I just watched a Vice documentary on the goings-on in Charlottesville, VA. White Supremacists were marching with tiki torches. Counter-protesters were also marching. Violence happened. A car ran into the counter-protesters. People died.
I'm a person who tries to live by love. I try to let love be the biggest, most active part of my actions, my thoughts, and my work. When people are angry, stressed, or depressed, I try to ask myself, "What would love do? What is the most compassionate response?" Generally, it works with my kids. It also helps me advise my kids on how to deal with their peers when their peers are less than kind.
But.
There are a group of people who are marching for the right to say that my family and I, my neighbors and friends too, should be killed. That we're animals. Vermin. Subhuman. The government is powerless or unwilling to take a stand to protect us. What does a love-centered person do with that??
Gee, you poor angry soul. You must've missed out on the love of your mother and father during childhood to end up hating others in order to make yourself feel powerful. Yeah, but that won't really do anything here, will it?
Is it even possible to aim compassion at Nazis if you're Jewish and your ancestors suffered and died horribly because of the same philosophies they are screaming?? Am I even remotely big enough to face that challenge??
My first inclination is to scream, "Fuck You, Nazis!" My second inclination is too.
And here I remain.
Fuck you, Nazis. My triumph will be to not let your words and actions destroy me, my love of life, and my ability to help share healing with those who need it.
But none for you. So there.
Gosh Alice! This is such a challenging one! I see that people can only treat other humans like vermin because real, unconditional love is just not available to them and if this love awakened in their hearts could their hatred continue to thrive? I don't see how! So I feel that the best way to 'combat' them is to send love to them. Not because I care about them or feel sorry for them but because Love is the only weapon that, I think, could work! Hating them just gives them more of what they are already cultivating. However, this is relatively easy for me from the safety of my home. If I was face to face...I don't know that I could muster anything other than fear, anger and hatred. So where am I left? Do I radiate loved from my safe home because, at least, I can in this situation? Or do I just accept that in reality I just couldn't truly love them if they were attacking me or fellow Jews...especially my loved ones...and realistically refrain from sending them any energy at all? Perhaps, evil is perpetrated by those that didn't get sufficient love in their childhood or perhaps evil is just that...Evil...and it needs to be fought with all the strength we can muster without becoming possessed by hatred and, therefore, receptive to evil acting through us...for taking on the energy that you're battling is a real danger when confronting true evil. Thank you, Alice for providing food for thought!
ReplyDeleteDavid Sumeray
London, UK
Thank you, David. I appreciate you reading, and your comment for its thoughtfulness. Thank you for joining me in my wrestling.
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