Recent events in the US prompted this article, ‘Prayerful
Response to Provocation’ with the hope that some will respond in a way which
diffuses tension and peace will be restored.
Prayerful Response to Provocation
Defanging malice and hatred
Politicians who govern us come to power because
their message was more persuasive and their tactics more effective than that of
the opposition. That’s fair and acceptable. What is reprehensible, however, is
when contesting takes on an abusive tenor both in the traditional forms of
communication – speeches at rallies – but ominously also in other forms of mass
communication – the traditional media and on social media.
The political discourse has indeed become
increasingly acrimonious and no holds barred, amplified every news night on our
television sets. Such levels of verbal assault on our senses does not augur
well for the country which is largely made of peace-loving people going about
their daily task with a live-and-let-live attitude.
In this political slugfest the issues to do with
economic well-being and social harmony is barely getting any attention – in
fact, the accusations and insinuations is fraying the very fabric of the nation
to a point of it being torn.
Digital conversations span the spectrum of evoking
emotions of helplessness at one end and vehemence at the other – neither of
which is good to achieve the collective productivity of a nation.
To ‘let things be’ of old is losing its popular
appeal as people take sides in a highly divided polity, promoting and
justifying a point of view through circulation of newspaper reports and videos
as corroborative evidence of calumny.
The debilitating impact on personal productivity
and on relationships when circulating contentious messages is blissfully
ignored when seized of an overpowering, untameable urge to transmit the condemnable
content.
Why are we doing this to one another – when larger
issues of the business or community that we are part of should be commanding
our attention? Assailing each other to express our political affiliations has
become more important than economic imperatives that can ensure us all a better
standard of living.
How do we arrest the growing division among people
because of the positions they have adopted that does not encourage softening of
stances or a desire to forge a level of understanding that promises peace and
goodwill?
The answer is prayer. Seeking the fruits of this
meditative action to achieve peace in our minds toward those who hold vengeful
thoughts.
To get into a state of prayer it is essential to
calm our mind. We need to create a distance between the offender and our
mind; to pray with burden without feeling burdened.
The very act of prayer is a submission to the
emotion of love for ourselves – to become calm within ourselves – and love for
the other – the offender’s situation, influences, motivations, hurts, fears,
animosities that prompted the action.
It is good to ask if inadvertently we are
responsible for triggering the offence in the first place. Or do we just happen
to be the unfortunate and hapless target of someone’s desire to vent their
feelings for perceived wrongs done, just for being the person we are or the
community we belong to.
The state of prayer also insulates us from feeling
hurt, and accordingly, deflates our motivation to react - unsettling the
offender with an unexpected response: no response.
A natural reaction to a provocation is to hit back
with equal force. However, when the provocateur does not get a response to
repeated provocations, it is most infuriating; it sweeps the carpet of
self-justification from under, making futile the built-up arsenal of conjured
up reprisals in expectation of a response.
Non-response is the first step. The prayer for
redemption of the offender is the next step. In the process what we achieve is
the defanging of the venom from the attacker’s sac to hopefully leave it docile
to return to more productive occupation. And, us to ours. And, the nation to
peace and prosperity which would be the reasonable desire of any
self-respecting, ‘good citizen’.
This reflection
would be incomplete without the quote from Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US
President on being a good citizen. "The first requisite of a good
citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull
his own weight; that he shall not be a mere passenger, but shall do his share
in the work that each generation of us finds ready to hand; and, furthermore,
that in doing his work he shall show, not only the capacity for sturdy
self-help, but also self-respecting regard for the rights of others.”
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