Dear Metta Community,
Mahatma Gandhi said, "The future will depend on what we do in the present." Wisdom teaches us that no matter what we do, we cannot avoid action; even our thoughts have an effect on ourselves and the world around us.
The question of the day, then, is how do we discern the right action to take for each one of us? Nonviolence calls on us to be creative, authentic, and intentional in thought, word, or deed. Then, as a friend reminded me recently, we look around ourselves first—at the situations we are in and the people we are with while aligning our hearts and minds with our highest ideals and values. When we feel blocked or set back on the path, these values are our guiding lights.
In our own small example, I'm pleased to share that the Metta Center will be taking on two new projects in the town where we're based: forming a peace team and bridging nonviolence and restorative justice principles for our local schools. Equally exciting, we have begun to realize how powerful a model the Hope Tank is for nourishing compassionate action and providing creative support for people along the way. A few hope tanks have popped up in other communities recently, and we couldn't be more pleased. In fact, we want to encourage more of them!
We'd love to hear from you. Let us know what you are doing and how you are discerning the actions to take that are right for you. Need help deciding what to do next? We're here for you.
With creativity and love,
Stephanie Van Hook, Executive Director
PS: Want to help share Metta's work with others in an effort to build nonviolence community? Throw a "Party with a Purpose." We'll help with the details. Email us if you're interested: info@mettacenter.org.
|