the protestors were confronted by military police who aimed rifles directly at their heads . What happened next stunned the observers . A young man with long , shaggy hair and a baggy sweater ( the sort of appearance most of us can recall from those years ) stepped forward with a bunch of flowers . He placed one flower in the barrel of the gun pointed at his own head and then proceeded down the line distributing flowers to guns as he went . When that young man faced guns — not with force , but with flowers — he demonstrated how qualities like gentleness , patience , joy , and even love can have a kind of power to shape the future all their own . In time , as an iconic photo was shared across media , the event played a part in tamping down American support for the war in Vietnam .

To a greater or lesser degree , each of us might agree that gentle means do hold power . However , when fears about the future gather , as they are these days , gentle means can feel too weak . In times like ours , the messages of those who promise to act with ruthless power to save us all grow louder . However , even amid such shouting , there are places where wiser words can be heard . Consider these : “ And now these three remain : faith , hope , and love . But the greatest of these is love .” ( 1 Cor . 13:13 )

Lloyd is a retired educator living in Edmonton with his wife where they take every opportunity they can to experience the gentle power of flowers .

The ARTA scholarship program is made possible by the generosity of ARTA members and Orbit Insurance Services , a service partner for home and auto insurance . Orbit Insurance Services provides , through ARTA , scholarships to students who are related to an ARTA member . These scholarships recognize academic achievement , community involvement , and volunteer work .

The scholarship criteria have been updated this year to make the scholarships more accessible : the diploma and degree scholarship categories have been combined into one category , which will award up to eight $ 5,000 scholarships . Applicants will no longer be required to specify one or the other .

Applications for the 2024 scholarships are now open and close on July 31 , 2024 .

To read the full criteria and to apply , visit arta . net / scholarships .

Up to eight

SUMMER 2024 | 39