The question we need to ask ourselves is whose regret do we want to see? When we point fingers at and hold up someone else we see as the ‘evil’ perpetrator and when we point fingers at ourselves and call ourselves ‘innocent’ victims, then we miss the point completely. We don’t just miss the point, when we step outside our ‘victimhood’ and howl for blood and ask for help to tie the noose around another’s neck, even in our righteous indignation, we ourselves become perpetrators … we perpetuate the violence. And it’s when we identify ourselves as “innocent bystanders”, with no investment or influence or power over what’s happening, we take a step closer to perpetuating the worst kind of violence ,,, indifference.

It seems so very important to recognize the role that judgement plays in perpetuating the violence.

That is really gorgeous isn’t it.

It reminds me of Paul’s distinction of Godly remorse and worldly remorse.

I have been thinking so much over the last few years about how and why and all of it. And thinking upon this post,( this post touched me very much btw though I did not mention it before ) it encourages for me my feeling that as well as cultivating an inner life it is the small ways we treat each other NOW in our everyday that ensures that even if terrible things happen (and they shall) that they will be mitigated somehow by kindness. It is small things like saying hello to a stranger as they pass by or smiling at a muslim on the bus and making sure his children are safe on it.,smiling at a street person, all those little indicators of connection, ways that say , even though your life is far form mine we do belong to each other.