Thomas the Child Redux

Posted on October 10, 2002 in Attitudes Crosstalk Social Justice

After many days of musing upon the criticisms directed against her earlier post about the advice of “Thomas the Child” , chari rebutted her critics (including me).

I had offered to provide more information in relation to these suggestions and their source, as I knew some would question their validity while others would want more inspiration. Only one person asked for further information.

I did it that way on purpose. I felt it would be interesting to see who would come from a standpoint of love (acceptance, objectivity) and conversely, who would come from a standpoint of fear (dismissal, skepticism). Some chose a completely different view than I thought they would.

I suppose I fell into the “trap”, but frankly being shown to have done so does not make me change my views about Thomas the Child and his advice. chari asks that I just set aside my doubts and believe. Yet, again as a friend, I question the approach she chose. The quote above discovers, I think, a decided pessimism about the intents behind the critiques of others. Why the test? I must ask. Why the lack of trust in your friends like me who differ but still love you, chari?

I wrote in her comments:

….I rebelled against the “Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds” attitude implied in the third point. I lovingly offered counter-suggestions in the same spirit….

After the events of 9-11, I saw many Americans behaving quite like little children: either they screamed for bombing the Taliban or they just wanted to live as if everything was OK. I don’t believe that we should bomb and I don’t believe that everything is OK, even as a tool for momentary solace. I believe that things can be OK if we work to effect them so.

To recap my personal testament of optimism, allow me to present the conclusion of my earlier criticism:

We must avoid, for our part as pacifists or proponents of Just War, the error that declaring that we are saved is enough. To be peace-loving, we must not only think peace, we must live and act it. The problem is not anger, frustration, or despair: it is what we do with it. Do we shut it away and act as if it is not so? I think not. We understand the pain, speak to it, and relieve it. We do not allow anyone to cause it. The fine examples come from the lives of the saints of many faiths who have faced the sickness of their fellow men, spoken to it, and yet still loved them.

Dare to doubt that all is well. Dare to believe that things can be better.