Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 7:57pm
As I write this, my heart aches for the young man Marcus whose life was senselessly cut down this morning and whose light was snuffed out. Continued prayers for my sister-friend Joyce Thomas whose niece Breanna was a good friend to Marcus. Please keep Brenna in prayer as well as the entire family & community.
After I wrote the first note last Friday, I felt compelled to expound some more on emotions being neutral so to speak; they can lie dormant until a situation arises that REVEALS our nature and growth. Do we respond negatively when provoked or do we respond positively?
Of course, it’s very easy to respond to a situation and take “responsibility” for our actions when the result is positive. For example, someone lies on you in attempts to ruin your character & your reputation. Rather than return an eye for an eye, you respond in prayer, even going as far as forgiving them and maybe even lending a helping hand. Sometimes we will tell others of the “good” we extended to the perpetrator but we have to be careful that it does not become a form of pride and boasting. Or, someone stole from you but you still turn around and meet a need for them.
In any case, as I thought on this, ruminated…I realize that there are two ways to provoke someone: to anger and wrath or to love. In either case, we must take responsibility for our actions. The emotion that stirred up the action walks hand in hand with either anger or with love.
Positive or righteous anger or hatred at injustice and racism fueled the fires of the non-violent movement spearheaded by such greats as Gandhi in India, or the non-resistance movement and ML King, Jr during the Civil Rights Movement in the US as well as Steve Biko and Nelson & Winnie Mandela in South Afrika!
The anger at sexism & a patriarchal system fueled the desire and love of equality for women to receive equal pay for equal work.
The anger at the futility of war fueled the love for peace thus birthing the Peace Movement against US Occupation in Vietnam and other places across the globe.
While commuting, a former marine on the bus told the driver (Fred) and I of a young man in his neighborhood who had beaten a woman almost to death. The marine mentioned that this same young man had twice escaped charges of murder in court and now to do this, he would get his own form of justice in the pen. He said they don’t look too kindly on such cowardly actions against women and children. Hooray I say! Yes, I said it. Street justice is no joke, you reap what you sow.
Even recently, the senseless shootings in Tucson by a young man who was influenced by words of anger and hate resulted in the senseless deaths of several people and US Representative Ms. Gifford’s fighting to live. I read today that the lawyer who will defend this young man has a history of getting life sentences for those she defends rather than capital punishment.
It’s time out for these pleas of insanity, these worthless excuses. Each person must be held responsible for the results of his/her actions, plain & simple. No more “the devil made me do it; I was raised by a single parent; my mother didn’t love me; I never knew my father, etc., etc.” Time out from this frackle knackle bull!
To reiterate: Emotions are neither positive nor negative! It’s what we do, how we act or react that dictates and determines whether the deed done is good or evil.
As always, leaving…the…light…on!