Hate Feeds The Monster

There's an article by Michael Schwartz on the way the war in Iraq is being waged and how thousands of innocent Iraqis are being killed not just by suicide bombers, but by American troops.

I remember the war in Vietnam. I remember a girlfriend of mine and her older brother who had enlisted. He came back on leave and the look in his eyes had changed. He had seen things and knew things that put him in deep conflict. He told her: "What they tell you is happening on the news here in the U.S. isn't true. That's not what's happening. That's not the way it is."

My sense is it's the same today, with the war in Iraq. Iraqis are caught in the middle, being killed by both sides; by our troops and by suicide bombers, but our media only reports what the suicide bombers do.

Many who read the article linked above left comments. A few expressed hate for "them," those in our administration who orchestrated this war. A couple expressed outraged hate against the troops, saying that "just following orders" is not an excuse.

Such anger can be valuable and can energize us to action. It is far better to tap into constructive anger than to feel overwhelmed and wallow in depression and apathy. Depression is anger turned against the self, anger you don't really feel you have a right to have.

Depression can be the result of teachings that tell us anger is always bad or we don't have a right to be angry.

Make no mistake, when we see injustice and we have searched our souls to be certain we are perceiving correctly, we have a right to feel angry about it. That's the first step toward constructive action, action that can make a positive difference in this world.

But, while I would encourage righteous anger against unjust policies that lead to positive action geared toward alleviating suffering, I must warn against hate for the people who created and implement the unjust policies.

We all make a choice, every day, to hate or forgive. It isn't just soldiers making decisions that affect other people's lives. We all make important decisions every day on what corporations to support through our purchasing power, whether to send a letter to a representative, whether to give to a charity or to a homeless person on the street, whether to give a smile or a hand or just look the other away.

When we feel confident, we give.

When we fear, we hold on, we withhold, we ignore or we hate. But it all come down to the same thing. We create a cold, unfeeling world.

There are people who blame the soldiers for the slaughter in Iraq and say they are the ones who are behaving like barbarians. Some hate the soldiers.

But put yourself in the position of the soldier facing death and it becomes easy to hate and kill everyone in your path "in case" he or she means you harm, as prevention. Iraq is, perhaps, the most dangerous place on earth right now. Each soldier is in peril in every moment.

Yet each soldier is responsible for his action. Each made the decision to answer the call, to enlist, to carry the gun and to use it. The alternatives were, for most, poverty or jail. We can second-guess them now and say they should not have enlisted, but it was not that long ago everyone was calling for blood after 9-1-1.

Plus we must remember that those in our National Guard did not enlist. They never thought they would be involved in this debacle and face a choice of going to an unjust war or going to jail. We must hope those who survive will have learned something profound about personal responsibility and morality that they will teach us in the future.

Yet whether you are angry at the Administration or at the soldiers themselves, be aware that anger can energize us in a positive way, but hate does not. Hate makes us one with all other haters.

Make no mistake that the rich and powerful who wanted this war, who are waging economic war on "average" Americans, see people as expendable to their own financial and intellectual goals. And they believe accomplishing those goals will allow them maximum control over their own lives.

They hate, the soldiers hate, suicide bombers hate.

Shall we, who see the injustice of it all and our own complicity now hate too?

For hate begets hate.

Saying "f---" the people who brought us this war is understandable. It's frightening being caught up in a war and in events that seem so much bigger than we are and seem so unjust and out of control.

Each of us must speak his or her truth, yes.

But be aware that everything - and every conflict we see today in our country and in the world at large - is a reflection of our own inner conflicts and chaos.

Call it psychobabble, but the Dalai Lama has it right when he calls for people to calm the storm inside themselves.

Calm the storm and take action, not out of hate and fear of what's wrong or unjust, but out of fearlessness and love for what's right.

It may sound like splitting hairs, but our intentions will make the difference between our success in turning our country around and our failure.

The adage that you can't fight fire with fire has an exception. The suicide bombers are following that course. Our soldiers are following that course. Are any of them winning? You tell me.

For the rest of us, we must make peace in our own selves if we are going to create the world we want to see.

In Christianity we have the example of Christ. He did not hate, he did not fight to protect himself. He fed the poor, healed the sick, put himself in danger and accepted the consequences of doing what's right.

Being a Christian is more than talk.

Being a true Christian means calming the chaos inside yourself that is reflected in the outer world.

Being a true Christian means doing good works within one's personal limits, whatever they are.

Being a Christian means difficult choices and, most likely, taking a road that others will scoff at, for it is the road of peace, service and forgiveness.

Let us all pray for the strength to walk this road.

Out of the strong came forth sweetness. Judges 14:14

Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed." 2 Chronicles 32:7

When I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Overcoming Depression

In responding to his New Year wishes, I visited Michael Bains' blog "Silly Humans" and read his January 6th post about depression which inspired me to write the following. So thank you, Michael, for today's post!

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Depression is a serious problem that affects 18 million or nearly one in ten American adults each year.

Suicides outnumber homicides by a ratio of three to two.

The World Health Organization reports that five of the ten leading disabilities are related to mental health disorders.

Of interest, statistically, those who volunteer some of their time to improving the lives of others have a far lower incident of depression and suicide than the general public.

Connecting in joyful human contact and impacting others positively both empower us and make us feel we matter. Not coincidentally, they also seem to be key in overcoming depression.

I think it's lack of real, meaningful and joyful human contact that paves the way for depression.

We know that babies who are fed, bathed and taken care of physically, but otherwise put in a crib and ignored, will die. They need laughter, they need contact. I don't think those needs end with adulthood.

Yet our culture has promoted relationships with technology over relationships with people.

I love the Internet, I think it's fantastic that I can sit here and communicate with you, but it can't compare to a face to face conversation with shared laughter and bantering or shared effort.

On top of that we have what I believe is incredible stress just trying to deal with all the stimuli of our modern culture, all the signs we have to pay attention to and all the sounds, not to mention the media we attend to. It fills us up with chaos.

Human nervous systems are not made to digest it all, I don't think.

We need time sitting around campfires, telling stories, fixing meals, chopping wood. But that's sure not how we live in the "first world." Industrialization has really been a mixed blessing.

People living under $3 a day in third world countries seem, on the whole - unless they're being chased out of their homes with machetes - happier than we are in the West with all our material possessions.

If you're interested in what I think is a great book on this subject, read Me to We by two young guys, Craig & Marc Kielburger.

Marc started Free The Children when he was twelve as a result of reading an article about a boy sold into slavery at the age of 4 and chained to a carpet loom where he spent 12 hours a day tying tiny knots. The boy escaped at the age of 10, but was murdered at the age of 12 for speaking out against child exploitation.

Craig was so hurt and enraged over the injustice, over what happened to a boy his age, that he had to do something.

As a result, ten years later, the organization he founded has improved the lives of over a million children in 35 countries.

In any event, it is a fantastic book and certainly has me thinking about what more I can do to help alleviate suffering.

I guess the point is, Craig Kielburger is never depressed because he's too busy making a difference and making real friends en route.

And if we all connect and spend more time with people in positive and productive action, we will have less time to be depressed.

Whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Luke 22:27

So laboring ye ought to support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

By love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass. I Corinthians 13:1