The other week I heard a phrase.
“His loving kindness endures forever.”
I grew up in the mid-1900’s memorizing the same phrase with the words, “His mercy endures forever.”
Two cultures met in the mid-1900’s. The words that were emphasized by each culture reflect their differences.
1) A guilt society plays to right and wrong. Mercy is the antidote to a guilt society – pardon bestowed.
2) A shame society plays to society and unity. Loving-kindness is the antidote in a shame society – honour bestowed.
You will notice with the 80 and 90 year olds that they talk of being lifted out of the pit of guilt.
The legalism of their day and age is decried, deconstucted, and dismissed by them – they are not satisfied unless mercy is applied.
20 and 30 year olds honour the victim whose rights have been trampled – from sexual assault to harassment based on gender to . . .
The intervening decades between an older generation and a younger generation – while deconstructing the old rules – dismissed the old parameters around which we defined victimization. The younger generation has taken on the noble task of redefining the rules – creating a new sense of society. For the sake of the victims, they are not satisfied unless honour (loving kindness) is bestowed.
My question is – how were these new rules arrived at? Are they any better than the old rules? Who decides?