Recent events in Parkland, Florida have hit America hard. Once again innocent children and their teachers are gunned down in what is supposed to be a safe place. It seems there are a lot of people debating the merits of back ground checks for gun purchases and the lack of resources for people with mental health issues. I see lots of finger pointing and there seems to be plenty of blame to go around.
And where does this get us. 17 people, most of them children are still dead. What are you willing to do to end violence and mass shootings? Yes I'm asking you, just like I'm asking myself.
I feel very powerless over these many tragedies that keep happening in our world. It doesn't satisfy me to make others responsible. So I must ask the question what am I willing to do?
There's a story about Gandhi that I think illustrates this point.
A mother brought her child to Gandhi one day frustrated. She told Gandhi that he was constantly eating sugar and she needed help to get him to stop. Gandhi looked at the boy and told the mother to bring him back in a week. A week later the mother and son came back. Gandhi walked over to the boy, looked him in the eye and said firmly, "Stop eating sugar!" The mother looked at him incredulous and asked, "we had to wait a week for you to just tell him to stop eating sugar? Really?" Gandhi looked at her and said, "I needed a the week so that I could stop eating sugar first."
So I must ask myself the question, where am I still harboring violence in my own consciousness? What am I willing to do in my own world to change? Let's think about this, let's feel into this together. What could each of us do in our own lives that would make the world more peaceful?
In the end it's not about our words, it's about our actions, words are not enough.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas because I truly believe there is a solution.
