How do we remain present in difficult times? How do we remain loving in the midst of hate?
This week, the news is baffling, although sadly perhaps not as shocking as we might hope..as stories of intolerance and hate become commonplace. Fast food chains preach intolerance of fellow human beings, and crowds line up for chicken sandwiches in support, in the name of Christianity. The Chic-Fil-A case boggles the mind of those of us who consider Jesus one of our sages, who walk in the footsteps of his example, who strive to "love thy neighbor" and "forgive thy enemy"- and interpret his seemingly straightforward message of love to include all people- gay, straight, lesbian, queer, bisexual, transgender included.
In other news, deadly expressions of hate erupt in a Sikh temple, and six are left dead. The gunman belonged to groups that promoted white supremacist ideologies. Though one person alone pulled the trigger, he acted in the violent spirit of many- a gathering of multiple individuals uniting themselves around an ideology of hate. Our hearts are broken- and we stand side by side with the persecuted ones. We extend our love, rightfully so, to the suffering Sikh community. We know that we are one world, we are one community and love knows no boundaries of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national divide. And thus we stand on the side of love.
But how far does love extend? In thinking of the ones who preach messages of hate, we want to create a wall between us and them. But love is not a linear thing; it does not take sides. It is a gift available to all, an ever expanding circle, all-pervasive, and all encompassing. If I open myself to love then I must also extend love to the ones who hate- even as I cry in mourning with the ones they have wounded, even as I vehemently oppose such senseless violence. Who are the people who are hateful and intolerant? They are not only these strangers I can barely understand. In some cases, they are people I know and care about. And in some cases, if I truly look deeply into the kernel of my own heart- into places that hold my own pain and anger- they are me.
There is a spectrum of hatred, a slope into violence that most of us cannot imagine ever sliding into... I do not want to equate kernels of anger within me to the ones who spew hatred toward others at the world. And yet, each wall I build between myself and another is a denial of our shared humanity. To be a true peacemaker means to chisel away at those walls. I begin by breaking down the walls in myself-- noticing seeds of inner pain, transforming them from within.
Prayers of compassion, ever widening circles of love, extend to those who suffer everywhere- to the victims of intolerance, to the perpetrators who live in darkness, and to all the rest of us struggling everywhere in between.
This week, the news is baffling, although sadly perhaps not as shocking as we might hope..as stories of intolerance and hate become commonplace. Fast food chains preach intolerance of fellow human beings, and crowds line up for chicken sandwiches in support, in the name of Christianity. The Chic-Fil-A case boggles the mind of those of us who consider Jesus one of our sages, who walk in the footsteps of his example, who strive to "love thy neighbor" and "forgive thy enemy"- and interpret his seemingly straightforward message of love to include all people- gay, straight, lesbian, queer, bisexual, transgender included.
In other news, deadly expressions of hate erupt in a Sikh temple, and six are left dead. The gunman belonged to groups that promoted white supremacist ideologies. Though one person alone pulled the trigger, he acted in the violent spirit of many- a gathering of multiple individuals uniting themselves around an ideology of hate. Our hearts are broken- and we stand side by side with the persecuted ones. We extend our love, rightfully so, to the suffering Sikh community. We know that we are one world, we are one community and love knows no boundaries of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national divide. And thus we stand on the side of love.
But how far does love extend? In thinking of the ones who preach messages of hate, we want to create a wall between us and them. But love is not a linear thing; it does not take sides. It is a gift available to all, an ever expanding circle, all-pervasive, and all encompassing. If I open myself to love then I must also extend love to the ones who hate- even as I cry in mourning with the ones they have wounded, even as I vehemently oppose such senseless violence. Who are the people who are hateful and intolerant? They are not only these strangers I can barely understand. In some cases, they are people I know and care about. And in some cases, if I truly look deeply into the kernel of my own heart- into places that hold my own pain and anger- they are me.
There is a spectrum of hatred, a slope into violence that most of us cannot imagine ever sliding into... I do not want to equate kernels of anger within me to the ones who spew hatred toward others at the world. And yet, each wall I build between myself and another is a denial of our shared humanity. To be a true peacemaker means to chisel away at those walls. I begin by breaking down the walls in myself-- noticing seeds of inner pain, transforming them from within.
Prayers of compassion, ever widening circles of love, extend to those who suffer everywhere- to the victims of intolerance, to the perpetrators who live in darkness, and to all the rest of us struggling everywhere in between.
No comments:
Post a Comment