20/10/2014

Good Morning. We all look with horror at the events in the Middle East - well, at most of them. Most of us want a peaceful life, without the horrors of war, but, if the truth be told, perhaps most of us also want a bit of revenge. These conflicting feelings exist in the same nation, in the same homes, and even in the same person.

I am one of those people. I abhor violence, until someone offends me by how they use it. Then I want to shout out. “Give them what they deserve; If they choose violence let them suffer the consequences; and Let’s show the victims we care”.

I lived in Belfast for many years and saw the results of bigotry and hatred first hand. The same 'sectarian mindset', that local politicians and civic leaders often referred to, seems to flourish in so many parts of the world, and even in my own heart. I’m not sure how many of us could cast the first stone.

But there’s a big difference between being convinced that we are right and an actual act of violence. There are principles that moderate our behaviour, and then there are our prejudices, and emotions – right or wrong. Getting the balance is not easy, and not always possible, but the effort we must make to avoid crossing the line distinguishes us from animals.

I am born to a land. I claim it as mine. I inherit a religion. I claim it as true. Yet Before me and after me the land exists. It’s not mine but yours Lord. Neither can I claim ownership of truth. That’s your gift. Protect me from such false claims, from forgetting myself as your servant – from becoming an animal. Hare Krishna 296