We Are The World Blogfest #WATWB in April

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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Please SIGN UP for WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST in the linky list below:

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~~~GUIDELINES~~~

1.  Keep your post to below 500 words, as much as possible.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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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Little One

Little One

Surely the saddest funerals or memorial services that we attend are for children. The verse below accounts one I led recently for some parishioners who are really friends as well.

Be warned – it may trigger emotions for some. 

Little One

For Anonymous

(i)

Children heralded your coming.

We waited

As you were formed

Like seed sprouting

From succulent soil.

Then

We heard

The tender shoot

That is you

Had withered.

How the pain hit

Like scorching sun

Over a shoot

In a dreadful drought

The sandblasting wind

Buffeting us

Bruising our tender hearts,

Longing hearts,

That had

Been full

Of expectation.

So we handed you over,

Dear little one,

Handed you to

The refining fire.

The cleansing, burning, bright flames

To shine in our inner darkness.

There they sat

Your ashes.

For a time.

Until the summons,

The gathering of the clans

Who would come

With tears in eyes

But love in their hearts.

They were clad

In joyous

Verdant

Floral frocks

Brimming with life and colour.

They formed

A cushion

Of caressing care

To carry you

On the wings of prayer

To where angels dwell.

He has gone to join the angels

And is singing angelic song

Do not doubt his destination

For with God he does belong.

(ii)

And they carried others too

Those Colourful Companions of care.

They carried your parents

Who

Exhausted by their grief

Needed a fence of family

Around them

To keep the darkness out

Or hold them

In those dark moments

Of heavy eyelids

And limp limbs.

Little one

We will remember you

Please remember them

Who love you oh so dear.

But they may find some consolation

That you are loved so fully in heaven

As well as with us here.

Simon C.J. Falk           29 October 2014