It seems the world these days is full of division and discord and outright discrimination. It is also true that it is full of people speaking and acting from a place of abiding and abundant love.
What message of love would you like to post?
3 thoughts on “A Sign of the Times”
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It won’t fit on a pithy sign, but: Yoda said, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Love can start with you. You can’t help being concerned about things haters say and do, but you can keep the concern while turning any fear, anger or hate you feel to love. Meditate, pray for those you fear, until you can speak of or to them calmly, from a place of loving concern. Only then open your mouth or touch your keyboard.
When I see hijab-wearing Muslim women around town, I want to go up to them and apologize for how badly some people have treated them, and for how much their community suffers from hatred.
It would probably be extremely awkward for all involved if I walked up to somebody in the grocery store and did this. So I’ll do it here.
” I’m sorry about the hatred, prejudice, and injustice you are suffering. I acknowledge that what the people who hurt you are acting on evil, and I (and many other Americans) do not endorse their behavior or condone it. We know you deserve better than this abuse. ”
Then we need to make our actions match our words. What can we do to help?
I am closely connected at the present time with two aspects of disorder and misunderstandings but with a closeness. At this time a young (34 yr) old young man is staying in my basement area ; he was born in the US when his Nigerian parents were studying here. Now Nasruddeen has returned and is enrolled as a graduate assistant in university and may have the chance to continue toward a PhD. He is both Black and Islamic. He is very interested and concerned about currents that cover both of these areas of contention. I learn from how he reacts and now understand much better about how he (and others related) perhaps see the situations from different or similar perspectives. We have become good friends and are not afraid to discuss some touchy topics but I hope it will continue to go deeper into aspects of both color and religion.