“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

― Theodore Parker

It seems a long arc indeed, this movement toward peace and justice. I imagine it very much like a river flowing toward the sea, with varying strength but persistent, inexorable. It’s hard to see, you have to look deeply to feel it.

It helps to hold the big picture and make room for all the paradox – the dams in the river, the droughts and diversions. The river is patient.

What the World is Trying to Be

William Stafford ended his poem Vocation with the line: “Your job is to find what the world is trying to be.”

I love that line! It’s not, “go out and make something of yourself” or “go out and change the world.” It’s not centered on people at all, but on the world as a whole.

So what is the world trying to be and how does humanity fit in?

I believe that there’s an inherent logic in play with the earth and her beings, with evolution, consciousness, and the cosmos as a whole. A guiding force and principle that can be called love.

And as for human beings, I believe in basic goodness. I’ve seen it in action whenever the circumstances allow our true nature to come forward. And even under ordinary circumstances, care and the longing for connection is what animates our lives. The center of that gravity is the energy of the heart and the longing of the soul. You can’t argue with it, ban it, bomb it, legislate or vote it out of existence. It’s just there, moving like the river.

We step into 2024 with much violence and insanity staring us in the face, and as I look for opportunities to be a part of the remedy I’m led back to restorative justice and its heart-centered principles and practices that so clearly align with life.

Fear at the Root of Violence and Suffering

One of the beautiful aspects of restorative justice is its unique ability to address root causes in a safe, respectful way. This is especially true when it plays out at the community level (outside of the justice system), where the healing can unfold in organic, customized ways.

A focus on root causes has always been a part of Active Peace. And central to that has been the naming of the illusion of separateness as the ultimate root cause, as the original trauma that limits our full and conscious participation and reciprocity with each other, with the earth, and with our spiritual essence.

The illusion of separation leads to existential insecurity and fear which explains so very much about human behavior, all of the -isms, and our current predicament.

Restorative justice addresses even this level of wounding. Harm brings people together for restorative processes — harm at personal, interpersonal, and collective levels. Instead of denial or sucking it up or feeding resentment and blame, we come together to repair the harm. In the process we practice respect, relationship, responsibility. We sit and stay with discomfort and work through it to the best of our ability. The harm that brought us together is transmuted into healing. The illusion of separation is dispersed by actual experience, by the felt sense of interconnection.

Restorative justice is ultimately an interbeing practice that helps people experience interrelatedness and the wisdom of the heart. It’s a spiritual practice that connects us with our essence and that has always been the foundation of true maturity, clear seeing, and health.

Contemplating pathways for how I might continue the work of Active Peace and restorative justice I find my attention landing on the separation inherent in U.S. immigration policy and the border “crisis” grabbing so many headlines these days. Below is just a small taste of how I’m thinking about that and what restorative justice might contribute.

Restorative Justice in the Immigration Context

The current situation at the southern border is intense and speaks volumes about the state of the world (violence, corruption, poverty, racism, xenophobia). And as so many advocates consistently point out, U.S. foreign policy (past and present) is a big part of what drives the current situation and therein lies responsibility for addressing it as humanely and thoughtfully as possible.

Beyond the arrests and the sheer numbers are real people seeking better lives, and the harm done to them continues to mount. I have no doubt that the illusion of separation is at the heart of it.

Because separation is an illusion and the Big Lie, there is the ever present opportunity to expose it and experience the truth. The rewards of even making the attempt are immeasurable.

But practically speaking, what can restorative justice contribute?

For starters, the holistic and deeply nonviolent nature of restorative process can help set the table for authentic dialogue and the ability of people to really hear each other. Transformational change in immigration policy will start with deep listening and shared understanding. The harm needs to be expressed in full and truly heard: the fear, the trauma, the suffering, the impacts to families and communities needs to be heard and felt.

A restorative process includes the organizing and the preparation needed to bring people together in an atmosphere of safety and respect. This includes hearing the concerns of the representatives of agencies such Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Knowing that they will have their chance to be heard can help interest them in a restorative approach.

If there is the possibility of an actual restorative process, who the participants will be is a big question. Who has experienced harm that needs to be heard and understood? Who has the authority to contribute toward repair and transforming the system? Who can best represent the larger community perspective? Who will facilitate the process? There would be lots of discussions with potential participants and interested parties. This is all part of preparation for a restorative process.

Anyone invited to participate in the process would need to demonstrate the willingness and ability to bring a restorative mindset and would be coached in understanding what that means.

What possible incentive is there for agencies like ICE to participate?

If the system is causing harm to asylum seekers and other immigrants and their families, it is also harming the people who work in that system. Not at the same level or with the same consequences, but harm nonetheless. If the system is understaffed, if it is not treating people fairly and humanely, if it is not sustainable, then all that blows back and causes stress, burnout, and other forms of harm. Who can feel good about policies that separate families, or send someone back to a country where they are in danger, or keep them trapped in a country where they don’t want to be and have no social connections?

Acknowledgement of that harm can be incentive to transform the system in meaningful ways. Pressure from advocacy groups and the prospect of endless litigation also adds incentive.

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This is a big topic and I can’t do it justice in a blog post. If you want a deeper dive into the methods and healing energy of restorative process as I practice it you are welcome to watch the Active Peace Circle Demo I recorded with a great group of volunteers.

I don’t know how I can be of service in the immigration arena but I’m inspired to find out. I trust that anytime anyone works to break down the illusion of separateness it ripples out to support the world in becoming what it’s trying to be.

Photo credit: Stainless Images via Unsplash