The essence of timeless things is their relevance for all times and places. Violence in the streets, fuelled by rage, is short-lived by nature and bounded by the limits of human energy. How, within the constraints of an online post, can you honour a justifiable anger without magnifying the destructive energy that sometimes comes from it? You can only attempt to find the universal within the specific, to discover the seed of an eternal truth and name it.
Distilling the good: Words adapted from Come down, O Love divine by Bianco da Siena. Translated by Richard Frederick Littledale ~ Collage images by Manuel F. Guerrero, Wikimedia Commons and æssmith photo
Naming a post is one of the challenges of writing online. It has to be, in a word, compelling. In a title, less is more, as any long-winded headline or lengthy URL will show. I aim for ten words or less with twelve as the limit, including the articles “a” or “the” in the count. The title has to pique curiosity without giving too much away. When big things are happening all around you, the title must sometimes link the transitory to the timeless. When the big thing is the breakdown of civil society into mindless frenzy, a quest compounds the challenge.
The quest calls for a process of distillation, of removing all the impurities of uncontrolled emotion and leaving behind only truth, the passion for justice, and change leading to a greater good.
It calls for bringing reason out of rage. This is why I take part only in non-violent shows of protest or civil disobedience. When protests arise spontaneously, with no organizing principles or clear goals, they too easily degenerate into chaos and brutality.
It calls for bringing creation out of destruction. When otherwise rational people lose all sense of proportion, it’s usually because they’ve been pushed past personal limits. Something they value more than themselves has been destroyed. Perhaps their leaders have attacked truth with lies, undermined the law for personal gain, or desired wealth and privilege at the expense of human life. Healing the resulting damage and rebuilding trust requires dedication and creative thinking.
It calls for bringing positive action out of negative reaction. Anger’s true power is wasted when it erupts into loss of control. Mastering anger requires discipline, compassion and prayer. Identifying the root cause of a problem demands deep thought, honesty (how am I part of the problem?), and more prayer. This process of distilling the good lets you understand the positive actions needed to make good change happen, and commit to doing your part.
Dedicated action to bring about good change is the most positive protest there is, and far more challenging than manning barricades. It’s the tough slogging in the background, the often boring or tiring work that wears away evil. Steady, step-by-step progress brings about lasting change for the better. There is a reason why the name Gandhi shines a brighter light in human history than Robespierre or Hamilton.
In a sense, naming a post is also a practice of distillation. Sometimes, a title will occur first and inspire the content to follow. More often a post grows out of an idea only partly formed and the title emerges as the writing proceeds. Of the various iterations that preceded the naming of this post, only the word “distilling” remains. It is perhaps a minor universal truth in the midst of historic events, but the process of writing retains an element of mystery even for experienced writers.
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What will be your next steps in working for justice? How has this work been part of your quest? If writing is one of your gifts, what is your approach to naming your work? Leave a comment to share with others.
For further reading:
If you’re new to the idea of being an ally for marginalized communities, and don’t know where to start, you can find a helpful guide here.