Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Keeping the hope
posted by John Davies at 5:43 PM
Tricky, speaking on Remembrance. I had to do that today to three hundred 15-18 year olds. How to keep nonviolent principles whilst acknowledging the genuine beliefs of those who died fighting? And of some of those young people who possibly believe the same things too?
I chose hope as the link - Remembrance works for those who live in hope, because those who died were motivated by the hope of a better world, something we can connect with as we hope for that too. And... here's the rub: if we're with Daniel Berrigan noting "the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" then the hope of a better world will move us away from military solutions towards other creative forms.
That's neat. Standing on a cold Memorial Lawn next Sunday surrounded by flags and uniforms ain't so. But hey, I'll be trying even then, to keep the hope.
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john davies
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