The Brown Book Commentaries

PAGE 70
180
―Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean.‖ ~ Goethe
If every single person were to sweep in front of his or her own door, the whole world would be
occasionally clean, and yet if every person sweep in front of his or her neighbor‘s door, the whole
world would be ever Radiant … If every person took care of their own, the whole world would be
occasionally happy, and yet if every person actively cared for his or her neighbor, the whole world
would be ever Joy-full … If every person forgave their friends their transgressions, the whole
world would occasionally
know calm, and yet if
every person actively &
openly forgave his or her
enemy their trespasses,
the whole world would
forever know Peace.
Image 163 (Page 70a - top) … This snowy owl (with a repaired left
wing) symbolizes the Wisdom exhibited by those who choose to
be ―spiritually reborn‖ by consciously re-membering their ability
to consciously (i.e. Grace-fully) receive – both from others (doing
so for their benefit; that they might remember the Joy that comes from
Giving) as well as from Life itself (being grateful more for
opportunities to serve others than to b served by them) …
―God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the
things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.‖ ~ unknown
We cannot change the beliefs of others or rescind the evils they might have already done. As such,
we are to Accept these things (knowing that acceptance of another‘s past actions does not mandate
condoning them, and that accepting another‘s beliefs does not mandate their affirmation) … On the
other hand, we can change (or at least dampen or halt) actions that are unjust and beliefs that are
bigoted and words that are unkind. Courageously
strive to change these things. Denounce these loudly
wherever you find them, while Peace-fully standing
between them and their intended victims.