My latest manuscript-in-progress is about the power of forgiveness. It
seems a relevant topic given the events of this last week in Boston. The book
is called “The Law of Immediate Forgiveness” and it asks two questions: how
would our lives change if we could forgive one another (and ourselves)
immediately; and who would want to stop such changes from taking place?
As I listened to news coverage of the bombings at the Boston
Marathon, and the investigation and pursuit of suspects that followed,
forgiveness wasn’t uppermost in my mind. I felt the frustration of lack of
comprehension and the anger of helplessness. And the exasperation brought about
by yet another tragedy visibly dissolving into a venue for social divisiveness
and political posturing.
 |
| Dogs get it: More love. |
People, I wanted to shout, the answer is simple. More love,
less hate. That’s it. That’s all we need to know. More love, less hate.
The people of Boston already know this. Their responses in
the face of violence were powerful and simple expressions of love and concern.
Read about the 78-year-old runner who was knocked over by the explosions and how he finished the race. More love, less hate.
The people of the U.S. and the rest of the world already
know this. Another outpouring of support, concern, and generosity took place as
people gave without question and prayed with full hearts. More love, less hate.
People everywhere already know this: More love, less hate. There
is only a small minority who don’t get it. They can wreak havoc, but they
cannot, ultimately, win. Unless we let them.
And as long as we remember the simple solution, we won’t let
the few who are committed to destruction take over. We’ll persist in our insistent,
devoted, single-minded path. As writers we’ll contribute our words, and all
others will contribute what they can.
Together, we’ll create a world of peace. A world of more
love, less hate.
Elizabeth Fountain is the author of An Alien's Guide to World Domination.
8 comments:
Wish it were that simple, not sure it is. Most that commit atrocities and bathe in hate do so for 4 reasons: pure evil (like Hitler), up bringing (like terrorist taught to hate those that don't practice their religion), jealousy (like those that chose a path of darkness and entitlement instead of being contributing elements of society), and rejection (like a lover that turns angry when cheated upon). Fact is, I do believe, except in case 1, attitude can neutralize all those forces of negativity. I try to teach my G-daughter when life serves lemons turn it to lemonade. Works for me, most the time (g)
Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the Year (2008 and 2009)
Award of Excellence (2012)
This concept is so difficult because there are so many other powerful issues bound together such as nature-nurture (I recently read where perhaps 1 in 10 is born a sociopath? Wow, not sure I believe it or even want to), the hateful conditions some people live in, and something I've frequently bumped into in student writing - the righteousness of revenge. School bullies beware!
However, I think stories of redemption, forgiveness, and love conquering hate are powerful and inspirational. Sadly, I don't think any of us will run out of plot lines on this topic any time soon.
I am also challenged to understand evil, Big Mike. I hope that love can outweigh even it; and by love I mean more than attitude - I also mean the hard work of caring for others and our world. Thanks for those thoughts.
Liz
True, Rhobin - there are so many stories to tell about all these aspects of our human condition: revenge, fear, loss, and love, redemption, forgiveness. It's a privilege to be able to scribe some of them. Thanks for your reflections.
Liz
Proof of Heaven, by Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who visited heaven during a 7-day coma, is worth your
time to read. His sister guided him through the primorial muck into heaven and told him, there are three things to know: 1) you are loved; 2) you have nothing to fear, and 3) you cannot do anything wrong here.
Julie, that quote you shared gave me shivers. I'll check that book out, thank you.
Not sure if 'dogs get it' -- mine just got attacked by a vicious german shepherd. However, more love in the world is certainly a powerful thing. There will always be evil in the world. If we lose sight of love in the midst of evil, then we're definitely lost.
Thanks for the post.
Richard Hacker
Richard! I hope your dog is okay? That must've been so scary!
Post a Comment