War is Evil
I've been studying non-violence these past months, finding ever more reasons that War is never necessary and Peace is our only Hope.
I felt a strong need to show people the gruesome results of war, especially the results when visited on children...
I found a blog article that made me sick!
I think every feeling, thinking human should expose themselves to the pictures in This Article; especially if you're like me and live in relative isolation from the results of War.
When we don't take actions for Peace we do violence to any spiritual feelings we may have.
Take this action for Peace. Look at these violent images. Let them sink into your soul and propel you to take action against their evilness.
I'll quote one of the Comments to a reprint of the original article:
"GOD ALLMIGHTY … Haitham - I am 36 years in medicine/mostly ICU and I thought there is not much I haven’t seen so far but these pictures made my heart miss several beats! WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS DID THAT?????? I have seriously problems to grasp the incomprehensible …
"And if the previous pictures are not horrid enough, what absolutely got me was the last … a fetus, maybe 4-5 months old … shot! How evil can it get?? How horrid .. I am missing the right words - what a terrible nightmare, what a horror!!"
Did you look at the pictures?If you didn't I urge you to do it before you read the following list of simple actions you can take to further peace.
Why look at gruesome pictures before reading ways to further peace? Because most of us are far too content in our little worlds of relative calm. The truth is that we are One Human Family! If your biological family were involved you'd do whatever it takes to help.
Well...
This is your Spiritual Family...
2 -- Today, I will look at opportunities to be a peacemaker.
3 -- Today, I will practice nonviolence and respect for Mother Earth by making good use of her resources.
4 -- Today, I will take time to admire and appreciate nature.
5 -- Today, I will plant seeds--plants or constructive ideas.
6 -- Today, I will hold a vision of plenty for all the world's hungry and be open to guidance as to how I can help alleviate some of that hunger.
7 -- Today, I will acknowledge every human being's fundamental right to justice, equity, and equality.
8 -- Today, I will appreciate the earth's bounty and all of those who work to make my food available (i.e., grower, trucker, grocery clerk, cook, waitress, etc.)
9 -- Today, I will work to understand and respect another culture.
10 -- Today, I will oppose injustice, not people.
11 -- Today, I will look beyond stereotypes and prejudices.
12 -- Today, I will choose to be aware of what I talk about and I will refuse to gossip.
13 -- Today, I will live in the present moment and release the past.
14 -- Today, I will silently acknowledge all the leaders throughout the world.
15 -- Today, I will speak with kindness, respect, and patience to every person that I talk with on the telephone.
16 -- Today, I will affirm my value and worth with positive "self talk" and refuse to put myself down.
17 -- Today, I will tell the truth and speak honestly from the heart.
18 -- Today, I will cause a ripple effect of good by an act of kindness toward another.
19 -- Today, I will choose to use my talents to serve others by volunteering a portion of my time.
20 -- Today, I will say a blessing for greater understanding whenever I see evidence of crime, vandalism, or graffiti.
21 -- Today, I will say "No" to ideas or actions that violate me or others.
22 -- Today, I will turn off anything that portrays or supports violence whether on television, in the movies, or on the Internet.
23 -- Today, I will greet this day--everyone and everything--with openness and acceptance as if I were encountering them for the first time.
24 -- Today, I will drive with tolerance and patience.
25 -- Today, I will constructively channel my anger, frustration, or jealousy into healthy physical activities (i.e., doing sit-ups, picking up trash, taking a walk, etc).
26 -- Today, I will take time to appreciate the people who provide me with challenges in my life, especially those who make me angry or frustrated.
27 -- Today, I will talk less and listen more.
28 -- Today, I will notice the peacefulness in the world around me.
29 -- Today, I will recognize that my actions directly affect others.
30 -- Today, I will take time to tell a family member or friend how much they mean to me.
31 -- Today, I will acknowledge and thank someone for acting kindly.
32 -- Today, I will send a kind, anonymous message to someone.
33 -- Today, I will identify something special in everyone I meet.
34 -- Today, I will discuss ideas about nonviolence with a friend to gain new perspectives.
35 -- Today, I will practice praise rather than criticism.
36 -- Today, I will strive to learn from my mistakes.
37 -- Today, I will tell at least one person they are special and important.
38 -- Today, I will hold children tenderly in thought and/or action.
39 -- Today, I will listen without defending and speak without judgment.
40 -- Today, I will help someone in trouble.
41 -- Today, I will listen with an open heart to at least one person.
42 -- Today, I will treat the elderly I encounter with respect and dignity.
43 -- Today, I will treat the children I encounter with respect and care, knowing that I serve as a model to them.
44 -- Today, I will see my co-workers in a new light--with understanding and compassion.
45 -- Today, I will be open to other ways of thinking and acting that are different from my own.
46 -- Today, I will think of at least three alternate ways I can handle a situation when confronted with conflict.
47 -- Today, I will work to help others resolve differences.
48 -- Today, I will express my feeling honestly and nonviolently with respect for myself and others.
49 -- Today, I will sit down with my family for one meal.
50 -- Today, I will set an example of a peacemaker by promoting nonviolent responses.
51 -- Today, I will use no violent language.
52 -- Today, I will pause for reflection.
53 -- Today, I will hold no one hostage to the past, seeing each-as I see myself-as a work in process.
54 -- Today, I will make a conscious effort to smile at someone whom I have held a grudge against in the past.
55 -- Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness by apologizing to someone whom I have hurt in the past.
56 -- Today, I will reflect on whom I need to forgive and take at least one step in that direction.
57 -- Today, I will forgive myself.
58 -- Today, I will embrace the spiritual belief of my heart in my own personal and reflective way.
59 -- Today, I will enlarge my capacity to embrace differences and appreciate the value of every human being.
60 -- Today, I will be compassionate in my thoughts, words, and actions.
61 -- Today, I will cultivate my moral strength and courage through education and creative nonviolent action.
62 -- Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness for myself and others.
63 -- Today, I will use my talents to serve others as well as myself.
64 -- Today, I will serve humanity by dedicating myself to a vision greater than myself.
3 comments:
Seeing those images of children certainly woke me from my illusion of calmness. I think it will be a while before I can put these pictures out of my mind. Wow, talk about planting something in our awareness! When we think of war, we might default to thinking of men fighting men, but in reality children are affected, too. It's a sad part of reality. I have high hopes that someday soon the good will overpower the evil and war will be as distant an idea as slavery.
This is the end result, in it's worst extreme of, Universality vs. Sectarianism, and why each of us, Individually and collectively, as Local, State and National 'entities' should unite in Oneness (Unicity & Universality) against this most insidious practice of sectarian extremeism. This includes extremist "Bible Thumpers and Patriots alike". When atrocities like these are perpetuated against the peoples of the world, under any banner of 'self-righeousness', something is amiss.
May the Oneness of God, Religion and Mankind become more than mere hope and prayer for the peoples of Our World(our brothers and sisters within our family of mankind).
A Rose by any other name is still a Rose and It's essence remains in the hand of the giver.
PEACE, LOVE and EQUANIMTY
Drifter
A big problem seems to be systemic and political. Somehow the people who rise to leadership ("leadership"?) positions around the world seem to be among those these likely to make these sorts of reflections.
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