A pacifist told me that as I continued learning about peace, I would begin to see that peace and non-resistance "works," it makes sense in our world. This is not so strange a statement when you consider the Biblical truths that pacifists adhere to in their commitment to peace. God's way does work. If peace is God's way, it makes sense that peace would work. Even though I did not take up non-resistance as a means to gain anything, I have already seen how peace, or if I walk in an attitude of peace, works for me.
It's an everyday example, but I find God often speaks his truth through everyday activities. I struggle with a dog who struggles with fear of other dogs his own size or bigger. When walking him, if we pass another dog-owner out walking, my dog will bark, growl and pull on his leash. It's quite embarrassing and disconcerting. I have tried everything to get him to stop, but one thing I always did was to restrain him as much as possible. During the warm weather, after consistent work, I managed to get him to calm down (for the most part). But as the weather got cold again, and my dog saw fewer dogs outside with their owners, he forgot his training, and started barking, growling and pulling on his leash the few times we would pass another die-hard dog-walker out and about.
One early morning, I was walking my dog, thinking it was way too early, dark and cold for anybody to be out walking their dog (besides me), and I was singing a hymn I had heard the day before--It is Well. I was also thinking about peace and was unusually peaceful in mind and soul when we happened upon another dog-walker with a black lab--a dog bigger than mine. I had no time to think about what to do--no chance at possibly walking the other way to avoid them. But I maintained my present state of peacefulness and allowed my dog to do his little fearful/warning dance. I did not restrain him, nor did I use any force against him. I simply felt that all would be well, my dog might bark and growl, but all would be well. My dog, instead of barking and growling, simply pulled on his leash, danced around a little bit and whined. We made it past the dog and his walker and went cheerily on our way.
I immediately understood what had happened and later happened to be talking with my cousin who breeds and trains pit bulls. I told him my story and he said, yes, that I had done the right thing. "You need to know that you own the dog, you have control of him, but that he is still a being of his own." He said that I need to understand the dog's frame of mind, his own little nuances and work with those. In this case, my dog was understanding my force against him, my attempt to restrain him as evidence of my fear. And in fact, it was in fear that I would try to restrain him--fear that I might not be able to, fear that I would look ridiculous, fear that something, anything bad might happen. But it was my fear he was reacting to, not his own fear. When I did not force him to obey, did not resist his tendencies, he was okay. In other words, my attitude to walk in peace and non-resistance worked for me in the training of my dog. I wonder what other ways I will see that peace works.
It's an everyday example, but I find God often speaks his truth through everyday activities. I struggle with a dog who struggles with fear of other dogs his own size or bigger. When walking him, if we pass another dog-owner out walking, my dog will bark, growl and pull on his leash. It's quite embarrassing and disconcerting. I have tried everything to get him to stop, but one thing I always did was to restrain him as much as possible. During the warm weather, after consistent work, I managed to get him to calm down (for the most part). But as the weather got cold again, and my dog saw fewer dogs outside with their owners, he forgot his training, and started barking, growling and pulling on his leash the few times we would pass another die-hard dog-walker out and about.
One early morning, I was walking my dog, thinking it was way too early, dark and cold for anybody to be out walking their dog (besides me), and I was singing a hymn I had heard the day before--It is Well. I was also thinking about peace and was unusually peaceful in mind and soul when we happened upon another dog-walker with a black lab--a dog bigger than mine. I had no time to think about what to do--no chance at possibly walking the other way to avoid them. But I maintained my present state of peacefulness and allowed my dog to do his little fearful/warning dance. I did not restrain him, nor did I use any force against him. I simply felt that all would be well, my dog might bark and growl, but all would be well. My dog, instead of barking and growling, simply pulled on his leash, danced around a little bit and whined. We made it past the dog and his walker and went cheerily on our way.
I immediately understood what had happened and later happened to be talking with my cousin who breeds and trains pit bulls. I told him my story and he said, yes, that I had done the right thing. "You need to know that you own the dog, you have control of him, but that he is still a being of his own." He said that I need to understand the dog's frame of mind, his own little nuances and work with those. In this case, my dog was understanding my force against him, my attempt to restrain him as evidence of my fear. And in fact, it was in fear that I would try to restrain him--fear that I might not be able to, fear that I would look ridiculous, fear that something, anything bad might happen. But it was my fear he was reacting to, not his own fear. When I did not force him to obey, did not resist his tendencies, he was okay. In other words, my attitude to walk in peace and non-resistance worked for me in the training of my dog. I wonder what other ways I will see that peace works.
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