love the moment

judge not, and you yourself will not be judged. it seems so simple. so easy. the simplest of all quid pro quot. but it is not easy at all. we start with judging ourselves. and harshly, too. because we know ourselves so much better (we think) than those outside our inner world. and so, after we have judged ourselves into a quivering, bloody pulp - our own self image so sullied that we feel weak and vulnerable to all those others who have just done the same. so, then, the ludicrous silliness of limping and wounded souls with hair-triggers of shame - walking upright and unaware. are we surprised at the barrage of judgment and criticism that seem so unending? so unfortunate - and so unnecessary?

i used to hate this man. but now i pity him. it took a great deal of effort, but eventually i began to see a bit of his world. in Dick Cheney's world, threats to peace are everywhere. in Dick Cheney's world, peace is weak and fragile. in Dick Cheney's world, love has no power, forgiveness is foolhardy, and compassion serves no purpose. in Dick Cheney's world, only might and the will to dominate survive. the strength that lives within, the quiet power of Gandhi or Jesus means little. because these are things of the heart, the soul, the eternal spirit. and Dick Cheney, a man who has required 4 heart surgeries and an artificial pacemaker, obviously has a defective and weak heart. well, you know what they say. if you don't use it, you lose it.

have you ever seen a little lost puppy, innocent but eager - fearful but giving? that little puppy looked a little neglected, needed a bath and a good check-up from the vet. but, you also noticed the big brown eyes, and the potential of a full and beautiful coat under all that grime - grime gathered from watchful sleep under cars or behind garbage cans. i was that puppy. raised by emotionally-crippled parents, who loved me with the best they had - but whose limbs of love were shriveled from lack of use. and like that puppy, i needed some loving-care and training to learn to sit, to be quiet, to NOT tear the paper to shreds. and like that puppy, whose fearful eyes belayed either a neglectful master or one prone to angry outbursts, i learned that the world is a dangerous place - a place ruled by an arbitrary and angry god who was none-to-pleased when i made a mess on the living room floor. but the wonder of it all is that, in spite of this less-than-auspicious beginning, i have grown fro...