others as human beings--yes, even when that's inconvenient or uncomfortable. I think it means we must seriously consider how our choices affect others--and not just our choices at the polling stations. I think it means we must create a culture of community and mutual appreciation and (dare I say it?) love, a world where people build one another up rather than tear one another down, a world where people help and care for one another, a world where we heal one another's hurts instead of inflicting more.
Yes, we must state this vision in words. But we must also state it in our actions.
What do your actions say?
Posts
Tangles
7 hours ago
3 comments:
What do your actions say?
Not enough about doing what's right, that's for sure.
You're right, of course, Song.
Grandmère Mimi,
Thank you for your comment; please accept my apologies for responding so late.
I had no intention of making this post as accusatory and challenging as I now realise it is.
I seek to show people possibilities, to encourage them to look for those possibilities, rather than to scold them for not doing enough or to make them feel guilty for what they have left undone. Clearly I missed the mark this time.
You do a lot of the sort of things I think I am looking for. You support others with your words, and with your prayers. You take steps to challenge injustice, and you do so with gentleness and patience. You challenge yourself to improve, even at a point when many people would dust off their hands and say they were done with change, done with growth. And you let the rest of us see that, so that we can learn.
We have all left undone that which we should have done, but I think you are doing a lot of what should be done, and I would like to encourage you to keep doing that.
No, no, Song! I did not see your post as accusatory. We should be challenged. We should challenge ourselves. Our work is never done.
Thank you for your kind words.
Post a Comment