The recent events should cause us to reflect on how consistent our daily lives are with our spiritual beliefs. Fear causes us to act irrationally, focusing on our differences, instead of seeing where we, as Gandhi told us, have to be the change we want to see in the world. A recent blog post by John Pavlovitz suggests that, by our silent acceptance, we may be complicit in the recent violent attacks:
Let us reaffirm our commitment to our spiritual values by reflecting on the Prayer of St Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.