The events of this past week have left me incredibly sad. Paris, but not just Paris. Beirut, but not just Beirut. Baghdad, but not just Baghdad. Syria, but not just Syria. When the World Trade Center was attacked, the world drew together. What I’m seeing right now is any sense of unity shattering. I’m seeing a lot of closed-mindedness, a lot of prejudice, a lot of sweeping generalizations, and a lot of people not being able to see the points of views of others.
The stated goal of Da’esh (which is what people who speak Arabic would prefer that we called the terrorist organization that has claimed the Paris attacks, as it delegitimizes them) is to create a Islamophobic backlash and force all peoples of Muslim faith to the side of Da’esh. So making sweeping statements about Islam plays into the hands of the terrorists. Making sweeping statements about all Abrahamic religions, or about people of faith, fragments our society further. Terrorism has no religion. Terrorists use religion as an excuse for their behavior, just as the Isla Vista shooter used his gender as an excuse.
We would be better served to be seeking unity, equality, and compassion.
When confronted with someone who is different than us, acknowledge and honor the differences and seek common ground. We are all people. We all have struggles. Each of our struggles will give us unique filters and viewpoints, which can be made into strengths or allowed to further weaken us. See the person in front of you, or across the globe, as an individual, not as their race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, or socioeconomic status. Whenever we lump an individual into a group, we dehumanize them. Seek out their humanity instead. Likewise, whenever we make sweeping statements about a group, we are dehumanizing the members of that group.
When you are angry, scared, or hurt, you may not want to humanize the people you perceive as having generated those feelings, but it is the only way to take your power back. Your true power lies in your connection with the All, within and without, and the easiest way to get there is to honor the humanity in everyone around you. As today’s Message of the Day pointed out, how you respond to others is a reflection of how you respond to yourself. If you are in judgment, hatred, or vengeance, you are in shadow (ie: out of balance). One way to restore that balance is to strive to see the humanity in everyone around us, and we live in a global society.
Just for today, when confronted with something that makes you uncomfortable, dive under the discomfort and look at your underlying preconceptions, and then actively search for connection rather than separation. Allow the fear to be as loud as it wants, but walk through it. Fear is merely the illusion of the absence of the Divine. You can always walk through illusion if you choose to.
As after any large-scale, scary event like a terrorist attack, it is important to ground, to practice self-care, and to breathe. Move more slowly. Think before you speak or type. Remember that everyone around you is also in startle response and be mindful of what you are expressing. If someone says they are offended by your opinion, take a moment to consider how that opinion might have sounded to them, or how they might have felt hearing it, rather than arguing or explaining. As we honor each other, we honor humanity and, in that, we honor ourselves.
We are al the Light of the World!