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Today we read a kids’ version of Beowulf. When the boys found out that Grendel’s mother was sad for her slain son, they both critiqued Beowulf’s actions and wished that the monster could have been treated more gently. They wanted Grendel to be given a chance to become friendly and live a long life in peace with King Hrothgar’s warriors. Their reaction and logic blew me away. I found myself unable to defend Beowulf. My boys are ages 5 and 6, and their desire for peace and rehabilitation was not what I had expected. I can tell that they have been listening to my instructions for gentleness rather than the old “eye for an eye” approach in our dealings with each other.
This is the last 2 lines from a recent Wendell Berry interview in The Sun:
Fearnside: The Buddhists try to follow a path of “right livelihood,” which means that a person should not engage in work that brings harm to others, either directly or indirectly.
Berry: Right livelihood would prohibit strip mining and building warplanes. And so would “Love one another,” if anybody took it seriously.
