Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Redemption: Is it possible?

In order to redeem ourselves that implies that we were once good, I think? What happens if you lived almost your whole life as an arsehole? What if you were a bad person? What if you were a bully? An angry dude who got away with fighting people all the time? Then how can you seek redemption? Maybe change is the better way to go?

I know these guys that are now Traditional; Spiritual Advisers, Teachers, Elders. But that has happened in a relatively short time, considering their age. But I am not here to talk about them, perhaps they have changed or have redeemed themselves, who knows. I am talking about me. A guy who lived a pretty good life but was also very volatile, angry and quick to get explosively mad. Maybe that anger was a defense mechanism, but anyway what does it matter, it is behaviour not to be excused.

Who really knows us behind closed doors? Are we the type to get mad, swear around because the child broke a glass on the floor? Are we the type to swear or even hit our spouse for what ever "reason" we think of at the time? Or do we swear and threaten our kids when they try to speak up for themselves? Who knows? Well your family knows, your wife knows, your kids know. That's who knows.

So to the outside world you are this pretty good person but we know who you really are. You are an arsehole; a bastard. Can you change? Can you seek redemption?
Or should just vanish. Save the family by stopping? There may be suffering but what is the bigger suffering?

Today A former hockey coach (Graham James) was sentenced to measly two years in jail for being a child predator sexual abuser. He took 30 hours of a program and is redeemed in the Judge's eyes. Unreal. This is what I am talking about. This guy lived his whole life a certain way and now has gained redemption. Shit, that is wild.

There is a process going on called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Residential School Survivors. Don't know if any of the Teachers, supervisors, Nuns, Priests, police and government decision makers can ever ask for redemption. But hey what the heck, only they know, right?

People are on a campaign in the media telling Indians to "get over it. How can it still affect them? Hell some of them never went to school."

I guess even if you lived a life in a certain manner, it doesn't matter, you can always be redeemed, no matter what you did.


3 comments:

  1. The Life Giver knows when we do something out of ignorance and when we are being really mean. And when do we really forgive our fellow human beings? I think that “media forgiveness” or“bribe induced” forgiveness means absolutely nothing. Some will preach one should forgive to be forgiven. Well, sir-I may be one mean Indian but I’m not a hypocrite. We carry a grudge till we carry a grudge, some wounds turn into scars, some stay open and hurt like hell. One who demands more from himself/herself than from the others (isn’t it the way it should be?) will have even tougher time forgiving himself/herself. All these bad habits, the self-destruction that’s going on in our lives-doesn’t it come from the feeling of guilt? It’s not a glory to act like a pissed off bastard, however, it’s even worse to be a premeditated perv who destroys the other for the pleasure of it. Are the pervs poor psychos who should be forgiven because “they are ill”? Personally: no bloody way. I can forgive and forget when someone does something stupid –life is tough, sometimes we just don’t know how to deal with it, how to express the discomfort, the pain. It’s harder or maybe impossible on this stage of our path to forgive someone who destroys our life on purpose, with a smile. And even if we’d like to forgive-how can we do it knowing that a perv will never change and the only aim is to destroy and to make suffer….It’s not a snake’s bite that kills –it’s the venom. I think here and now we must fight the effects of the venom.

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  2. I really like to follow your blog. Your comments are really thought provoking. Thanks.

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  3. It's You who starts us fellow crazy Indians up-thanks for the topics,for sharing Your thoughts,joy and pain.That's what friends do,that's what we all should do.My greetings to your beautiful family including naturally Mr.Bruce.

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