Those who believe that peace can be defended, and that attack is justified on its behalf, cannot perceive it lies within them. How could they know? Could they accept forgiveness side by side with the belief that murder takes some forms by which their peace is saved? Would they be willing to accept the fact their savage purpose is directed against themselves? – ACIM Chapter 23 The War Against Yourself III.5
Are you looking for a visionary thinker advising that you will never solve the problem of racism by being against it? Is your organization willing to implement positive initiatives based on the realization that attack never brings a peaceful outcome? If so, please consider me in your search for an Executive Assistant.
Prejudice can loosely be defined as the failure to recognize the full value of an individual. It can be based on a huge range of irrational judgements, from the skin color, to sexual orientation, to age, to shirt color; the list goes on and on. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say this is the greatest problem the planet faces and it’s certainly no understatement to say we’ve been highly unsuccessful in solving it.
I’m hoping that the CURE might be willing to look at a different approach, one that speaks of our collective union rather than emphasizing our differences.
I have years of experience working in communications for The University of Calgary, as a weekly and daily reporter in Nanaimo and former production editor for the Gateway. I have experience working with diverse racialized groups as a community support worker in Prince George and as a janitor in homeless shelters for Edmonton’s Mustard Seed organization. In my 10 years of international teaching, I worked in multi-ethnic/cultural environments in Libya, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the UAE and Japan.
Returning to Canada in 2012, I relocated to Prince George, BC and launched my WordPress website to highlight my creative abilities in writing, photography, art, music and video production. I use my website and blog to promote my work and ideas. My music video set to my song, Brand New Song, is a musical call to making this a better world, while also referencing drug use as one of the bigger challenges we face.
Only love can end racism, and anti-racism, too, by changing the hearts and minds that see the world amiss and not through implementing changes to the external world. Why? Because the outer world we see is a reflection of the inner world in our mind.
We have strayed so far from this fundamental understanding that those who should be counseling peace through introspection have, instead, adopted the self-defeating position of righteous anger couched in the preconditioned demand for justice before peace. You see it everywhere: No justice. No peace. But what exactly does that ensure, except that neither condition will ever be met?
Jesus, in Matthew 6:33 said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” That kingdom, I would argue, is one of peace and love.
Zen Buddhist priest angel Kyodo williams fosters this split mind thinking in her book, “Radical Dharma. Talking race, love and liberation.” The cover illustration visually expresses this mindset as it features a yellow fist at the center of an octagon with the eight trigrams of the I Ching. To me, liberation is not found in a closed fist, but in an open hand and a love so True it sees only Love and nothing else. The same fist image appears inside a yellow heart, in a popular sign titled, “Hate has no home here”, posted on an Edmonton lawn, which completely negates the textual message.
The real understanding is this: To be against hate is not the same as being for Love. A simple distinction but a difficult one for those who believe, insanely, that the anger and hurt they feel will be resolved through their expression in attack, instead of finding peace and healing in forgiveness and the true release it provides.
Inside, william’s states on page xxiii of her introduction, “It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the discovery and assertion of Siddhartha Gautama, the historic Buddha – that every human being, irrespective of caste, race, creed or birth has within them the potential for waking up to the ultimate nature of reality – is one of the most radically life-altering propositions for human life on and in relationship to the planet. One that we need right now.”
But, wlliams argues on page xxii there are “inner and outer paths towards liberation” a position I reject. The waking up to the “ultimate nature of reality” that williams references is independent of external circumstance. It is the desire to deny this Truth that allows her to erroneously link love to justice on the same page:
“The terrains are expressed as dichotomies only because we have not completed our work, but we know in our bodies [bodies are not sentient and cannot know] we must one day abide there. Inner and outer. Personal and social. Love and justice. Liberation.”
To me, this is complete misunderstanding of the Buddha’s message. The outer perishable ends in time, while spirit is eternal.
In my continued search, I have studied the teachings of Eckhardt Tolle, Gangaji, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Jesus and many others. I have been particularly struck by the spiritual masterwork, A Course in Miracles, and two supporting volumes, Journey Beyond Words and The Other Voice.
If you choose to hire me for this position, the message I propose you communicate would have peace, unity and forgiveness at its heart. The principle of inclusive love was taught by Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount starting at Matthew 5:43.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
To sum up, it’s my contention that true forgiveness recognizes that we are all capable of mistakes, as illustrated by Christ in his famous assertion, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” But such a realization needn’t take away from our recognition that we can make mistakes and can learn from them. Can we seek to provide better living conditions and more economic opportunities for minorities? Can we look to find ways to reduce racial tension and bias other than through condemning or attacking? And, finally, can we find a way to help people realize the complete acceptance of everyone, as they are, is what will lead to a prosperous, peaceful, productive society?
I believe we can but I believe it’s important that we realize that a singularly positive approach that looks primarily at the present as the way forward, is what will win the day. My wholehearted support of this approach is what makes me an ideal candidate for this position.
Sincerely,
James Miller