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Spirit and Love Call Anger
Feb 8, 2007

A recent exchange spoke to the challenge of accepting the hurts that are thrown at us. I've long been an admirer of Gandhi, Martin Luther Kind Jr., Jesus, Einstein, Mother Theresa and many other magnificent men and women. Didn't they ever get angry? Sure they did, and they used it powerfully in positive ways that rose to the defense of Spiritual Principles, the Spirit of Self, the Spirit of Unity - so let's just say God and what God has given. In fact, let's recognize that anger is a natural part of the human range of emotions, therefore it has a purpose. Maybe we just haven't been recognizing this or accessing it correctly. So here is the result of the email exchange from my end in response to the emotional trauma and the experience of being bullied.

Bullying! I'm very familiar with that. I learned a great deal about it as a child, and only once as the 'disher' in grade3. The rest of the time I was the 'dishee', right on through to high school graduation. The most humiliating was when the girls did it.

Part of the reason I accepted such behavior from others is having been raised by a bully, too, who was more concerned with his image than his kids well-being. He punched me in the jaw at 10 years old and threatened me with more violence if I continued that kind of behavior at school. This was the day I defended myself and won. I hate fighting and would much prefer friendship. Thankfully, the kid that instigated the fight became fast friends.

I'm more than happy to discuss some of these delicate life issues and relationship issues. One thing I can say right now; "there is a place for anger." You consider you, your being, your values, the principles you stand for; when someone violates you in any way, anger rises up within. Too often, wanting to be spiritual, peaceful, loving, or higher minded, we quell that anger and that anger is speaking so strongly - to you! What's it saying?

"Speak up! Stand up! Set a boundary! Ask for what you want! Don't settle!" These are just a few examples that I've come to experience. Naturally, being a peaceful and loving human being, this may feel conflicted with how we want to experience the world and relationships around us. Even so, isn't it interesting that the kid who picked on me became my friend after the fight? Isn't it interesting that another bully respected me after I put flies in the sandwich he took from me. Always he came, always he took, always he ate, and when I got tired of it I acted. He ate that sandwich before learning about the flies, and when he did find out, he didn't beat me - Go figure! In fact, he admired me and smiled.

I share this message this week because anger is a theme that showed up for me, the peaceful warrior, who had to learn not to be so passive, maybe even passive-aggressive. It harms our own spirit, and it harms Spirit. You know the axiom, "Do no harm." It's already been done when the bully, or values, or principles, or whatever, have experienced the violation within you.

Love is Anger, and the expression of anger when you are violated is a clear demonstration of that Love for Self - the gift of Spirit. Does Spirit demand anything less but the best?

Spirit could be responding to many issues in this context.
  • You: It is responding with strength to our own defense, boundaries, and peaceful existence.
  • We: It is responding with admonition for the behavior that fails to recognize One, that we're the same.
  • Truth: It is responding to principles and values inherent in all of humanity, in all of existence, and waits upon us to respond accordingly.
I'm often amazed at how often I have ignored that quiet voice inside, always thinking that the peace is the loving response. This is the illusion.

Yes, the expression of anger does not require further trespasses to principles of Spirit.

Expressing anger is to give voice with passion, with integrity, with strength, and certainty - and I'm certain more adjectives of appropriate nature can be added - for justice, for peace, for love, and Spirit.

It requires trust in Spirit, trust in Self, and trust in Love. It also requires courage, from you and from me, as we face the admonishment from Spirit and must learn from the opportunity about whatever needs to be different. Assuming I've wronged you: What do I need to about you, your values, and how I trespassed? Understanding each other, in any relationship, is hard work sometimes for our frail emotional egos. Spirit is stronger! Trust, faith, courage, hope, and love. Add more!

It requires the setting aside of a vindictive and malicious ego, to be replaced with the voice of passionate love and beautiful reason. It requires faith in your own humanity and the ability to forgive. This is our societal challenge today. We all make mistakes. Speak and be heard! Listen and learn! Feel the passion and love! Build the bridge to understanding. Forgive and heal with love!

I forgot something: Be Willing To Be Wrong!

Have a blessed day!

Lee

Addendum: I was surprised on another blog where I posted this to hear someone defend violence. Please do not misunderstand, this is not what this topic is about. It is about standing your ground and working through the tough stuff. The child fought, the adult does not, and won't, and would go to prison for such actions.
Visibility: Everyone
Posted: Thursday February 8, 2007, 11:13 am
Tags: love justice spirit passion faith anger forgiveness trust communication values principles [add/edit tags]

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Brenda McCann (137) 		Thursday February 8, 2007, 5:51 pm
I am going to respond to this in the firethegrid care2 group which is one of the places you posted this. GREAT POINTS and I appreciate your experience from a male point of view...

NAMASTE Brother,

Brenda in Idaho also known as Leader of the Charge of the Star Goddesses...LOL and we dooooo know our ch_ t.....

Kerri K. (99) 		Thursday February 8, 2007, 5:58 pm
Lee, I responded in the Love is Freedom group

Cheryl B. (18) 		Thursday February 8, 2007, 8:02 pm
Hey Lee,
I see points I agree with and points I don't.
To me, expressing strength, certainty and integrity most certainly doesn't come with anger - for what would be the point? It would seem to me that would come into play when manipulations to bring someone over to my point of view is unsuccessful - or - were I to feel in need of acknowledgement or acceptance and I haven't "felt" I've received it, at least not the way I want it. In my experience I've learned that stance just doesn't make sense in my life. It is no longer workable. I might get frustrated at feeling I'm no t being heard. But even then that's my problem not someone else's...from my perspective.
You wrote..."You consider you, your being, your values, the principles you stand for; when someone violates you in any way, anger rises up within. "

This also doesn't work for me - unless I could be more specific with what you determine to be "violation" re: physical violence - yes I would react to protect my self or in the case of someone unable to do so for themselves, if I were directly at the scene.

Not, though, if someone's opinions or attitudes differ from my own. It is a fine line, I believe, that needs to be allowed - because all have their own issues, just like yours listed (childhood issues) that perhaps they have not yet been able to leave behind them (the emotions too...) and move on.
I think I've reached the point that to me it makes no difference whether someone agrees with me or not. It has no real impact on the NOW, it is only another facet in the beautiful crystal.

When I do express a belief I hold I may be making an attempt to share what I believe to be true but I don't feel the need to prove it to be true. It is simply my belief and I should say my belief at the time for beliefs needn't be so confining that we feel a need to fight for them - that is what I've been leaving behind me for some time now and to be honest, I am happy to continue to leave it behind me.

There is so much more of NOW that is so very exciting and fascinating and intriguing and I've come to a point where I am so in love with life itself that I'd say I'm attempting, ultimately... to not sweat the small stuff...(this is in between my own spurts of depression by the way...)
To someone in a tangle of trying to deal with those issues - anger, child history, etc, I'd say; I've gotta follow my joy, please you go ahead and follow yours as well and be well. And with "do no harm" in play fairly between us - if that can be reflected in this situation - then all is well in my mind... otherwise I would choose to put my focus elsewhere altogether for the vibration is obviously not in harmony with my own and therefore not for me. And I would simply pass it on. That is what I would understand to be "the way". Almost as if it's a different dimension that I choose not to take part in.

(I can't tell where the heck I've posted this at right now...) But would suggest it doesn't really fit with the focus at the OEG group... doesn't really apply to developing one's creativity or connection with nature. So I'll remove the post from that group and try to help you keep this little conversation in a more manageable shape!?
he! he!

Kerri K. (99) 		Friday February 9, 2007, 4:04 am
Cheryl you have a good idea in just responding to the blog. You also pointed out some things I have been finding in my life... particularly that everything is NOW and if we are present, everything else doesn't matter... positionalities disappear. What you did point out which I would also like to address was all the "I" statements made by Lee in this blog. It is the third time this has popped out at me so here goes.

"One thing I can say right now; "there is a place for anger." You consider you, your being, your values, the principles you stand for; when someone violates you in any way, anger rises up within. Too often, wanting to be spiritual, peaceful, loving, or higher minded, we quell that anger and that anger is speaking so strongly - to you! "

Lee, the above quote is all "I" statements cloaked as "you" please look at them carefully and find some of the things that may be hiding. Replace all the "you" statements with "I" and you will see some things that may be hiding.

Kerri

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