Violence and Silence

We are immersed in a culture with a clear perspective on violence and force.

Our nation was born through a violent revolution. While violence may not always be our first inclination, we often do not hesitate to rely on it. We believe it is possible to use force to resolve conflicts. We believe it is possible to defeat our problems by using violence. We are willing to act violently toward other countries, and toward each other.

While our culture may encourage or reinforce violence in people, it is not the deepest source of violence actions. Our willingness to depend on violence comes, like most of our actions, from within ourselves.

We believe in taking action, working toward what we value. When we sense we are not being treated fairly, we want to take action to make things right. When we feel pain, our own or someone else’s, we want to take action to help. We want to act to make a difference in the world.

We often do not deal with conflict in very healthy ways. Conflict tends to get our juices flowing, to motivate us to stronger action. It is as if we think when someone might not agree with us, we need to speak more loudly.

Spiritual life works in us, drawing us to explore the depths of anger and violence within us. We learn to listen, learn to wait, learn not to react with force when things do not go our way.

Spiritual life sparks reflection in us. We pause, and see ourselves reflected in the violence around us. Our reflection begins to show us healthier ways we could respond to conflict.

When will you spend time listening to silence this week?

How do you recognize and release the anger and violence within you?

[Image by Maria Eklind]