That Pitter-Patter

II.      Vows of Rejection

“We renounce violence of the heart, tongue and fist, neither willing nor working harm to any”

7. I will reject violence of the heart: I will not harbor anger, resentment, envy, prejudice, or hatred.

("heartbeat" by Alesa Dam via Flickr )

Rarely can I forget the times the pitter-patter intensified.  Instantaneously in those moments the regularity of my heart rate is gone.  Everything has been ratcheted up.  I seethe.

Had I know that a backyard baseball game would get me this worked up; I probably would have gone swimming.  Had I know that my life would cross paths so frequently with that of a friend, and at each juncture, he would laud his accomplishments above mine; I probably would have chosen a different career track.

All too often I make room to harbor anger.  I allow for comparisons.  I make space for this to continue day upon day.  Elbowed out of the way are the things I have to offer.
 

Let it Begin with Me

III.    Vows of Nonviolent Witness

“We pledge to act in allegiance to God alone, and to resist injustice with goodness”

Penn State Special Collections via Flickr

14. I will seek to abolish war and the causes of war from my own heart and from the world around me.

Many reasons are given for specific occurrences of violence and war. Some sound more honorable than others: We needed to strike back in self-defense, compassion obligated us to stand with an oppressed group or friend or ally. Some are more critical: He was jealous and drunk, those two had a sour history already, they were after desperate for more resources or money, they wanted to prove their power and be taken seriously. Some of these may be true at times, but every act of violence and war whether at home, in the neighborhood or overseas arises from a cocktail of causes.