... the brink of death. [[[No longer my current plan. Not quite that far. I am to regain full health to fight again.]]] I'm beginning to see that this is where I am called. I hope to begin August 10th back in DC.
I've known since the brief July Hunger Strike at Lafayette Park that I was being powerfully called back. I follow such calls in my life. I've never regretted doing so. I've always been deeply grateful when I have done so. For much of my life such unfathomable "calls" had to do with "saving" dying organizations in business. Now the "call" has to do with Rescuing and Restoring the Darfur part of our family.
There is almost nothing I understand about the call. This is always how it is until I am weeks or months underway. By the way, I often fail :-) . (Many of us are going to have to try, and fail, until someone discovers the way.) "If at first the idea is not absurd (unfathomable, crazy, outlandish, unimaginable...) it has no hope," wrote Einstein. This is more than a cute reference. The Rescue and Restoration of Darfur will be a type of thing never before seen, if it happens. Never has one people rescued and restored another, taught Dr. King. Non-biologically related, of a different race, 10,000 miles away.... My God let's face this seeming "impossibility" while some people remain to be rescued. Such an unprecedented transformation WILL NOT COME ABOUT THROUGH THE LEFT-BRAIN, NEAT, QUANTIFIABLE, TANGIBLE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN SCHOOLED. If a fire starts, and builds, it may be fanned and spread by left-brain action, but in its very essence it will be the scary, right-brain, intuitive, passionate, inspirational, HUMANE, "FAMILY," faith stuff. Please let's face, and embrace this. If what any of us "involved" in the struggle contemplate seems rational, clear, right, sane... it is probably HOPELESS, "KILLING TIME," something our Darfur family is out of.
I want to share with you the little bits of clarity that are beginning to emerge for me. Thanks for Jim Fussell's deeply helpful piece at preventgenocide.org. regarding Fasts, because I find it well intended, constructive, stimulating... and also flawed. I reference the flaws and this is a passionate complement and deep, deep thanks to Jim. He has built steps toward our needed action, but further steps need to be added. Maybe I am being shown some. I share below.
THE IMMEDIATE TARGET IS NOT, NOT, NOT THE VISIBLE POLITICAL LEADERS. We are not far enough along for this! Let's wake up please. We need nonviolent warriors first! People risking being casualties (by definition attendant to being in battle) for the cause of Rescue and Restoration. THE IMMEDIATE TARGET MUST BE THE 1-IN-A-MILLION PERSON THAT IS SO HUMANE, THAT THEY CAN BE AMONG THE FIRST ENLISTEES IN THE BATTLE FOR DARFUR. Nothing else is possible until a handful of these, THE NOT YET SPAWNED LEADERS, are ignited.
POLITICAL OR EVEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE ARE NOT RELEVANT OR APPROPRIATE YET. NOT EVEN MORAL PRESSURE. INFLAMMATION OF THE HUMANITY, COMPASSION, EMPATHY OF THE FEW, IS WHAT IS NEEDED FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE HELL TO IGNITE THE HUMANITY IN ANYONE, AND I'VE YET TO FIND ANYONE THAT WILL SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT IT DEEPLY AND THOROUGHLY. Thank God for the words and example of Jesus, Gandhi, King, Deming.... But tonight, as these thoughts have come to me with greater clarity, I see that by personally going to where our Darfuries have been forced, TO THE BRINK OF DEATH, TO THE BRINK OF STARVATION, I WOULD BRING THAT PLACE IN TRUTH TO DC, AND MAYBE SOMEONE WITH ENOUGH HUMAN VISION INTACT in DC, in the US will "SEE" where the Darfuries are and have their Humanity mightily engaged. For most or even all of us Darfur is insuficiently real; it is too abstract, accademic, remote. We must bring the reality, not to our consciousness, but to our spirit, to our soul, THAT MAYBE we will bring it to the spirit and soul of others. Nothing else matters until this has happened. Gandhi did not liberate India using "Mind Force" but rather Soul Force/Truth Force.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO... BUT I'M SEEING SOME OF THE TRAIL MARKERS MORE CLEARLY :-) ! The right steps at this juncture are IN THE DIRECTION OF COURAGE, RISK, CASUALTY, DEPRIVATION, EXTREME SACRIFICE, EXTREME OTHERISHNESS... battle. In sheer physical terms (think Laws of Physics), it is a ferocious nonviolent BATTLE that will Rescue and Restore Darfur. By definition those engaged in battle face ALL that I've just listed: courage, risk, casualty.... I must be a warrior. We must raise/enlist warriors. THIS IS JOB ONE.
THIS is what "Never again" must mean. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BE A CIVILIAN, SAFE AT HOME, WHILE MY FAMILY IS SUBJECT TO GENOCIDE.
Agape,
Jay
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
Day 7 (of 8) July Hunger Strike at Whitehouse
While on hunger strike I have had much needed time to reflect and pray. I share with you the fruits:
1. What are we to do? RESCUE AND RESTORE DARFUR.
2. Why is our family being exterminated in Darfur? ITS MY PRIORITIES, MINE AND YOURS. None of us in the west wants this Genocide of our Darfur family. It continues because among people like me and you, it is not a high enough priority. Yes, tons of food and words are delivered daily. But food will not stop the Genocide and words are cheap. Me and you Standing Up is dear. Where is the fasting? Where are the demonstrations? Where is the civil disobedience? What are we saving these tactics for? SOME OF US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STEP UP AND PAY A HUGE PRICE.
3. Who can stop this slaughter? ONLY ME AND OR YOU CAN STOP THE GENOCIDE. “Never think that a small group of committed people can't change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has,” wrote Margaret Mead. I think that a corollary to this is: NEVER THINK THAT A COMMITTED INDIVIDUAL CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD. IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS. Many, many, many people are involved already, but how many of us are committed? Never Again depends on me and you, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
4. How hard will it be to stop the extermination now? MUCH HARDER THAN WE HAVE FACED. Isn't it self serving, to think that to Rescue and Restore Darfur will take less than the commitment seen in the Antiapartheid, Civil Rights, or similar struggles? Yes, it is self serving to deny that the cost to me and you must be very dear. Ten years ago the cost was too high for me and you to rescue Rwanda. Also Darfur?
5. What can stop the Genocide? ONLY OUR HUMANITY RADICALLY UNLEASHED, A CRUSADE OF NONVIOLENT ACTION, CAN STOP THE GENOCIDE, CAN RESCUE AND RESTORE DARFUR. It is not our intelligence, methods, computers, political skills, connections, military or the Internet that can stop the Genocide. It is not our hoped for Generals (Bush, Kofi, UN, Senate, Congress, France, Nato, Germany, China….) who will Rescue and Restore. They will NEVER be the army needed.
6. When will the time be right for us to stand up? THE TIME WILL NEVER BE RIGHT. You and I are WAITING for the right plan, the right strategy, the right time, the right leadership, the right resources… There is no such thing. There is no safety, comfort or certainty in battle. Our choice is not to wait for the right opportunity. Our choice is whether to enter the battle or not. We must enter the battle now, alone and unsure.
7. What Spirit and Tactics are required? THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND FAITH, THE TACTICS OF FASTING, DEMONSTRATIONS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. Whenever there have been campaigns that led to mass Rescue and Restoration, the Spirit was one of selflessness, love, courage, justness and faith; faith that if we embody the will of our Father to the extreme, He will use us to move the mountain. And the TACTICS WERE EXTREME, MATCHING THE EXTREME FORCES OF DESTRUCTION. If we do not aggressively employ these tactics we have chosen to let the Genocide extermination prevail. Darfur is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and for you to exercise our humanity. Dr. King said, “If a man does not know what he will give his life for, he is not fit to live.” If we will not give our lives to stop Genocide then what will we give our life for? If not now, when? If not me, if not you, who?We know what to do: “Do unto others ALL that you would have them do unto you.” Let's do it.
More soon. Jay
1. What are we to do? RESCUE AND RESTORE DARFUR.
2. Why is our family being exterminated in Darfur? ITS MY PRIORITIES, MINE AND YOURS. None of us in the west wants this Genocide of our Darfur family. It continues because among people like me and you, it is not a high enough priority. Yes, tons of food and words are delivered daily. But food will not stop the Genocide and words are cheap. Me and you Standing Up is dear. Where is the fasting? Where are the demonstrations? Where is the civil disobedience? What are we saving these tactics for? SOME OF US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STEP UP AND PAY A HUGE PRICE.
3. Who can stop this slaughter? ONLY ME AND OR YOU CAN STOP THE GENOCIDE. “Never think that a small group of committed people can't change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has,” wrote Margaret Mead. I think that a corollary to this is: NEVER THINK THAT A COMMITTED INDIVIDUAL CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD. IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS. Many, many, many people are involved already, but how many of us are committed? Never Again depends on me and you, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
4. How hard will it be to stop the extermination now? MUCH HARDER THAN WE HAVE FACED. Isn't it self serving, to think that to Rescue and Restore Darfur will take less than the commitment seen in the Antiapartheid, Civil Rights, or similar struggles? Yes, it is self serving to deny that the cost to me and you must be very dear. Ten years ago the cost was too high for me and you to rescue Rwanda. Also Darfur?
5. What can stop the Genocide? ONLY OUR HUMANITY RADICALLY UNLEASHED, A CRUSADE OF NONVIOLENT ACTION, CAN STOP THE GENOCIDE, CAN RESCUE AND RESTORE DARFUR. It is not our intelligence, methods, computers, political skills, connections, military or the Internet that can stop the Genocide. It is not our hoped for Generals (Bush, Kofi, UN, Senate, Congress, France, Nato, Germany, China….) who will Rescue and Restore. They will NEVER be the army needed.
6. When will the time be right for us to stand up? THE TIME WILL NEVER BE RIGHT. You and I are WAITING for the right plan, the right strategy, the right time, the right leadership, the right resources… There is no such thing. There is no safety, comfort or certainty in battle. Our choice is not to wait for the right opportunity. Our choice is whether to enter the battle or not. We must enter the battle now, alone and unsure.
7. What Spirit and Tactics are required? THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND FAITH, THE TACTICS OF FASTING, DEMONSTRATIONS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. Whenever there have been campaigns that led to mass Rescue and Restoration, the Spirit was one of selflessness, love, courage, justness and faith; faith that if we embody the will of our Father to the extreme, He will use us to move the mountain. And the TACTICS WERE EXTREME, MATCHING THE EXTREME FORCES OF DESTRUCTION. If we do not aggressively employ these tactics we have chosen to let the Genocide extermination prevail. Darfur is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and for you to exercise our humanity. Dr. King said, “If a man does not know what he will give his life for, he is not fit to live.” If we will not give our lives to stop Genocide then what will we give our life for? If not now, when? If not me, if not you, who?We know what to do: “Do unto others ALL that you would have them do unto you.” Let's do it.
More soon. Jay
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