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Well it is time to start teaching Lesson One, Forbearance.
Date: 13th century: FORBEARANCE
: The quality of being FORBEARING: clemency, indulgence, lenience or
leniency, mercy, mercifulness, tolerance or toleration
: Contrasted Words: firmness, inflexibility, rigidity, sternness,
strictness; austerity, harshness, inexorability
: Antonyms vindictiveness
1: the act of forbearing: PATIENCE
1A:Contrasted Words impatience, uneasiness; irksomeness,
tediousness,
wearisomeness; boredom, ennui, tedium
2: the refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt,
right, or obligation) that is due
3: the quality of being forbearing: LENIENCY
4: the lenient disposition or practice: MERCY
5: the blessing that is an act of divine favor: COMPASSION
6: the cease to feel resentment against: FORGIVE
6A: to FORGIVE entirely or disregard as of trivial import
6B: to grant exemption or release to
7: to suffer or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or
contradiction
7b: the putting up with: TOLERATE
8: to give up resentment of or claim to requital for or to grant
relief from payment of: PARDON intransitive senses: to grant
forgiveness
8A: regard as excusable
8B: to allow to leave
9: long and patient endurance of offense: LONG-SUFFERING
10: implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or
make concessions.
GRACE means a disposition to show kindness or compassion
Forbearance is also described as unconditional compassion and
tolerance of someone or something. Not acceptance, but Forgiveness,
before anyone has ever done or said or not said something, or
anything to you. Even more so to yourself!!! Give yourself a
chance. Forbearance is first and foremost for you then to others. It
is our way, The Way.
Just because you have forbearance toward, someone, doesn't
however, mean that you will always approve of his or her actions or
choices.
Forbearance is essential as a druid, because it helps us to fully
understand the wondrous diversity that is our world. Friends and
loved ones will hurt and frustrate us, but we will forebear. Not
only
because we are supposed to, but also because we desire to.
Forbearance is the line in the sand. The boundary across which one
has been given fair warning. To this I agree. Even this said,
We do not stand down or back off at the first sign of controversy.
So I will not stand down on this! I do draw the line of Forbearance
in the sand for my self and my students. This is my face of
provocation and it is how the Gods did give me the backbone, two
legs
and the wisdom to stand upon them to make The Way, a Place of
Compassion, and to see that the teachings of our fathers, DO
NOT
falter or fall. It is my responsibility to teach The Way, as I was
taught, I will teach, The Way!!!
Stupidity and brazen acts of inconsiderate hostility or ignorance
are
intolerable. Yes they are, so this is all the more reason we must
have and show
forbearance for them, within our tribe/clans/groves/or churches.
Druids in History did try to work things out first with the Romans,
and later with the Christians. With the Romans it came out poorly,
with the Christians some think even worse. To these we are still
working today. Forbearance is our first lesson, but there is still
more, so much more.
Love will arise in your
heart
when you have no barrier between yourself and another,
when you meet and observe people without judging them,
when you just see the sailboat on the river and enjoy the beauty of
it. ~
Krishnamurti
Because you have forbearance toward someone, doesn't however mean
that you will always approve of his or her actions or choices or
that
you should forget what happened to you or yours. It does not.
Forbearance is essential to us as Druids. That is why it is our
first lesson. A life long lesson that we learn over and over. So
Please FORBEAR yourselves and me as we learn the Path of The Way
together.
(Definitions in part via the good old Webster.)
Rev Fr David Springer PhD /|\\|/
07/03/02
Master Druid of The Way
Congregation of the Oaks,
Sandia TX.
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