Today I’ll visit my physio man for a check up after all my travels, making sure some of my muscle aches will be attended to. Yesterday I made phone calls to my sisters who are both faring well. We also recalled our fine visiting times and the joy of seeing each other again after eleven years. My brother in law Jan still has quite a few treatments to go through for the time being at least, but is bearing up well.

I also phoned Shirley who sounded quite cheerful and was pleased to connect; we’ll have tea in the near future. Some laundry made its way to the cleaners and I double checked the access code of a credit card, which turned out to be correct. My bank balance did not show any unexpected decreases and weathered my trip’s expanses fairly well.

I did not manage to post my daily entry, but spent the evening concentrating on the importance of ‘tolerance’. This is the topic of my next talk in late November and the last of three on this topic. I started with this topic last January with casual intent, but that has now changed into a conviction over the summer and during the span of my trip. See also under writings below.

The idea for my upcoming talk was not well formed before I left for Holland, but I had formed the affirmation that during the summer I would be able to come to a better understanding of this ‘tolerance’ idea. The result emerged last night with a strong sense and drive to contemplate on this topic of ‘tolerance’ and its relevance in our society today. In other words I became aware of the importance and an urgency of this concepts and its applicability in our world today.

The item that triggered this process during my trip, was an interview cum book report in the Dutch news paper Trouw in mid August. The author Tom Mikkers answered questions about his forth coming book-let - as is turned out - titled “Het voelt echt goed” [It feels really good] with the subtitle ‘Spirituality of tolerance’. I ordered the book right away as it would be published towards the end of my stay and had the effect of my focussing on the importance of tolerance right up until today. I’ll leave discussing the booklet until later, since I am still reading it.

However, the significance of tolerance is taking on a life of its own in my thinking, as I give thought to our human need to find ways and means of living together on this our one and only planet.

Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.

Just from reading or hearing the news regarding the violence and instability in the Middle and Far east we become aware of a process that does has intensified and expanded since the first ‘Persian Gulf War’ of 1991. It reminds me of the saying: “Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.” Where the swords of today are rockets, grenades, bullets, bombs and drones. The effect of their use made worse by the collateral civilian damage, in turn resulting in the blow-back of counter violence in its asymmetric manner of terrorist activities.

… as collateral civilian damage, in turn resulting in the blow-back of counter violence …

Considering the unproductiveness of violence in the resolving of these conflicts and the increasing levels of instability and the worsening civilian impact, I conclude that this process of violence is resulting of more of it self. Violent actions can be necessary to curtail and contain, but must be accompanied with respectfully addressing of the underlying issues in a process that honours the other’s values and position.

This is where the application of tolerance comes in. Just how are we going to do this? <10:20am~