With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,
Some things we believe are like bullets fired from repeating rifles that eventually kill our hearts. One such thing is that people should "pay" for their crimes. Should they? What does "pay" mean? Think about it. When we say this, what are we really saying? What is the value driving the statement, undergirding the belief? It is a punitive belief, not a healing one. It suggests smacking someone will make them stop smacking someone else. Right. Very useful.
Yet the belief is nearly reified by repetition within the culture, thus blocking any real dialogue about the nature of criminal activity or the effectiveness of our response to it.
What are some other repeating bullets that kill our compassion?
Be well.
I think this is why Jesus of Nazareth was so revolutionary in his thinking... the thought of "do not resist those who do evil to you... but pray fpr those who persecute you"... what he is getting at crushes evil and fills people with compassion. The only way to compassion is patient suffering. And patient suffering means absorbing blows, again and again.
ReplyDeleteIn neighborhoods were murderous gangs like MS-13 have taken over and people are routinely tortured, raped, and killed; giving the killers love seems like a very hollow thing to tell the victims.
ReplyDeleteShould the families of victims of horrible crimes should be forced to love the killers?
Hello Al, Reid,
ReplyDeleteThank you both for your thoughtful replies. Two positions seemingly opposed. Where is the middle way? Does one need to absorb blow after blow until they die to evoke compassion in the perpetrator? Should one "be forced" to love killers? No. A middle way is a compasssionate way however that allows defensive protection without sanctioning violence. A middle way suggest a thoughtful, measured way, a way that is both responsive and responsible. Both extremes are problematic, it seems to me, though I admit I tend toward the non-violent, non-punitive, more curative and nurturing of the sides here. We must recognize violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is a conditioned response. We have the brains to make changes in these conditions, but I wonder at our will. To cvhange is often very scary, very threatening. It is much easier to reply on the old, knee-jerk standbys, nevermind they do not work and are, in fact, contributors to the problem as they simply re-enforce gang/criminal mentality.
Be well.