My heart aches for the violence being done to people in my country. Maybe your heart is aching too.

I take breaks from watching the news, but today a friend posted a story I read about last night in Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles newsletter and here it was again in my friend’s post. I could not turn away to avoid the pain. I saw a photo and read a story about an innocent man forcefully removed from his home by ICE, (Immigration & Customs Enforcement), not even allowed to get dressed or wear a coat before being taken out into the cold of winter in Minnesota. It was 10 degrees. Then they put him in their car, drove around for an hour interrogating him before they realized he was not the man they were looking for. They took him home, acting like nothing had happened. This, after knocking down his door, ransacking his home & holding his family member at gun point. They terrorized him & his family.

Here’s what my friend posted:

How do humans become so disconnected from their heart that they can do these things to their fellow human beings?

I cannot let the fear they create rule my heart.

Perhaps part of nonviolent resistance in addition to calling Congress, protesting, etc, is to try to have, dare I say, some compassion for the abuser, for they have to live in constant fear that one day karma will catch up with them. For hate & violence breed more hate & violence.

On this Martin Luther King day we must not despair but remember his nonviolent example and his words:

And he also said:

When evil men plot, good men [and women] must plan.

When evil men burn and bomb, good men [and women] must build and bind.

When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men [and women] must commit themselves to the glories of love.

Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men [and women] must seek to bring into being a real order of justice. ~ Martin Luther King

I hope the words of Martin Luther King help ease some of the ache in our hearts so together we can build and bind what has been broken.