The contributions of Lewis Randa, Dot Walsh, and the Peace Abbey to the promotion of peace and social justice have been featured on engaging peace several times in the last few years. I am glad to report that these forces for good continue to speak truth to power.
Stay tuned for more information on the “Refuse the Order to Launch” rally in Natick, MA, August 27, 2017.
Attendance at Saturday’s historic Boston Women’s March for America was estimated by The Boston Herald at “more than 150,000.”
Rebecca Solnit reminds us, “It’s important to say what hope is not: it is not the belief that everything was, is, or will be fine. The evidence is all around us of tremendous suffering and tremendous destruction. The hope I’m interested in is about broad perspectives with specific possibilities, ones that invite or demand that we act. It’s also not a sunny everything-is-getting-better narrative, though it may be a counter to the everything-is-getting-worse narrative. You could call it an account of complexities and uncertainties, with openings.”
Carl Sagan considers how we can bridge conviction and compassion in dealing with those who disagree with and even attack our beliefs. Although he addresses the particular problems of pseudoscience and superstition, his elegant and empathetic argument applies to any form of ignorance and bigotry.
Sagan explores how we can remain sure-footed and rooted in truth and reason when confronted with such dangerous ideologies, but also have a humane and compassionate intention to understand the deeper fears and anxieties out of which such unreasonable beliefs arise in those who hold them.
Sagan says, “In the way that skepticism is sometimes applied to issues of public concern, there is a tendency to belittle, to condescend, to ignore the fact that, deluded or not, supporters of superstition and pseudoscience are human beings with real feelings, who, like the skeptics, are trying to figure out how the world works and what our role in it might be. Their motives are in many cases consonant with science. If their culture has not given them all the tools they need to pursue this great quest, let us temper our criticism with kindness. None of us comes fully equipped.”
But kindness, Sagan cautions, doesn’t mean assent — there are instances, like when we are faced with bigotry and hate speech, in which we absolutely must confront and critique these harmful beliefs, for “every silent assent will encourage [the person] next time, and every vigorous dissent will cause him next time to think twice.
“If we offer too much silent assent about [ignorance] — even when it seems to be doing a little good — we abet a general climate in which skepticism is considered impolite, science tiresome, and rigorous thinking somehow stuffy and inappropriate. Figuring out a prudent balance takes wisdom.”
Silent assent may be equally destructive in relation to those who vote for a racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic, climate-change-denying political leader.
Sagan’s central point is that we humans — all of us — are greatly perturbed by fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, and in seeking to becalm ourselves, we sometimes anchor ourselves to irrational and ignorant ideologies that offer certitude and stability, however illusory. In understanding those who succumb to such false refuges, Sagan calls for “compassion for kindred spirits in a common quest.”
Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, “If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform. When our hearts are small, our understanding and compassion are limited, and we suffer. We can’t accept or tolerate others and their shortcomings, and we demand that they change. But when our hearts expand, these same things don’t make us suffer anymore. We have a lot of understanding and compassion and can embrace others. We accept others as they are, and then they have a chance to transform.”
“This is an extraordinary time full of vital, transformative movements that could not be foreseen. It’s also a nightmarish time. Full engagement requires the ability to perceive both.”
Friday, January 20th, was Inauguration Day. I had decided to plan an event from 12-2 pm no matter who showed up. I believed it was important not to be in my home watching the TV or listening to the radio. And so we came together, a small group of close friends, on a very cold day. We made new friends, listened to each other, informed passersby about the work of Engaging Peace, and left more hopeful.
The following message was sent to me after the event:
“Thank you for holding the space and inviting strangers to join you. Doing so is a beautiful gift of compassion. While I had never imagined attending something like this before I was glad I did. When I arrived home I realized that I was feeling more optimistic and hopeful.
Thank you for sharing the milk of human kindness.”
Dot Walsh is a devoted peace activist who worked at the Peace Abbey until it closed. She has a long history of involvement with social justice issues including prison, homelessness, and human rights.
Tune in tomorrow for photos and prose concerning the Boston’s Women’s March, January 21, 2017.
A dear friend of mine complained that often when she often reads my blog she is left feeling sad and discouraged. The posts remind her of all the things wrong in the world, and the many injustices done by and within our own country, and she doesn’t feel she can do much about any of it. But she can make a difference. We all can.
I can understand how she feels; I can empathize with her sense of discouragement, her wish to be distracted from the evils of racism, the horrors of war, the barbarism of torture. But ignoring the problems won’t lead to peace of mind or safety or a future for our children and grandchildren.
As 2014 ends, and we move into a new year with new possibilities to make a difference, Engaging Peace offers reminders of some of the more positive posts of the past year—the beacons of hope and the guides for the new year.
January 2, 2014. We rang in the New Year with appreciation for the work ofnon-profits resisting war, combating arms proliferation, and promoting peace and nonviolence. http://engagingpeace.com/?p=7466
April 10, 2014. We suggested that organizations, like individuals, can be morally engaged and nominate a few exemplars: http://engagingpeace.com/?p=7771
Those examples of individuals and groups working for peace and social justice come from fewer than six months’ worth of engaging peace posts. Join their efforts in 2015. Engage in resistance to violence, racism, and other forms of social injustice. That’s one way to get to feel better.