And if anyone would sue you and take your coat,
let him have your cloak as well;
and if anyone forces you to go one mile,
go with him two miles.
(Jesus of Nazareth)
Living
responsibly
We have inherited the world from our parents.
The pollution, wars, famine, over-population
and environmental abuse are now our problems.
Trying to be responsible for the global situation will
only cause depression and anxiety.
Yet, we can do quite a lot in our everyday lives.
We can recycle, conserve energy, look after our health and be supportive of
those around us.
We may not save the world but we can make a difference every time we
interact with someone else.
Giving to charity is good, but giving of yourself every
single day is even better.
Try driving more carefully.
Allowing more time for things.
Being considerate of others.
Being patient.
Not losing your
temper.
Responsibility in self defence
Restraint is paramount in
self defence.
Being assaulted by somebody else is not pleasant at all,
but you still don't have the right to harm them unduly.
We must
lose our desire to retaliate.
Self defence is concerned with doing only what you have to do.
We need to respond effectively and naturally when attacked but we must also
use the system responsibly.
Appropriateness needs to be kept in mind at all times.
Even if you can damage the opponent further, should you?
Shock is a more sensible deterrent than
injury.
Honour and responsibility are shown by sparing your assailant whenever practical and safe.
Mercy
Forgiveness is a difficult thing for many people to consider.
Being prepared to admit the that we all make mistakes and simply walking away is a
hard thing to do.
Movies have taught us that honour comes from beating a person to the ground.
Christian tradition
teaches otherwise: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
In other words, treat everyone and everything appropriately.
The warriors code 'bushido'
calls this rectitude or right conduct.
Page created 10 February 1999