Eventful run to the station yesterday evening...

...through the crowds of demonstrators outside Downing Street.

Whatever your political views, everyone should be able to agree that when our leaders feed off ignorance and hatred, we all lose. Even as someone with no interest in political activism, it was inspiring to see so many people who seemed to be carrying that message yesterday. But I am concerned that Trump's hatred will infect those who disagree with his politics, leading to a downward spiral.

So when I came across this passage earlier from the Tao Te Ching, it seemed to me to speak to just the situation we find ourselves in at the moment, in a voice of the clearest sanity:

Weapons are the tools of evil, shunned and avoided by everything in nature. Because people of the Tao follow nature, they want nothing to do with weapons.

Unevolved people are eager to act out of strength, but a person of the Tao values peace and quiet. He knows that every being is born of the womb of Tao. This means that his enemies are his enemies second, his own brothers and sisters first.

Thus he resorts to weapons only in the direst necessity, and then uses them with utmost restraint. He takes no pleasure in victory, because to rejoice in victory is to rejoice in killing. Whoever delights in killing will not find success in this world.

Observe victories as you observe a death in the family: with sorrow and mourning. Every victory is a funeral for kin.