“The whole person is a person who is on the one side open to God, and on the other side open to other people. It has been said that there is no true person unless there are two entering into communication with one another. The isolated individual is not a real person. A real person is one who lives in and for others. And the more personal relationships we form with others, the more we truly realize ourselves as persons.” Kallistos Ware — Source: Ordinary Graces
It’s having been said that the echo of injustice lives on in some of us for a lifetime. I felt its sting for the first time close to home. But I don’t believe we know what injustice really feels like until we’ve been deceived by someone we trusted or when we’ve been blamed for something completely out of our hands. It’s especially hard when no one supports our innocence when we’re put upon by a particular personality who turns everything around to their favor. We’re instead accused, blamed, and then silently suffer the consequences of deception, as if it’s our penance, with no one to stand beside us with understanding and compassion. This, to me, is a double injustice. And sadly, this echoes throughout the world, where we instead need to bring some hope.
We all have a great passion for a worthy cause once it personally affects us. And, because of what we lived through ourselves, we are more in tune to the situations, whatever they might be. But if we’re looking for an outside source to ignite our righteous passion for justice throughout the world, without changing becoming involved ourselves, we only continue to be disappointed.
I have found that some of us are more adept at handling aggressive or dominant people than others. They do this by remaining deeply focused on supporting their families above all else. Perhaps their preoccupation dulls the outside noise that might otherwise distract them. While they may care about truth and justice for all as much as the rest of us, they have found that being silent is how they feel safest. They might not know the devastation that some of us encounter who don’t handle things the same, safe way. Or maybe they have never experienced a lack of support or been accused of an injustice or deception. No matter what else is happening, they remain devoted to their close family members and project their good intentions to one another daily. In a way, I admire the focus they have achieved. But their protected way of living may keep them from seeing injustices or deceptions that others suffer every day, simply because they have been supported or even coddled all their lives. Yet unless we treat everyone with the same principles we live by and follow the golden rule with everyone else outside our immediate circle and provide support, understanding, and compassion to everyone, we might all come to a terrible loss.
I hope we may all come to a place where we find relief from anxiety and have our spirits lifted. But more importantly, I hope we will recognize our responsibility to nurture and instill justice into those conflicts around us, starting with our own families, but extending out to every one of our relationships, to stand up to injustice and support all good causes at home and around the world in a true godly manner.
About Catherine Nagle: Catherine grew up in Philadelphia with 16 brothers and sisters, reared by loving, old-school Italian parents. Catherine’s artist father’s works graced churches and public buildings; her mother was a full-time homemaker. A professional hairdresser, Catherine worked in various salons while studying the Bible and pursuing spiritual growth through courses, seminars, lectures, and the works of Marianne William. She is also a contributor to the Huffington Post. The mother of two children and a grandmother, Catherine lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. She is the Author of Imprinted Wisdom and a contributor to These Winter Months: The Late orphan Project Anthology.
Originally published at medium.com