Intention #2

To embody Nonviolence in my Mind and Heart, and with my Eyes and Hands.

I never realized how controversial nonviolence was, until I declared my belief in its importance and my desire to live my life in such a manner. Several weeks ago, I was told, “If you and I are stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean you better be careful because I will have a knife.” I don’t know if I totally understand the responses I get, but they have mainly been negative, with that one being one of the strongest.

When I came home from Mexico/California in August I started attending a Mennonite church. One of the prevailing reasons for this was that the Mennonites have always been what is considered a Peace Church. Again, the fact that there has to be a distinction among the evangelicals is something I don’t quite understand, but it is what it is.

If you google Nonviolence you will get a whole lot of differing opinions on what that means. If you’ll let me, I’ll offer my own working definition by starting with the negative. Violence is, in my opinion, “an aggressive act that seeks to harm, whether by action or lack of action, yourself or another.” So, nonviolence might be something like, “a peaceful act that seeks to better, whether by action or lack of action, yourself or another.” I don’t know if that is completely right, but let’s go with that for now.

I believe that Jesus gave us a model of nonviolence.

I want to do my best to emulate Jesus’ example.

So, what does Nonviolence look like for me?

It looks like not watching the UFC or American football anymore. It looks like not eating animals that have been tortured (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icOD7hxUGI8 - Warning this is a graphic video showing factory farming practices). It looks like not voting for someone who will sentence someone to death. And it looks like being against all wars.

Are you still there? Let’s get to the hard part.

It looks like loving myself, even the hard to love parts. It looks like recognizing the person who is going to cut me off in traffic, and letting them in anyways. It looks like wanting the best for those around me, and finding a way to foster that. It looks like not joking around sarcastically. It looks like finding ways to stand up against injustice. It looks like fighting for equality for all people.  It looks like finding a way to disagree with people without thinking less of them. It looks like not being an ignorant consumer. It looks like not supporting companies that exploit their employees.

This was the hardest intention to write about so far. I think it is because this is such a big idea. It is an all-encompassing way of life. I feel like I didn’t do it justice, but I’m not sure how to do that here. I’m not even totally sure how to do that in my life.

But, I am intending to finish this year more nonviolently than I started it.