this most recent debate (can we call it that when one group won’t even budge or be moved by such loss of life???) on gun accessibility and gun violence, reminded me of this quote by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg that i shared originally during the middle of the pandemic when the simple steps of masking and social distancing were major conflict points even as loss of life mounted. now over 1 million lives lost. how many could have been averted, saved, still living?

it’s one thing to not know what to do in a crisis, when surprised by life events. it’s another thing all together to know what to do and refuse to do something about it, or when not knowing to refuse to try to do something about it.

as the pandemic continues and we just move ahead, as children’s lives and other innocent life stacks up due to gun violence, bodies unrecognizable from the gaping damage caused by weapons and ammunition of war in the hands of 18-year-olds, we should remember and repeat to ourselves and others:

“Mass death is not inevitable.

Preventable death is not inevitable.”

we have the capacity to be present with this, although it is difficult. within our hearts we have the capacity to be empathetic, we have the capacity to be kind and compassionate within us. are we willing to bear witness, to see the harm and suffering? are we willing to be moved by love into compassionate action?

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#GunReform #GunViolence #responsibility #empathy #compassion #participation #RabbiDanyaRuttenbergQuotes #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga