The Lesson of George Zimmerman

In Susan Trott’s modern day spiritual classic, “The Holy Man”, pilgrims with problems climb a mountain path and stand in line for days to meet with the Holy Man.

A pilgrim will finally reach the front door to the monastery.

A plain, unpresupposing man greets him/her and escorts him/her quickly to the back door and ushers him/her out.

OK.

No more him/her. I promise.

The flustered pilgrim usually says, “But, I came all this way to see the holy man.”

Joe, the apparent greeter, replies, “You just did. Treat everyone as though he is holy, and you will live a happy life.”

Susan Trott chronicles the story of Joe, and his successor, the Holy Woman, in a trilogy of small books of wisdom, laced with humor and irony (as wisdom should be).

Wisdom is, by definition, simple.

Excess is the enemy.

If you are going to be a sage, you must have a simple message; otherwise, you will become like Kant – unread.

Buddha boiled things down to formulas like, “the four noble truths”, and the “noble eightfold path”.

He could have said, “Just meditate.”

Joe had his one trick for conveying wisdom: treat everyone as though s/he is holy: simple lesson in wise living.

What if George Zimmerman had applied Joe’s rule?

What if he had assumed first that Travon Martin was a holy man instead of a hoodlum?

Or what?

What did he assume?

Why go after a guy, a kid really, with a gun in your pocket?

Sages wear hoodies, George.

Another thing about wisdom: when you violate a rule, there will be consequences.

You might beat the rap, but the ride will be a harsh lesson.