Good Morning Digitial Neighbors! Happy Tuesday ADD Irregulars, WSN Purveyors, PHAM & Misfits, Friends & Refugees.

In the tumbler that is my formative mind are many things that shape my attitude and person. My family history, the Gospel, the life of the Church in all of its manifold ways, cultural elements of the 70's, 80's and 90's that have anchored on to my imagination and memory like so many barnacles. All of this gets tumbled around in prayer and mediation on a frequent basis. The Voice of Master takes center stage, but His subtle and humble voice is filtered through many mediums and means. One has to cultivate a patience and stillness to catch His unseen movements and often unheard whispers. They are plenty, but often missed or only seen in hindsight. Better that than not at all, but an occasional thwap upside the head helps me get my crap together.

Added to that mix is various ancient authors via quotes and various other writings. If you have not looked in to the Stoics, the Daily Stoic is a good way to begin. I do not identify as a Stoic, but I appreciate much of their wisdom and insight into living. Good humanism is complimentary to a life of faith and enriches it. Good, virtuous humanism is really good if you have no High Power inviting you to strive for personal growth and transformation.

I am on the conversion train with the Master, but I am not the best of passengers or disciples. I am who I am and I am thank for His patience and clemency. That word: Clemency was the topic of the Daily Stoic, and here it is present to you along with the link should you be inclined to explore. Enjoy!

CLEMENCY

Seneca tried to teach it to Nero but Nero couldn’t grasp it. To be fair, most leaders, most powerful people, most governments and civilizations struggle with it. In fact, up until Seneca sat down to write De Clementia there wasn’t even a word for what we have, ever since, called clemency.

​Clemency, as Seneca explains it, is basically how a powerful person treats a person they have power over–particularly when the less powerful person has done wrong. Clemency was what Marcus Aurelius tried to offer Avidius Cassius when the general attempted a palace coup. Clemency was what Marcus insisted the Senate maintain. His reign would not be stained with a single drop of blood, he said. Clemency was what Ulysses S. Grant offered at Appomattox. Clemency and something more was what the U.S. offered Japan and Germany after the Second World War, by not only not destroying them, but rebuilding both countries after.

It’s worth pointing out just how remarkable the concept of clemency was when Seneca first articulated it. Rome was a country that slaughtered its enemies–and sold the rest into slavery. Seneca himself was cruelly exiled for some made up crime, sent away from his family and friends because he had offended the emperor Claudius (a tale you can read about in Lives of the Stoics).

Today, society is less violent and has more robust legal protections of human rights. But clemency is still too rare–not just for the conquered but also between colleagues, between spouses, between rival political parties (to say nothing of our legal system here in the U.S.).

​When someone has wronged you, deceived you, betrayed you, stolen from you, do you get your pound of flesh? Or can you be merciful and restrained? Can you be generous? The ability to forgive, to let go, to not extract a full measure of punishment from someone–this requires self-control, it requires decency, it requires wisdom.

https://dailystoic.com/