Roadbuilding skills
Posted by Henric C. Jensen on May 18, 2006
“The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions…”
Intentions have nothing to do with anything. What we actually do and what we spend effort on has everything to do with everything. I know a lot of people who justify ‘accidently hurting others’ or ‘messing things up’ by saying that they ‘meant well’. As if that changed the fact that they fucked up! You fuck up you take responsibility. Your intentions prior to the fuck up is only interesting when degree of culpability is to be assessed. Then every mitigating circumstance is interesting, both in G-d’s eyes and (should be) in human eyes, but not before and definitely not as an excuse for messing up. Someone was hurt – you take responsibility, whether you meant to hurt or not. That is rule #1 in Human Communication.The other justification for messing up that I hear often is “I was angry”, “I was under a lot of pressure”…Why on earth should another human being pay the price for you not acting responsibly around your feelings BEFORE they reach a point where they pass your physical boundaries? That you didn’t INTEND for whatever happened to happen the way it did doesn’t make it ok, nor does it clear you of responsibility – it only tell us that you don’t hurt others on purpose and therefore presumably is a good person.
G-d says in Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
See what it says? “Let us reason together…” Now that is the Road to Roadbuilding – walking together, reasoning through conflict, share feelings, honestly and without putting things out-side oneself. Only through “reasoning together” can intentions become actions and actions become foundations for compassion and forgiveness. Unless of course you or your opponent are a dog, then a nice bone and a walk in the sun is just fine whatever you have done.
Shalom!
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