Tuesday, September 26, 2006
peace, wholness, restoration, healing, justice, tikkun
September 11, 1906, a small-time lawyer in South Africa stood up for the rights of his people in the face of the British Empire. 100 years later, this man is praised for his philosophy and inspiration of nonviolence, which he called "Satyagraha." The effects of Gandhi's philosophy can still be felt today.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is here, and a call to bring justice and healing to the world around us. I'm amazed by the resources now available to help in this. The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (website) even has a video game designed to simulate leading a nonviolent movement to bring about monumental change. In this game, A Force More Powerful (website), you can practice overthrowing your government! Just kidding. But the implications and resources made available by there being such a game astound me.
Gandhi's grandson also helped to inspire the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), that Nadine and I have found great inspiration from. They teach a form of communication that connects on a heart level. As cheesy as it seemed when we first started practicing NVC, it has proven itself time and time again. Not only has it had great success in peace talks around the world, it has also stopped rapes, muggings, and we personally have seen those "impossible" conversations (i.e. arguments) become very empathetic and meaningful.
Perhaps my favorite organization for healing the world and bringing true justice is Tikkun (website). Though my favoritism is slightly biased by their being predominantly Jewish. They have a voice in politics, as well as a network of organizations for social action, and many small communities or groups focused on personal growth.
On a local level, one of the most interesting things Tikkun created was The Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP). NSP has a more spiritual/faith focus in social action, as they seem to see family and community at the heart of change. On their website, they state their vision as being (1)Changing the Bottom Line in America; (2)Challenging the misuse of religion, God and spirit by the Religious Right; (3)Challenging the many anti-religious and anti-spiritual assumptions and behaviors that have increasingly become part of the liberal culture. I believe that this is only one of many organizations in a growing movement that sees spirituality as the catalyst for world change, and the desparately needed missing piece on our personal jouneys.
Many leaders in peace movement have been assassinated. Many advocates for peace and tikkun (healing), including myself, have been called names, made fun of, scoffed at, and sometimes spat upon. Though I don't blame those that don't seem to understand nonviolence. In a world and the many cultures that we've grown up in that teach violence as an answer, it is difficult to see things another way. But history itself attests to the few who changed our world foever through nonviolence, while the violent fell time and time again. Empires rise and fall, cultures come and go, politics divide and legalism kills, yet in the end we are still all human beings. We are brethren, and we are connected. And it is in realizing this connection that the world is made just.
On this Yom Kippur, may we all forgive ourselves and each other for allowing our ego to separate us. May this next year be one towards tikkun nefesh and tikkun olam, restoring our soul and healing our world.
