I apologize for my absence with posting as of late. My hiatus will likely continue until mid-June as time is very precious and in short supply these days with the course load I’m currently undergoing. I wanted to take a moment to poke my head out from my study cave to share some news that is very special to me: Today I was admitted into the postulancy of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans. The journey from here to the possibility of becoming a professed member of the OEF is neither short nor guaranteed, but I’m sure it will be worth the effort. On this Earth Day, 2013, I feel moved to share with you this poem from St. Francis — who just happens to be the patron saint of ecology:

Mother Earth
By Saint Francis of Assisi

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfolds rich blessing on our way,
O praise God! Alleluia!
The fruits and flowers that verdant grow,
Let them his praise abundant show.
O praise God, O praise God,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

 

Dedicated to every Israeli and Palestinian who knows the pains of war. May that day the Prophet Isaiah speaks of when “they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore,” come soon.

As I see the smoke rising and the bodies laying broken,
it seems messages of hate are the only ones left spoken.
One side fires rockets and the other side fires back,
and both sides call out self-defense; that they are under attack.
The people who are dying are somebody’s nephew or niece,
so may we take a moment to hear the calls of peace?

Through burning tear-tinged eyes, and with a broken heart,
I see stories from both sides of human lives torn apart.
The war hawks puff their feathers and prove that they are strong,
while the innocent must suffer a fate known for far too long.
The people who are dying are somebody’s dad or mom,
so may we take a moment to hear the calls of salaam?

Look each other in the eyes and see the spark within,
by opening your hearts to love the ropes of war wear thin.
They use media and messaging to make the enemy seem other,
when at the end of the day, they’re not your enemy but your brother.
The people who are dying aren’t even safe in their own home,
so may we take a moment to hear the calls of shalom?

I think it’s safe to say that everyone remembers what happened 11 years ago today. But 106 years ago today something else happened, something far more important — an idea was born. The visionary was a man by the name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi took two Sanskrit words, satya (truth) and agraha (insistence), and put them together to create Satyagraha, insistence on truth — a word he coined to describe one of the most important and often overlooked ideas in human history.

Basic Concepts of Satyagraha: Gandhian Nonviolence:
from the APT Nonviolence Trainer’s Manual.
(Courtesy of http://www.dfong.com/nonviol/basicsat.html)

I. “Sat” — which implies openness, honesty, and fairness: Truth.

A) Each person’s opinions and beliefs represent part of the truth.

B) In order to see more of the truth we must share our truths cooperatively.

C) This implies a desire to communicate and a determination to do so, which in turn requires developing and refining relevant skills of communication.

D) Commitment to seeing as much of the truth as possible means that we can not afford to categorize ourselves or others.

II. “Ahimsa” — refusal to inflict injury on others.

A) Ahimsa is dictated by our commitment to communication and to sharing of our pieces of the truth. Violence shuts off channels of communication.

B) The concept of ahimsa appears in most major religions, which suggests that while it may not be practiced by most people, it is respected as an ideal.

C) Ahimsa is an expression of our concern that our own and other’s humanity be manifested and respected.

D) We must learn to genuinely love our opponents in order to practice ahimsa.

III. “Tapasya” — willingness for self-sacrifice.

A) A satyagrahi (one who practices satyagraha) must be willing to shoulder any sacrifice which is occasioned by the struggle which they have initiated, rather than pushing such sacrifice or suffering onto their opponent, lest the opponent become alienated and access to their portion of the truth become lost.

B) The satyagrahi must always provide a face-saving “way out” for the opponents. The goal is to discover a wider vista of truth and justice, not to achieve victory over the opponent.

Today I found this great film on YouTube called Many Paths, One Goal. It seems to me that the spirit of this film is one of the most important messages facing humanity at the moment. I was so moved by it that I have decided to share it here.