Welcome to the second post – yep, back again! – of the We Are the World Blogfest #WATWB! You can sign up here.
Our special lead co-hosts for this month are Belinda, Peter, Mary, Inderpreet, and Simon and they are committed to stories about peace, love and joy. Please visit their blogs as well.
Some other participants to check out include…. Damyanti Biswas, Emerald Barnes, Eric Lahti, Kate Powell, Lynn Hallbrooks, Michelle Wallace, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Susan Scott, Sylvia Stein, Sylvia McGrath and many more besides.
So… on with the story.
I don’t blame anyone for the situation, said Sankalpa Mahatara.
There is too much anger in this world. Why do we need more?
Mahatara was innocently stabbed during what appeared to be a rampage of youths through Canberra and Queanbeyan. He just happened to be there at the time. Mahatara is a carer for his mother and was stressed that this incident affected his ability to provide for her. All he wanted to do was go back to helping his mother and working his job.
More of this story can be read in The Canberra Times. Queanbeyan, a regional NSW city near Canberra, has its share of joys and woes. But this event shocked the region. So many asked why these young people did such a thing and what sort of home life were they raised in?
What is interesting for us is Sankalpa Mahatara’s response. He did not want to react to violence and hate with more of the same. He did not want to spread hate. He saw the value of the simple things in life. An honest day’s work. Care for family. Courteously considering our neighbours in the human family. He is a man of basic nobility, in its truest sense. May he, and his mother, know more peace in their lives.
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We Don’t Pass On The Hate
(In honour of Sankalpa Mahatara and his Mother)
We don’t pass on the hate,
We pause and breathe and wait,
There’s already enough hate.
We don’t point the finger of blame,
Our role is not to shame,
Nor is it to defame.
We don’t pass hurt around,
Ears pain upon its sound,
There’s enough hurt to be found.
We speak and act for peace,
From violence we seek release,
We give our lives for peace.
We seek the truth in love,
Open hand, not fisted glove,
Of goodness lived in love.
So spread some cheer along,
We thrill to hear its song,
Among friends and to the throng.
Simon C.J. Falk 28 April 2017
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~~~GUIDELINES~~~
- Keep your post to below 500 words, as much as possible.
- All we ask is you link to a human news story on your blog on the last Friday of each month, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Something like this news, about a man who only fosters terminally ill children.
- Join us on the last Friday of each month in sharing news that warms the cockles of our heart. No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
- Place the WE ARE THE WORLD Badge on your sidebar, and help us spread the word on social media. Tweets, Facebook shares, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. More Blogfest signups mean more friends, love and light for all of us.
- We’ll read and comment on each others’ posts, get to know each other better, and hopefully, make or renew some friendships with everyone who signs on as participants in the coming months.
- To signup, add your link in WE ARE THE WORLD Linky List below.
Can you help us on a team of Co-hosts? Contact Damyanti on atozstories at gmail dot com.
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Nice BLOG!!! ADD my BLOG too!!! Kisses!!!
Thank you. You might like to join us. Click on the link in my post.
Feel so sorry for this young man, but his message is so important. Enjoyed the accompanying poem. Thank you so much for sharing. #WATWB
Belinda Witzenhausen~Writer, Creativity Coach & Artist
There has been precious little news on him since. I guess he’s recovering and back with his mum.
By his actions he seems to be a very resilient young man, hopefully he’s on the mend.
Thanks for sharing about this noble young man. Your poem just says it all. Many thanks for being a part of #WATWB and all you do for it.
Yes, he’s gem. It’s my pleasure, Lynn. With people like you on the team who can go wrong? 🙂
This is a great story of resilience. I give this young man so much credit for being determined to care for his mom and get back to work, along with not letting anger or revenge enter into his mind. Bravo to him!
Love the poem, Simon. Sankalpa would approve 🙂
Thanks Mary. He appears to be a special young man.
Thanks Simon an extraordinary story and amazing response from this young man.
Thanks, Susan. We need more men like him.
A story of such resilience and strength of spirit. Thank you, Simon, for sharing it with us. Thanks for the poem as well, and for participating in the #WATWB
Thanks to you as well, Peter. A pleasure to be with you.
Lovely news item, Simon. Love the poem too. May we all live in peace.
Thanks, Norah. He is a very thoughtful man.
What an inspiring response from this young man. It’s amazing how you can just feel the shift a response like this can create, affirming the possibility of breaking the chain of violence begetting violence and anger in return. Thanks for posting this story – and for your poem as well. And thanks for co-hosting this wonderful gathering of goodness this month.
Thanks, Deborah. I agree with you about the shift in perspective such a response creates. He is such an impressive young man.
Under the circumstances I don’t know if I’d be as generous as Sankalpa Mahatara. But I’m glad that he is here on this earth to guide the way for the rest of us who might be inclined to lash out in hate. Great story for #WATWB. Thanks for sharing it.
I don’t know if any of us would be as gracious as he has been. Thanks for reading and being a part of our Blogfest Simon’s Still Stanza #WATWB
What a man. I wish the world would embrace his goodness and reward it. Lovely lines from you based on this, Simon.
I wish we all would embrace such goodness too, Damyanti. Seeing his story made me change the post I was going to use.
Wow, what an inspiring story. I would hope that if something this terrible happened to me I could show the same strength this man has.
So great to meet you through this blogfest.
Thanks, Julie. It certainly impressed me and reflects what this Blogfest is about – in darkness, be light.
Such positivity from this injured man! We need more good people to share such stories of love and hope.
And your poem is very touching. enjoyed reading it.
Thank you so much! Team #WATWB
*Inderpreet/EloquentArticulation*
We do need more people like Sankalpa, Indy. Thanks for your comments and work on co-hosting our beautiful blogfest.
His response is extraordinary Simon thank you for sharing it. And 1000% and more, apt for WATWB. We can ALL learn from this. Will share on social media. Your poem too is lovely … and thank you for hosting!
You did share, Susan. Thanks so much 🙂
I love his reaction. It takes guts to do so. And a beautiful poem, Simon. Thank you.
Thanks, Pam. He was just inspiring. We need more people like him.
Excellent. Violence begets more violence. People tend to forget that in their desire for revenge, but it’s oh, so true.
Yes. Thanks, Eric.
It is hopeful to hear about a response that does not answer violence with violence. Prayers for his healing and a prosperous life. Your poem was lovely. Thanks for co-hosting this blog fest.
Thanks so much, Mary. Yes, I hope his life goes well. I suspect he won’t have trouble making friends with such a forgiving and open spirit.
Hi Simon – thank you for visiting during the A-Z … and I do so hope this young man makes a full recovery – he is obviously a tower of strength and could teach so many of us a thing or two … oh to have a world full of Sankalpa Mahataras – brilliant and amazing man … as you so rightly point out … his attitude to his two young attackers and to the love he expressed for his mother, and for you and us who note his story to spread love about it – so other don’t do the same …
Loved the poem too Simon – really well crafted … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/we-are-world-in-darkness-be-light-2.html
Thank you, Hilary, for your gracious comments once again. I hope Sankalpa and his mother live in peace and others emulate his courtesy.
Thank you for the beautiful poetry in honor of this brave and peaceful young man. His amazing response is so important to help break the cycle of anger/revenge/violence.
God bless him and his family! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this inspiring story.
Writer In Transit
He’s not bad, Michelle. I was inspired by his response. Thanks for all you do 🙂
What a beautiful, Christ like attitude!
#WATWB at Life & Faith in Caneyhead