'The Politics Of Love' (From A book 'The Passing Summer' By Michael Cassidy)

Article Title: 'The Politics of Love' (from a book 'The Passing Summer' by Michael Cassidy)
Submitted by: Craig Lock
Web Site: http://www.craiglockbooks.com
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles.html
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, words of inspiration and money management)

Publishing Guidelines: These writings may be freely published electronically or in print (with acknowledgment to Michael Cassidy, please).

Introduction:
Craig is currently researching and writing his latest novel based on fact, set in the the "beloved country" of South Africa: To try to make some difference in building bridges in an ever more dangerous and volatile world. And as he learns from his research, is sharing this extract from a chapter of Michael Cassidy's excellent book 'THE PASSING SUMMER'. Though "rather religious" from my perspective, I believe Michael Cassidy makes some excellent points and his book written many years ago in the darkest days of repression has a vitally important message for today's turbulent world.

A South African pilgrimage in the politics of love.
(Published by Hodder and Stoughton, 1989)

by Michael Cassidy*

* Michael Cassidy is the author of 'Burning the Wineskins', 'Chasing the Wind' and 'A Witness Forever'. He is the founder of African Enterprise, a continent wide evangelic association.

*
"A man has not started living, until he can embrace the concerns of all humanity."
- Booker T Washington ??

WINNING IN THE WORLD'S WORKSHOP

Try to 'THINK SOLUTIONS' for the problems of this world.

South Africa is the one nation in the world, which approximately reflects the racial composition on planet earth (as well as being a country with a mix of Jews, Christians and Moslems living harmoniously). As such, it's a microcosm of the world in terms of its population demographics..and as a result it's the "workshop of the world".
This is a debate about the future of our life together on this small earth - about relations between rich and poor, between races and ideologies. Indeed about the meaning of freedom, peace and justice in a deeply disordered world. I'm talking here about ALL of us and ALL of our lives.

Let's see the 'politics of love' prevail in this 'workshop of the world.'

THE POLITICS OF LOVE MEANS DEALING WITH ONE'S OWN HEART

The answer for South Africa (and the world) lies in the POLITICS OF LOVE. However the first step is a difficult one. It involves dealing with ones own heart. This is where the primary battlefield lies...and where we willl reap the bitter fruit in full measure.

However, if love and forgiveness conquer in individual hearts, then love and forgiveness will conquer the country. If largeness of heart can vanquish shrunken narrowness of mind and spirit in you and me as individuals, if love can banish fear, if hope can overwhelm despair, if the positive can swamp the negative, then the nation can be born again.

But it has to start in the individual human heart. That is the battleground. If enough people win there, the nation wins. And if enough lose there, not only does the nation lose, but the nation is lost.

With a spirit of love, the highway then opens up to the politics of love.
"You may hate the sin, but never the sinner."
Profess love for humanity. Love simply means desiring the highest and the best for the other person, respecting his dignity and viewing him with compassion and forgiveness. Conquer anything with God's infinite Grace.

If I don't let it start in my own mind, I cannot let it start at all.

As Alan Paton once said,' This is a country where you hope on Monday and despair on Tuesday.' Where in the world is there such a positive challenge for young people as here?

May South Africa emerge finally under God as a nation which will not only bless the continent of Africa, but the whole world!

"For with me all things are possible."

BELIEVE it and work hard for it.
(Matt 19:26
Mark 9:23, 10:27
Luke 18:27 )

Different perceptions lead to different solutions and it's up to us to 'dream the impossible dream'.

We are made or unmade by how we think. So programme our individual souls and thence the national soul with positive thoughts ("be transformed by the renewing of your mind" - Romans 12:2).

God is love, and on God's self-giving rests the only ultimate hope of humanity. Let the spirit of love begin to take hold on the national soul, so that groups of people (different races, ethnicities) begin to think of the other before themselves and fully embrace virtue of love: to 'do unto others what you would have them do unto you.' (Matthew 7:12)

Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture (Ps 37:3)

Work hard doing one's very best

then

LET GO, LET GOD, LET GOOD.
*

Now onto the controversial concept (in Jesus's time and today) of

ENEMY LOVE:

Abraham Lincoln: "The only way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend."

When Christ said: "Forgive your enemies", it is not only for the sake of the enemy, but for one's own sake, ' because love is more beautiful than hate'. Hatred, like rust, eats into the soul of the individual and then an entire nation.
Jomo Kenyatta at Kenya's independence said: "Unless we build our nation on forgiveness, we will lose the day."

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven' (Matthew 5:43-45).

"Do not be overcome with evil; but overcome evil with good."
(Rom 12: 14-21)

Enemy love needs to become part of a new vision, a new style of thinking and part of a moral 'about face', which so many of the world's socities desperately need.

It worked for Gandhi in India, Martin Luther King in America, between black and white in South Africa!

Enemy love and the 'politics of forgiveness' will attempt its utmost to see the plight and real humanity of the enemy. Not "our cause is noble and theirs is evil."

Enemy love and the politics of forgiveness require us to hate conditions, situations and policies; not individuals, who are never as evil as the social and political situations in which they are involved, and which they symbolise.

Forgiveness implies a willingness to seek to reshape the future in the light of the wrong, in the most creative way possible.

As Martin Luther King said at the height of the Civil Rights struggle:
"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies...
Forgiveness is not just an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude."

Each ONE of us can be a facilitator and mediator in this process.

William Wilberforce believed that submission to Christ was a man's most important political, as well as religious decision. Define one's political ideals in terms of freedom and equality...the highest good.
Mutual care, concern, unselfishness, conscience, worth, political vigilence and insight all form part of the 'politics of love'.

My prayer is that all leaders of the world may find 'the mind of Christ'. If all converged on that 'mind', all the problems of the world would be solved.

The politics of love means working for structural reconciliation.
On this path lies the answer for South Africa. Inspire the planet with a new vision of hope. The golden rule is what life is all about. Jesus meant love to be the way in every area of life, including the political, because it is the BEST way....and the only way which works ALL of the time.

For these principles to work, it requires every person of good will, from the lowest to the highest to say: "I want to be part of the solution. What the 'ordinary' person does is critical here. For change will assuredly come from the grassroots of society... when enough people really want it and are prepared to be part of the process and press their leaders to bring in a new day. As Martin Luther King said:

"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men seek to perpetrate an unjust 'status quo', good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice."

Coretta Scott KIng: The Words of Martin Luther King (London Collins Found, 1985 - Pg 51)

South Africa can and WILL encourage, inspire and bless the world.

We are to make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."
-Isiah 40:3

My prayer is that all leaders of the world may find 'the mind of Christ'. If all converged on that 'mind', all the problems of the world would be solved.

Nothing is impossible and absolutely anything is possible with God.

Dream the impossible dream.

Michael Cassidy (from 'The Passing Summer', 1989)

About the author:
* Michael Cassidy is the author of 'Burning the Wineskins', 'Chasing the Wind' and 'A Witness Forever'. He is the founder of African Enterprise, a continent wide evangelic association.

*
Submitted by Craig Lock (Eagle Productions)
http://www.craiglockbooks.com

"See things not as they are...
but what they can one day be."

"When people's hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope"
- craig

These writings may be freely published electronically or in print (with acknowledgment to Michael Cassidy, please).