More posts on the Gaza situation here…
after two months of not seeing each other
J: So, you signed-up, eh?
O: I became a member, yes…
J: It’s a real religion?
O: Yeah, a world religion.
J: I can’t imagine you in some organization that tells you what you can and can’t do.
O: Well, there are spiritual laws but there’s nothing that isn’t just good common sense—well, common sense without a materialistic focus—maybe, good spiritual common sense…
J: hmmm… What’s the hardest thing about following all those laws?
O: Funny you should ask; well, not funny for you but just yesterday I had my first real spiritual test…
J: Do tell!
O: Well… it was about the situation in Gaza. I was talking to an Israeli and a Palestinian and they both kept referring to each other as monsters and terrorists and I got pretty worked up and almost started an argument but I remembered that I should treat everyone with kindness so I asked them if they thought any Palestinians and Israelis were good people…
J: Yeah… So?
O: They both got real quiet and then got up and walked off.
J: How was that a test?
O: ‘Cause, while they were ranting about how evil the Palestinians and Israelis were, I was getting pretty mad and when I remembered a quote from the Scripture, “…should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them…”, I calmed right down and asked about the possiblity of good Palestinians and Israelis.
J: I still don’t understand the test part…
O: I wanted to slap them for what they’d been saying, pretty war-like for me, but I decided to be fair to them, benefit of the doubt and all, and asked about the possibility of good people on both sides. If I’d slapped them, even with my words, we would have been “at war”; but, maybe what I said will make them think and be more fair to each other…
Jill and Olivia talked for two more hours and explored some of Olivia’s new Scripture…
Here’s what they talked about:
Spiritual Quote:
“O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. For universality is of God and all limitations earthly. Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and loving kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.
“Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness, that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Baha [Light, Splendor], that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourselves, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives, sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you, be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Will and Testament, p. 14
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The Gaza situation has been a real life test for me. People so frequently have been willing to bash one or the other side with hateful and warlike rhetoric. I’ll be in a situation where the direction of the conversation makes me really uncomfortable and its been hard to try to steer it to a higher realm of discourse in a natural way with grace. I don’t want the people talking to think I am judging them or think they are bad or anything. It definitely takes tact and diplomacy.
Not judging, tact, diplomacy, and grace…
Oh, yes! All of them virtues that make us loving humans and enable truly rational interaction with plenty of room for Love!!