Desmond Tutu by Leo Hartshord
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” — Desmond Tutu
This quote stood out today. For some unexplainable reason I cannot be neutral on issues, especially moral issues. I need to take a stand and often act on my beliefs. A few persons today recognized my work in the area of justice, nonviolence and growing power and took it seriously. We all say and know that we do what we need to do, not for recognition but because it is the right thing to do, yet recognition feels good. It makes up for all the times you are stigmatized or, even worse, ignored. However, dealing with praise and recognition can be as difficult as dealing with shame and rejection. One of my neighbors across the street proudly displayed in his beautiful front yard garden an award for having such a beautiful garden. However, last summer he completely redid his front yard. It is still beautiful but in a whole new way. Recognition and awards did not keep him from moving on and doing another beautiful front garden. Gardens are like that, we can learn from failure and success but not from being neutral. We constantly need to plow over our fields, plant seeds, and start growing again.
However, doing, by itself, can be neutral. We just keep on doing and doing, like running in place, never going anywhere. We all need time to be quiet, to stop, look and listen. Contemplation must complement action. Otherwise we run out of the energy of life that is generated in the silence of life. One way to take time out is to go on a retreat, to get away form the everyday routine of life, be quiet, see and hear. It has been a long time since I made a retreat, too long. But later this week I will be traveling with a group of persons to Venezuela to experience the culture, persons, sights and sounds of this country. It is not exactly a silent time, but it is away and can be a chance to deeply listen and see.
I will be busy the next couple of days attending to some growing power stuff, planning a nonviolent action — to get Marquette to stop supporting an unjust war and teaching values contrary our faith — and preparing for the pilgrimage or retreat. Tomorrow I will update anyone interested in the status of the gardens, inside and outside, and then take a retreat from posting until I am back. I hope to feel like the mouse when the big elephant takes his foot off the tail and the mouse is free to go. No neutrality during retreat, just stop and go.
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