Abstract: | This article demonstrates the connectedness of members of the human family with each other and all of creation; discusses the nature of injury, sin, and woundedness; and offers examples of how cultivating countercultural appreciation for silence and self-knowledge is the basis for reconciliation and justice. the article also draws significantly on a number of spiritual traditions and contemporary psychology to flesh out the teachings of jesus, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for those who persecute you." although many traditions are cited, the primary lens used for viewing this teaching is midrash, or reflection, on the aramaic language and culture--the language and culture of jesus. with these various spiritual and psychological perspectives, connections are drawn between our community of inner voices, our exterior community, whether family, intentional, activist, or faith community, and the global/cosmic community. |