In Memorial
In honor of those who have gone on before us, there will be no Thursday night prayer gathering.
Archive for November, 2008
ammon hennacy and nonresistance.
Ammon Hennacy related this story of an incident which occurred in the 1930s when he was a social worker in Milwaukee. He had gone to the home of a man who was on pain relief when the man pulled a knife on him:
- He would prance around and swing his fist at me to frighten me and breathe down the back of my neck and tickle me with the point of his knife. I was not frightened for I had learned in solitary not to be afraid of anything. He threatened me on for nearly an hour. I did not answer back a word nor hang my head but looked him in the eye. Finally he came after me more energetically than before and said that I had to do something.
- I got up and said “I will do something, but not what you think.” I reached out my hand in a friendly manner saying “You are all right but you forget about it. I am not afraid of that false face you have on. I see the good man inside. If you want to knife me or knock me cold, go ahead. I won’t hit you back; go ahead. I dare you!” But I didn’t double dare him.
- He shook my hand and with the other hand was making passes to hit me in the face. I did not say anything more. Slowly his grip loosened and he went to the door and opened it, pulled up the blind and put the knife away.
- “What I don’t see is why you don’t hit back.”
- “That’s just what I want you to see,” I answered.
- “Explain it.” He demanded.
- “What is your strongest weapon? It is your big fist with a big knife. What is my weakest weapon? It is a little fist without a knife. What is my strongest weapon? It is the fact that I do not get excited; I do not boil over; some people call it spiritual power. What is your weakest weapon? It is your getting excited and boiling over and your lack of spiritual power. I would be dumb if I used my weakest weapon, my small fist without a knife, against your strongest weapon, your large fist with a knife. I am smart, so I use my strongest weapon, my quiet spiritual power against your weakest weapon, your excited manner, and I won, didn’t I?”
- If I had told him, “Don’t hit or knife this good Christian anarchist who returns good for evil,” he would have laughed at me. When I showed no fear and dared him to do me up, it woke him up to the reality and took his mind off his meanness. The good was in him the same as it was in the warden and the District Attorney, but it had to be brought out by the warmth of love which I showed, and not by the blustering wind which provoked only more bluster.
- “And when do I go to court?”
- “You won’t go to court. I don’t believe in courts; you have learned your lesson.”
- When I left the house my knees were shaking from the strain although I had not wavered a bit all along.
Pilgrimage to Annual SOA Watch
This weekend Bruce Wright, Josh Livingston, and some others from the Refuge will be trekking up to Ft. Benning, GA for the Annual SOA Watch. Please stay in prayer, not so much for us, but for the hundreds upon thousands of families that grieve the deaths that this institution is responsible for.
What is the SOA?
The School of the Americas (SOA), in 2001 renamed the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,” is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Initially established in Panama in 1946, it was kicked out of that country in 1984 under the terms of the Panama Canal Treaty. Former Panamanian President, Jorge Illueca, stated that the School of the Americas was the “biggest base for destabilization in Latin America.” The SOA, frequently dubbed the “School of Assassins,” has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned.
Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins.
For more info, visit soaw.org
p.s. There will be no “Action in Waiting” gathering this Thursday night, Nov. 20.
Bravery
this from our dear friend and supporter of the Refuge, Ron Foster:
One willing to take his own life into his hands
Will not hesitate to take the lives of others.
There were once two friends walking in the mountains. One was a poet, the other was a statesman. They came to a deep ravine, and at the bottom were roaring rapids with a narrow plank bridge spanning the gap.
“Let’s climb down and write our names on the other side,” suggested the statesman. The poet refused. So the statesman went bravely down, crossed the bridge, and wrote their names in beautiful calligraphy. Then he climbed back up.
“Let’s climb down and write our names on the other side,” suggested the statesman. The poet refused. So the statesman went bravely down, crossed the bridge, and wrote their names in beautiful calligraphy. Then he climbed back up.
Some day you will murder a man,” predicted the poet.
“Why do you say that?” exclaimed his companion.
“Those who will take their own lives into their hands
will not hesitate to take the lives of others.”
“Why do you say that?” exclaimed his companion.
“Those who will take their own lives into their hands
will not hesitate to take the lives of others.”
Beware the brave man. He may be a hero, willing to risk his very life, but he will also be willing to endanger the lives of others. After all, he is a risk taker and therefore does not see the wisdom in conservation, compassion, and carefulness. Such a person will threaten others, force his will upon others, and even murder others not out of passion but out of something much more deadly–rational. He will justify his actions according to ideology, patriotism, religion, and principle.
When attacked, a brave man goes forth with strength, power and confidence. In that boisterousness, there is little awareness of the subtle. Life is not simple, and it takes a great deal of time to master. Perhaps that is why the brave are youthful whole the wise are old.
Bravery
by Deng Ming-Dao
from the book 365 Tao
Daily Meditations
ISBN 0-06–250223-9
Holiday Campaign for the Homeless
Holiday Campaign for the Homeless
“I’ll be Home for Christmas”
Campaign to provide Food, Clothing, shelter, and gifts for
the holidays for needy families and individuals
PLEASE JOIN REFUGE MINISTRIES/BROTHERHOOD
MINISTRIES AS WE ATTEMPT TO RAISE ABOUT
$5000 TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO
INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO ENTER
BROTHERHOOD MINISTRIES TRANSITIONAL
HOUSING. THESE FUNDS WILL PROVIDE FIRST 2
WEEKS COST OF COMING INTO SHELTER, AND
FOOD AS WELL AS GIFTS FOR HOLIDAYS FOR 20
PEOPLE OR 5 FAMILIES with 4 members
If you can help with this campaign, please call us at 727
278 1547, or email bgcwright@aol.com or go to our website at
www.refugestpete.org. We are trying to raise this support by
December 17th, 2008. Our mailing address is The Refuge
1818 29th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713. All
checks can be made out to the Refuge, with note in Memo
stating for “I’ll be home for Christmas” Campaign.
PS. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR CLOTHING DONATIONS,
BLANKETS, FOOD DONATIONS, and GIFT CARDS
(all gifts are tax deductible and the Refuge is a member of the
Florida Baptist Convention)
