Blogs

Compassion on Two Legs

Fri, 03/13/2009 - 02:06

Villagers protesting the flooding of their land by the Pak Mun Dam Spring 2001, Pak Mun Dam, Thailand

I'm at a protest camp in Thailand, on the Mun River. My Filipino friend Cray and I are having a beer with a couple of hard nosed activists from the anti-fascist squatter scenes of Berlin. Cray let it slip that he is an unapologetic Roman Catholic, like many Filipinos, and it turns out the squatter guy was raised a Roman Catholic as well.

"And it was hell," he snaps.

We Can Offer What We Are

Sat, 02/21/2009 - 19:59
 
One of the visionaries I had the honour of interviewing for  Fierce Light was Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple, activist and a social visionary who has been a participant in many of the major movements of planetary change, from the American Civil Rights Movement forward. When I stepped into Alice's lovely home in California I immediately felt a sense of welcome. Her eyes were glowing as we spoke, reflecting her deep understanding of spiritual activism, what she calls the ‘human sunrise' - a term that applies perfectly to her.In the wake of the recent death of her beloved sister, Alice and her partner, Garrett Larson, have decided to travel to Gaza, to call attention to the need for support in the rebuilding and recovering from the attacks. This is her open letter about her planned trip. If you are in Gaza, or Israel, please welcome her.
 

Transforming the World From the Inside Out

Wed, 02/18/2009 - 15:09

As another Valentines Day passes, I've found myself thinking about how  we can transform a Hallmark occasion into an opportunity to celebrate True Love. The kind of love that Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, and Martin Luther King Jr. talked about. They knew a thing or two about what true love really is.

For starters, it ain't easy. It's not about just loving the people in your immediate circle - the ones that agree with you, the ones that look like you, the ones that turn you on. That's a good thing, and hard enough in itself. But the kind of love these peaceful warriors understood, in the depths of their hearts, comes from recognizing that we are all truly, utterly and completely, interconnected. This is the kind of love that enables us to actually love our enemies.

Have you ever really tried it? Not just tolerate our enemies, but actually love them. How about even someone who just irritates you a little; or a lot. Phew - it's tough! That's fierce love. That's industrial strength love. That's the love that's going to change the planet. Martin Luther King Jr. used to joke sometimes, "we've just got to love the hell out them. You just love them..."

This isn't a simple, sanctimonious holier than thou love - no, this is the kind of love that loves right through the ego, the hatred, the misunderstanding, right through to the divine spark that flames inside each and every being on this planet. This love does not excuse them for their actions, does not excuse them for the pain they cause, but recognizes that they are inflicting pain, because they are in pain.

Up Up and Away!

Sun, 02/08/2009 - 15:22

Well it's been an exciting few months for Fierce Light.  We won our first few awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival, we had our International Premiere at the IDFA - the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam, we had our U.S. Premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and now the film is starting to make it's way out into the world in a myriad of exciting ways.  We also had our first user review on the Internet Movie Database...

 

"I was fortunate to have seen this film at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2009. This brilliant film was worth the entire festival. The audience cheered and applauded. It is a must see for any human being who asks . . . "What can I do to make a difference?" I was moved to tears of compassion and inspired to take action. Run to see this movie and tell all your friends. Gather in groups to watch the film and remember why you are here. I was filled grace and reconnected to what love in action truly is. Our light is much stronger than any darkness and our determination
to do what is right will always prevail!

Yes this remarkable film is a Human Sunrise." - I coach

 

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