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Good morning. I wonder how I’d feel, waking up to another day of barred windows, clanking metal doors and the noises of prison echoing down the corridors. Especially if I happened to be innocent. On my rounds as a Buddhist chaplain, I’d often call in for a cup of tea with Andrew Malkinson. Sometimes he’d pull a loose pile of legal papers from his drawer, updating me on his struggle to clear his name. I could only feel for his frustration and outrage. But I noticed that, being a naturally friendly man, he would always find time to ask how I was. And he knew instinctively that, fight though he must, he couldn’t let himself be consumed by bitterness. One of the things he found helpful was a meditation called Metta Bhavana. It means ‘cultivating loving kindness’. It strikes me as helpful for any of us facing injustice, either in our own lives or in the world. Even if you’re not the sort of person who meditates, this one point might help: whatever state of mind you give your attention to grows. If you find some quiet moments to relax and turn your attention inwards, perhaps you’ll find a jumble of all sorts of daydreams, anxieties, and self-preoccupied thoughts. Letting those quieten down a little, you’ll find there’s a space in between - a more feelingful, heartfelt place. And there, as Buddhism teaches, you can find your own natural kindness. I believe we all have this basic ground of kindness. Beyond thoughts of ‘am I good enough’ or ‘what will people think of me’, there’s a well-wishing towards ourselves. It’s what makes us look after ourselves in everyday ways. It’s what makes us care about justice. If we stay with it for a while, it grows. From that place, we can turn our attention to others. We realise that they too want to be happy and secure. That’s true of our friends, of people we don’t know, and even of those who cause suffering in the world. Wishing an enemy well doesn’t mean brushing difficulties under the carpet. Rather, it frees us to focus on changing conditions rather than wasting energy on hating the person. Kindness opens the way for communication. It frees the way for real change. It’s not easy, and it takes time. But it is possible. Letting go of bitterness is deeply liberating. In fact (dare I say it, Andrew?) it’s a bit like being released from prison. And when it comes to fighting for justice, it might even turn out that kindness, extraordinarily, is our greatest strength.