Valentine Garden Flag

I can feel the hard edge of my personality starting to return and I do not like it. An example of this is that this week I saw an article and an email by two friends that, in my opinion, were revising history. I wrote both of them saying so. The first one refused to get into a discussion but the second one thanked me for my input and had some wise words of advice: “But you may be right, we often get from our reading and listening whatever details we would like and take those that fit our predetermined ideas. I am no exception.” I wrote back that I also was no exception and he might be right.

His words reminded me of one my flaws that violate the spirit of nonviolence that I so desire: fighting for my vision of the truth.

Judith Brown in her book on Gandhi defines his ‘Satyagraha’ or creative nonviolence as “striving nonviolently to the point of sacrifice rather than fighting to attain one’s vision of truth.” I am weak at accepting sacrifice and often fight for my vision of truth. St. Ignatius of Loyola says something similar in his book on the ‘Spiritual Exercise’ when he prays to God for the “desire to be with you in accepting all wrongs and all rejections.”

Valentine’s is a day to celebrate love on all levels. True love is always seeking the truth but accepting what we may perceive as wrong or a rejection and not fighting for our vision of the truth.

Actually the garden, worms or cows are good models of nature to follow. We can see in these three creatures how to accept what may be but continue to do and be what we by nature we need to do or be. It is much more difficult for us humans to follow this natural way since we feel we are more evolved creatures and want to be right.

So my Valentine, to all of you who may read this, is a prayer that God bless you with a strong desire for the truth and to nonviolently strive for it, but strength and humility to not fight for your vision of the truth. Valentine Blessings!

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