Friday, July 21, 2006
respecting the enemy
With all of the current conflict between Israel & Lebanon, I thought it appropriate to mention the course, Respecting The Enemy, that I have been perusing during the last week or so. (click here and then on Course to Mindfulness) The course is by the Carmelites of Indianapolis. From the introduction:
First of all, who is my enemy? I am not at all sure that I can call anyone my enemy. I grieve for all the cruelty in inhumanity of which the human heart, including my own, is capable. To "respect the enemy" I need to control my feelings, my thoughts, and especially my tongue, so as to always respect the dignity and rights of others. I need to respect and appreciate those who are different from me as a brother or sister in God, and to realize that we're all God's sons and daughters.
First of all, who is my enemy? I am not at all sure that I can call anyone my enemy. I grieve for all the cruelty in inhumanity of which the human heart, including my own, is capable. To "respect the enemy" I need to control my feelings, my thoughts, and especially my tongue, so as to always respect the dignity and rights of others. I need to respect and appreciate those who are different from me as a brother or sister in God, and to realize that we're all God's sons and daughters.
