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Classroom
on the Quad
Welcome and Introductions
Bruce Knauft, Faculty Council
Jim
Grimsley, Faculty Council
Purvi
Patel, College Council
Donna
Wong, Campus Life
Iraq:
The Challenge of Responsibility
Rick Doner, Political Science
Weapons
of Mass Destruction and U.S. Foreign Policy
Dan Reiter, Political Science
A
Call to Words
Asanka Pathiraja, Foreign Policy Exchange
Hearing
in Eqanimity: Deciding Your Path
Bobbi Patterson, Religion
The
Necessity of War with Iraq
Bob Bartlett, Political Science
The
Humanitarian Cost of War
Laurie Patton, Religion
A
Man of Honor: The President's Noble Vision
Daniel Hauck, College Republicans
Women:
War and Peace
Lili Baxter, Women's Studies
The
Morality of War
James Tarter, Students for War Against Terrorism
Speak
Up or Get Out
Erin Harte, Young Democrats
War
Does Not Resolve Conflict, War Is Conflict
Mark Goodale, Anthropology
A
War of Liberation
Frank Lechner, Sociology
A
Call to Consciousness, A Litany of Questions
Juana Clem McGhee, Institute for Comparative and International Studies
Student
Activism: Ways to Be Involved
Erik Fyfe and Rachael Spiewak, Emory Peace Coalition
Cross-Cultural
Communication: U.S. and Iraq
Devin Stewart, Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies
The
U.S. Has Never Been Alone in the World
William Chace, University President
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Gratitude to the ones who shaped this time together.
There are streams of thought and practice relevant to our current
situation in Christianity and Buddhism (which I study), and I feel
confident in all religious traditions, as well.
Those streams offer paths for learning and living in equanimity
and balance, even in the midst of war. This is required surely for
those in the fighting but also for us who, certainly once the fighting
is over, must discern our next steps in a world struggling and suffering.
Their approach is to weave reflective, contemplative meditation
or prayer and what we are doing now with active, purposeful engagement.
Using their ideas, I want to speak to three topics:
1-inadequacy (perhaps involving shame and guilt)
2- intention or discernment
3- motivated hope in action
Inadequacy
Facing and living with war: from whatever personal, political, philosophical,
or religious perspectives, an experience of inadequacy is normal
and even appropriate. The reality of an overwhelming magnitude of
clashing forces—national, international, rational, irrational,
on the battlefield—in our hearts and minds stirs inadequacy.
Thomas Merton the American monk wrote that [inadequacy is] “the
root of war, fear, waves of fear and its neighbor rage. Fear of
other, self, mixture of the two, fear feeds inadequacy sometimes
as a false bravado." Some of us facing our inadequacies become
hooked on them as shame. An embarrassed sense of missing of the
mark of our fundamental values and beliefs. We also experience them
as guilt, with a knowledge that we have not done what we ought.
People tell me this: "We have not been as involved as we should,
in whatever way for whatever position we have not met our responsibilities—we
now sense that there are costs because of this."
The reflective traditions within Christianity and Buddhism that
shape action suggest that we note our inadequacies—seriously,
but not dwell not them, certainly not browbeat or punish or upbraid
ourselves. The world we are in is suffering enough. We lose energy
needed for healing. This response of self-blame, guilt sourced by
anxiety and inadequacy.
What is useful is our next step: intention for discerning.
Intention
I ntention involves a commitment: theoretically life-long but pragmatically
daily. Intention is the practice of sharpening the heart and mind
to pay attention—deep attention—to what is right now,
to self and others. The dynamics of living one focuses intentionally
to discern compassion, justice, in Christianity for Holy love—its
presence or absence—through the regular exercise and training
of focus and self awareness.
Intention also invites an openness to hearing and understanding
what’s going on beyond you and to practice this consciousness
of radically presence attending love and justice.
This is done quietly, reflectively, prayerfully. Intention is practiced/trained,
mindful compassion and justice. It shapes
discernment to choose action, motivated by hope.
Motivated hope
Choose to act at whatever level, but let hope shape your next steps
as the war proceeds, and surely after it we will all either take
or be moved along by someone’s next steps.
Discern your own path using this motivation of hope as your criteria
Nothing but motivated hope can sustain the work with others that
never gives up, never loses the heart-eye of compassion and justice
for the common good.
Motivated hope can create inter-religious, international, local,
and intercultural civic and spiritual groups ready to work together
for needed change.
So let the inadequacy of guilt go.
Spend time in intentional reflection, contemplate, know yourself
very well.
Be open, often giving amid great pain.
Discern and choose next steps motivated by hope in compassion and
justice, reflect, and work to this world.
All of us, say the traditions,
need to dissolve fear.
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