I have spent much time hanging out with,
and working with,
human persons who live a life
of aggression and violence.
NOT the answer, it seems to me,
is to tell them to 'be good',
'settle down', 'get a job' ....
... boring they will say.
One of the motivations for young violent humans
is the fun and adventure of crime and violence.
When they look at older people
and most everyday humans -
they often consider them to be drab
and the kind of persons
they don't want to be.
The answer::
I don't know.
Only .........
I believe that we can get nowhere
without human contact and
and developing a relationship.
Getting closer is safer as well.
Getting closer is
relational sense
emotional sense
theological sense
and
sociological sense.
Getting close/closer
not to hate but
getting closer to love
because love does a better job.
Maybe we will consider that,
getting to know someone different,
will plant a seed in the soul.
A gem of a thought.
A new consideration about life.
Maybe we will meet a new network of humans
where life is experienced with some
considerable excitement and adventure.
Maybe they will be and become
response-able.
Moving on -
.......... maybe the human contact
will lead to the human
discovering further options in life.
Consider a new way.
A new life.
A new purpose.
Not imposed, ...........
freedom cannot be imposed.
Liberation is a choice
which can only be made
by the human themselves.
I am surprised regularly,
really often,
that humans who are midst drugs and crime,
a short list as a summary here,
how they do respond to the emotional life
within themselves and outside themselves.
I am surprised because
it always seems to be a miracle.
How these beautiful humans
can connect with strong emotions,
because they have them
active in their interior,
and that is as close as close can be.
Then seeing them connect
with the emotions of others,
the spirituality in others,
then there is a massive release
of a life unlived.
New experiences.
Blinds come up.
Doors open.
Light.
Breathing becomes deep.
Soul undressed.
Violence is scary for me
and everybody.
I hate it.
During the height of the violence of the Int*r C*ty F*rm,
committed by them in the name of football supporting,
I worked alongside those who spent their week
planning the fun-Violence for the forthcoming 'game'.
The language they used was
drilling into my soul all the time - for years.
(I am used to swearing and the foulest of language
and it is of no concern to me - not that I like it.)
but
Hate, racist passion,
enthusiastic boasting of violence ....
..... is the most foul.
Yet you work with the person
and beyond their behaviour.
Love the human despite the behaviour.
We can see a persons behaviour
but we can't see
their journey.
It takes a relationship
to see that - know that.
From the faith perspective,
there is a word called 'incarnation'.
I think, I never know,
it is about God pouring all Divine love
into one human person -
a Divine son,
and that person then
spending time getting close to humans.
Flesh touching flesh.
Love in human and
practical and
concrete action.
It isn't bell until it is tolled
It isn't a song until it sung
It isn't love until it is given away.
I am reflecting today.
As always.
I cannot always tell you about some of my days.
or
Publish some photographs -
I would love to ..........
But I must always reflect
But I must also
stumble on towards understanding.
People tend to think of non-violence
as a choice between using force and doing nothing.
But the real choice takes place at another level.
Non-violence is less a matter of "not killing" and
more a matter of showing compassion,
empathy and releasing love -
being a healing human in community.
We can only choose between
doing good to the person placed in one's path,
or to do nothing
which as bad as doing evil.
To live wholistically is to love a person;
but not to do that is as good as rejection.
To love is to point them to
the BECOMING road
encourage them to consider
the road to BECOMING
and walking, stumbling, with them,
touching fingertips,
holding hands -
on this road of BECOMING
ALL that they can become.
All that we can BECOME.
What do I know
BUT - seems to me
where I am at .............
To love someone is to help restore that person
physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
To neglect and postpone this restoration is already to
reject/hurt/damage/take away LIFE.
I started off
clicking about Violence
and ended up talking about NEW LIFE !
*
