Article April 28, 2008 Issue

BREAKING THE CHAINS OF RESENTMENT

BY KARI MASHOS

MY HUSBAND AND I were on a small ship headed for a country halfway across the globe. I'd never been there, but was eagerly looking forward to exploring the culture and the sights. The sunny days at sea and the beautiful coastline had been so inspiring to me.

Imagine my surprise . . . when those feelings of happy anticipation began to fade and be replaced by resentment. As I thought about the country we were going to visit, it came to me that it might not be the safest spot for Americans because of the current political situation. There had also been a history of occupation and terrorism between that particular country and the country of my grandparents.

I actually started feeling a little angry when I thought about that history. I very quickly realized that those thoughts of fear and even resentment were part of the thinking that had, and continues to have, humanity in a grip of constant aggression and revenge, a never-ending cycle of violence. This pattern was alluded to by Mahatma Gandhi when he said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."