It is human to forgive, but divine to forget. (Heard today in church.)
Now 72, I look back on my “zealous years.” First off, I would like to say that in many ways I’m more zealous today than ever. This is primarily because I do not have a tendency to worship society’s authority figures to such an extent as I once did. (Maybe this one reason they want young ones in boot camp.) When I was 23 anyone prominent almost without exception had some degree of abeyance from me. Now I have enough self-confidence to realize that an eight-year-old can be 100 times more right than a 47-year-old credentialed expert among most important everyday matters – certainly most ethical questions fall within this realm.
When I was in my 20s I refused induction into the US military because of Vietnam and thus ended up in federal prison. When I was in my 20s I picketed a restaurant that enforced racial segregation. That little incident ended with a car chase and multiple stitches in my lower lip. I don’t mean to over dramatize this, but it is essential to know that eternal verities must be affirmed when this can be a threat to one’s life.
I’m less “athletic and physical” than I once was. But I’m way more sure and determined and resilient in spirit today. How this all washes out in practice is open to question.
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