For this Sunday, April 28th, the focus for
our meditation will be on Tolerance. Last fall the television show,
Saturday Night Live, pushed the boundaries of decency when a cast member mocked
a former Navy Seal named Dan Crenshaw.
Crenshaw had recently been elected a U.S. Representative from Texas and was
taken aback at the level of public outrage in response to the SNL skit. People around the country were extremely
offended, particularly by a glib reference to an eye patch Crenshaw wears as a
result of an injury while serving in Afghanistan. Crenshaw didn’t share their same level of offense,
however. As he put it, he hadn’t been
outraged when he had been shot at, so why start now? In a Washington Post Opinion piece Crenshaw
noted, “I also could not help but note
that this was another chapter in a phenomenon that has taken complete control
of the national discourse: outrage culture. It seems like every not-so-carefully-worded
public misstep must be punished to the fullest extent, replete with soapbox
lectures and demands for apologies. Anyone who doesn’t show the expected level of
outrage will be labeled a coward or an apologist for bad behavior. I get the feeling that regular, hard-working,
generally unoffended Americans sigh with exhaustion — daily.” Here was someone most people thought should
be offended by the humor at his expense, and he purposely chose not to adopt a
state of outrage. Our society has
somehow become a culture of hypersensitivity.
College students demand to be protected from “trigger words” that might
raise their anxiety. Drivers regularly
lash out in sometimes fatal incidents of road rage in knee-jerk responses to perceived
acts of aggression or carelessness by other drivers. We no longer seem capable of “turning the
other cheek” and practicing forgiveness but instead seek vengeance and public castigation
of those who offend us. I have never been
a fan of Tolerance when it comes to acts of prejudice – I believe we
should not just endure those who are different from us but seek to understand
and embrace them – but in our daily conduct there is a place for Tolerance
when it comes to being more forgiving of the faults of others. This week in our prayer and meditation time
let us examine our behavior and ask if there are ways in which we would want to
practice greater Tolerance with others in our life. Let us ask for divine assistance to become
more Tolerant of the missteps of others and less quick to be offended,
and may this nation as a whole adopt a desire to act with greater calmness,
compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.
In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy
of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation. As we perform our meditation this week let us
begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create. Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated
ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at
it. Raise this sphere of light up high
over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid,
impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country. From shore to shore and border to border let
the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve
to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who
live across its vast lands.
Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in
your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us
and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.
Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have been able
to overlook the mistakes of others and be Tolerant
of their flaws? How does it feel in my body when I manage to avoid being
outraged and instead find Tolerance
for those who appear to offend me? Then send the energy and intention of
those feelings to the nation.
Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express
thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.
If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share
please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com
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