the root of violence

I found this in a daily meditation that I receive. I thought you'd like it. It's from Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation.

...The root of violence is the illusion of separation--from God, from Being itself, from being one with everyone and everything. When you don't know how to consciously live out of your union with Love, you resort to violence, fighting people who are not like you. Contemplative practice teaches you to not make so much of the differences, but to return to who you are beyond your nationality, skin color, gender, or other labels. It brings you back to your True Self, who you are in God.

When you can become little enough, naked enough, and honest enough, then you will ironically find that you are more than enough. This is the wisdom of the Gospel, and it is surely the Franciscan emphasis. At this place of poverty and freedom you have nothing to prove and nothing to protect. Here you can connect with everything and everyone. Everything belongs. This cuts violence at its very roots before there is even a basis for fear, anger, protection, vengeance, or self-promotion--the things that often cause violence...

I sent you the link by email. According to this post the answer is contemplation and then action. I love the part of being made small and humble to find your center.

I applaud your decision to stop eating meat. I am wondering if supplementing your B12 would help your temperature regulation. It's the one nutrient that we get from animal flesh. I get mine through a vegetarian vitamin. A lack of B12 leads to a type of anemia. I am celebrating 10 years of vegetarian eating this Thanksgiving. I've only once knowingly eaten 2 shrimp, made by very dear friends who were so pleased to cook specially for me. So, I ate them and felt very sick. The compromises we make…

I stopped eating meat after reading about the animal flesh industry. I pass several mennonite farms on my familiar routes and they pen up the veal calfs. I am tempted to let them out and lead them back to the pasture with the cows when no one is watching. 

I am thinking about how slavery has influenced the black family…

absent fathers…

I've never considered that before…

it does make sense though.

I was supposed to have a job interview tomorrow, supporting intellectually disabled school students in 5 counties. I am going to cancel it. I don't want to travel that far. I am tired of sitting in a car for several hours each day. I am going to stick close to home… 

I was talking with friends at the funeral last week about my job and surprised myself by saying how much I enjoy what I am doing. I think I'm going to sit tight, take the online trauma course, develop the new course for Penn State and see where that leads me. That's what feels right at this point.

I'll find you here tomorrow,

Love and Light beautiful sister,

Maggie