Greetings all,
Harrison, you quoted Winston (in bold) and then wrote:
As for the writer of Ecclesiastes, good on him/her; but as we all know one
can find support for anything in the bible, including in the old testament some
of the worst "terrorist" acts perpetrated on mankind (viz: the flood). Perhaps
the New Testament would be less supportive of a time to kill .
I'm not so sure. How about "I do not bring peace, but a sword" Serious
commitment and radical encounter always raise the stakes. It is never
comfortable.
This conversation seems to me to cause more confusion than clarity. While I
agree with Michael that confusion can sometimes be helpful in moving dialogue
forward, this particular confusion does not seem helpful because (in my
opinion) it misinterprets the message of perhaps the greatest peacemaker who
ever lived.
In one of his books (I can't remember which one), Thich Naht Hanh was
interpreting the Buddha's life and message. Early in the text, he talks about
how the many writings and interpretations of the Buddha's life could be
confusing, and that sometimes it appeared his messages were in direct
opposition to each other. (Similar to the very mixed messages inherent in
"turn the other cheek" vs. "I do not bring peace, but a sword" from the
Christian teachings.) Thich Naht Hanh said these many writings and
interpretations and misinterpretations were to be expected because of the years
that had passed and the many people the ideas had passed through. He said his
way of finding the truth of the Buddha's teaching was to look at the teaching
as a whole. When encountering a teaching that did not resonate with the
teaching as a whole, to consider the possibility that a mistake had been made.
From the perspective of Thich Naht Hanh, we must deeply understand the teaching
of a master, and once we do, we will know when something does not resonate with
that teaching, and we can reject it as a mistake, an error.
I think the same applies here. Christ taught and lived the brotherhood of man.
Compassion and forgiveness are the hallmarks of his life. The statement "I do
not bring peace, but a sword," is completely out of resonance with his life and
teachings. In my opinion, those words do not accurately reflect the teachings
of Christ.
Some on this list have mentioned that A Course In Miracles is a primary
teaching for them. It is also a primary teaching for me. In that text, the
statement "I do not bring peace, but a sword," is specifically rejected as a
statement Christ ever made. (I don't have the text here with me today, but I
can find the passage, if any would like it.)
For those of us who seek peace as a path, it is important to not undermine the
teachings that have come to us.
As I was reading the e-mails this weekend (thank you all), I found myself
coming back to myself. After all the grief, trauma, and confusion, I found
myself returning to the rules of being I had come to after other traumas in my
life:
~ In each moment, give kindness and love
~ In each moment, receive kindness and love
~ Trust all is as it should be
~ Know I and all are eternally safe and loved
In these hard times, this is what that means to me:
~ I offer loving kindness to all I am aware of. (I offer loving kindness to my
friends and family, to all of you, to George W. Bush, to Osama bin Laden, to
all the victims of September 11 and their families, to the clerk at the grocery
store, to the others who are flitting about the building I am in.....)
~ I offer loving acceptance to all. (I define my own path without judging
others for theirs. Just as I am not angered at an infant who cannot yet walk,
or at myself for not comprehending Einstein's thought, I am not angered at
others for their place on the path they are now walking.)
~ I offer participation when called. (I sense when it is my time to listen,
and when it is my time to speak or do. I take responsibility for fully and
actively engaging in both.)
~ I see that these guidelines will help me live by the Golden Rule, as these
are thoughts, words, and deeds that I most desire from others.
I speak these commitments as personal aspirations, not fully realized truths.
I share them because I know it is possible to find strength and stamina in the
words and commitment of another. For whatever good it might bring, I offer
these thoughts to you.
Julie
