Information Related to "A Heart Beyond the Hurt"
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This Is the Way... A Heart Beyond the Hurtby Robin WebberOne of the great emotional challenges within the human experience is friction between brothers. Seemingly, the closer the bloodline, the more heated the conflict can be. The most horrific wars are often those that occur between rival factions within a country. It's called a "civil" war. People who share the same ancestors, language, clothing and history can be driven more by their differences than by what they have in common. Such disagreements are often the very hardest to heal. The ability to forgive becomes almost humanly impossible. The antidote for hate lies in looking beyond the hurt inflicted by those close to us. A true leader will move beyond the carnal reward of immediate vengeance, seeking to include the vanquished, as well as the victor. Such a leader was Abraham Lincoln, who presided over the terribly divisive Civil War in the United States. I am writing this article at the end of the Presidents' Day holiday weekend-set aside, in part, to honor Mr. Lincoln. I picked from my library shelf a favorite book titled Light From Many Lamps, written by Lillian Eichler Watson. I would like to share her thoughts regarding Lincoln's second inaugural speech, and then offer an additional perspective to show the potential for good when we choose God's way. A sacred poem Lillian Eichler Watson centers our mind's eye on the inaugural platform on the east front of the Capital building in Washington, D.C. She brings us to the moment when the president is surprised by the swelling roar of approval from the sea of humanity set before him. "No man in American history had been so hated and reviled, so bitterly denounced, as he had been the past four years. He had been misunderstood, condemned, humiliated in public and in private, assailed alike by friend and foe. His life had been threatened. The South was about to fall, and the North was ready to reap the spoils of victory from their wayward brethren who had tried to break the bonds of union. It was a frozen moment in time between defeat and victory, and Lincoln desired not only to seize the moment, but set the tone for tomorrow. This one life which had been filled with so much personal despair would now offer the directional compass of how to have a big heart beyond the very real human hurts. Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0003/theway0003.htmRelated Information on UCG Sites:
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