A Terrible Thing
A man was cruelly murdered by another man, by a whole society and a by whole system. In a way I am glad people are upset. This shows our humanity, our innate sense of justice. In a way the anger and outrage shows that we actually really care about each other. Beneath the anger and the fear and the upset is genuine caring and love. And outrage that our goodness is repressed instead of expressed. That we could be so disconnected from ourselves and from each other that we could commit cold and terrible acts like these and that a whole culture of abuse could continue.
I understand that some of us feel fed up. Frustrated. Angry, confused, anxious, lost, furious. Totally pissed off.
Maybe this is good. Maybe this is a call to action. Maybe this is exactly what we need for social change. Maybe this is an important catalyst. So I’m glad.
At the same time, this attitude of ‘you’re with me or you’re against me’ just creates more division. I see and hear of people blaming and guilting their friends and family and colleagues and community because they are reacting differently. Because some are vocal and some are not. Because some know what they think and feel and some are still figuring it out. Because we are all hooked up differently and have different views of the world and interact and react in such a vast diversity of ways.
This attitude of right and wrong and black and white is exactly the same culture of division, struggle and ‘us against them’ which perpetuates the cycle of violence, abuse and separation. It is ignoring the heart of our humanity. Ignoring the inescapable interconnectedness of all of us. How when even one leaf falls in the forest and one word or act of kindness is spoken or initiated everything in the whole is affected.
Each of us has our own way of being in the world, our own way of manifesting our genius and creativity and love and work in the world. Our own ways of feeling and moving through our grief and sadness and outrage. To assume that all have the same goals, viewpoints and ways of reacting seems pointless and impossible.
We each have our own unique way of expressing and contributing to the whole, and I for one don’t feel it is our business to judge the way another person is showing up or not showing up. Trying to prove something when emotions are running high in moments of crisis is very different from continually engaging with what it takes to sow deep healing and change on a fundamental level whether anyone can see or know or understand what you’re doing or not.
A problem cannot be solved on the same level of consciousness from where it was created. It takes a quantum leap. It takes an open heart, a clear and unified mind. It takes real courage and compassion and a willingness to move and speak from somewhere other than the divided, defensive personal ego.
What if we each showed up activating the highest potential of what we’re capable of contributing to the whole and didn’t waste any time and energy judging others about what they’re doing or not doing.
What kind of reality can we create with this level of passion, ingenuity, brilliance, vitality, and wisdom.