(Photo courtesy uhuru1701 via Flickr)
Until now, I have purposefully chosen not to write about politics because, frankly, politics doesn’t make me feel good. It’s divisive, and too often the focus is on show rather than substance, with many politicians first eliciting fear and then telling you how they will solve it. But this week as the vitriol following the health care vote grew to a boiling point, with threats of violence against politicians on both sides of the debate and other such inanity, I found that I could no longer stay on the sidelines.
Resorting to death threats and violence to “win” an argument, to me, illustrates either the paucity of the idea or a lack of intellectual fortitude on the part of the threat-maker to carry forth the march of ideas to another day. I believe there are valid points on both sides of the debate. And yet the venom and vitriol of the process just makes me tune out. A hearty debate of ideas is one thing; I welcome and encourage it. Threats of violence based on those ideas is another thing altogether, and I find myself asking “what makes the threat-makers any better than the heads of the various banana republics around the world who threaten and kill their enemies?” This is America; we’re better than that.
Thoughts and words matter, for they are the progenitors of action. I believe it’s time to heal the wounds in our own consciousness. I believe people can lead change, not by pushing against, but by holding in consciousness a firm faith and conviction in the ideals they hold dear. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. are the two obvious examples from the past century. Rather than pushing against the iniquities they faced, they held dear to their vision of a better world, and helped topple the most powerful Empire in the world at the time and accelerated the overturning hundreds of years of inequity, respectively, in the process.
I believe in an America of ideas, of values that include the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence, in the ideals contained in the preamble of the Constitution. The singular theme I heard consistently from my immigrant father while growing up revolved around the greatness of this country. It is a belief that is deeply ingrained in the core of my being. Does that mean that I believe in everything that the government does “in the name of the people?” No. What it does mean is that I have the faith and conviction in the foundations upon which this country was built. This country is a miracle. Is it perfect? No. But the principles upon which it is based are deeply profound: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
What is the America that you seek? And how are you being the change to help create it?
Thank you Sumaiya for your beautiful affirmation! As I find myself in situations that do not serve me and do not serve the highest good, I invite God in to guide me to peaceful resolution. Day 30 – 3/30 – 3 mind, body, spirit – yet 3 in One – all One. This morning I spent a deliciously long time in bed. I had nothing on my schedule and knew I only had to do a mild workout with strength training and so as Mr. Rogers sang, “I like to take my time…” Once again the rain is pouring and the sounds are the music which accompanies my meditation. And I just had an AHA moment – the what of the situation is not important — the how we can transform from what is not love to love and forgiveness in our hearts is
Blessings to you and to all who come to read here.
Mary – I am affirming a peace that passes all human understanding for you and everyone in your household, knowing that this peace fills and floods everyone and everything, and transforms anything unlike itself into love.
Day 29 of 40 days of healing prayer began with listening to the pouring rain and feeling my breath – last night we experienced some conflict in our household and this morning I vowed to create a day of peace. After all, if I cannot create peace in my household, how can be the change I want to see in the world? I stayed in bed for a good 45 minutes hearing the rain, feeling my breath, clearing all thoughts from my mind and just being. I slowly let my thoughts return and I prayed for healing – within my own body, mind and spirit and within my household and then I let the healing thoughts go out into the Universe captured by the wind and showering done on all to receive.
This morning Paul McCartey’s song Ebony and Ivory came to me during my meditation – and the theme of harmony resurfaced as I imagined us all playing wonderful symphonies in our hearts. These past several days I have been receiving emails about charities in India and Africa needing funding. The need is dire. In India, funding is needed for a team who goes into a remote area to treat children crippled by polio. In Rwanda, Africa, the need is for funding for orphans who did not have the tuition to keep them in school. What can one person do? And as I was sending out emails and connecting people, I remembered the show 101 Dalmations which I had recently seen (based on the Disney movie). The call went out that the parents of the stolen puppies needed help. And one by one, working in community, they found the puppies. Then they helped the parents as they journeyed to rescue their puppies and ensured their safe return. It was each dog along the way who played a crucial role in the entire process. So we don’t have to take everything onto our shoulders and feel weighted down by responsibility nor do we have to do nothing because we feel we cannot make a difference but together, we can be like the dogs in 101 Dalmations and one by one as we make connections, can be the change we want to see in the world.
Bless you Sumaiya — on day 28 of our 40 days of prayer journey
A beautiful afternoon to you Sumaiya and all the readers of this amazing blog. Do you know what would be amazing – if we got everyone out to do a run or a walk or a roll (for those in wheelchairs). I know a world day of walking/running/rolling/riding for Peace – In every event I have ever run or walked in, there has been a sense of oneness – a commonness of purpose. Today my husband, daughter and I got up early to meet our trainer from the marathon who was in town (he moved this year to Colorado). It was amazing to feel the energy of the runners gathering and as we were out on our run, we bumped into other runners we knew. This is the last ‘long run weekend’ as people train for the Boston Marathon. It seemed as though everyone was out doing their runs. Teams ran together as signified by their singlets or vests; there were people with water stands set up to support the runners who were running for different charities. Everyone was smiling, saying hello and feeling so blessed and joyful. There was a true sense of Oneness. May I hold this feeling of Oneness and joy in my heart no matter what I am doing and may others experience this sense of overflowing Oneness for we are all here for a common purpose.
Thanks so much for sharing your new poem, Mary. It’s wonderful, and I particularly love the timeliness of it! Today I cultivate peace in my heart and mind.
What a powerful post Sumaiya — I’ve been reflecting on this and I have two responses – the first is a poem I just wrote for this week’s City Enlightenment show inspired by Dr. O Raye Adkins whose father died four months before she was born in an explosion while serving in the Navy during World War II and has turned that tragedy into blessing the lives of others:
Echoes of Enlightenment
RFK and JFK and Martin Luther King
Heroes of the sixties voices echo Spirits sing.
Monuments and testaments, museums, eternal flame
Tragedy can be transformed bring honor to their name.
Live a life of justice with a kind and loving heart
Embrace their dreams and serve them well, we each can do our part.
Compassionate and caring – equal rights for all
World peace, abundance, service wake up to hear their call.
Amidst the streams of traffic, discern be in the flow
Breathe deep by the Reflection Pool and let Your spirit grow!
The second is this morning’s Daily Word
Peace
World Peace
As we express the peace of God, our world is transformed.
We all desire to see a peaceful world, but what can I, as one person, do to bring it about? I know that for peace to occur, I must cultivate peace in my heart and mind each day. I help create peace on a global level when I am on good terms with my neighbor, my partner, my employer and members of my family. As I find inner peace at home, it expands across the world.
Peace is my natural state. It comes from within me, not outside me. When I forgive myself and others, peace flows easily through my entire being. When I release any ill will against a perceived enemy, I feel peace instead of anger and hostility. As I consciously give peace a chance, all around me is transformed.
Let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.–1 Peter 3:11
Thank you for your passionate post and shining God’s light and love and wisdom into the arena of darkness.
Bless you!