Terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and other places have left many people in deep pain. Don’t they deserve some serenity?
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The images say it all. Two people looking for comfort in the midst of insanity, pain, and blood. Citizens of Paris and Beirut have seen their cities ripped apart by terrorist attacks in the past few days, and it’s not over yet.
It’s never over, is it? No. French and Lebanese citizens, along with Syrians, Nigerians, Palestinians, Israelis and, well, you name the place my brothers and sisters, cry out for their now-dead loved ones. Their souls are torn and tired. They look around at what has happened. Some people have quick answers to questions and are pretty damned happy to tell the world.
You’ve been on social media’s biggest platforms, haven’t you? Facebook timelines filled with differing viewpoints. Twitter feeds running on caffeine with numerous memes or news on the latest attacks, throwing more people into fear and anxiety.
Those who have suffered at the hands of murderous individuals deserve some peace in their souls. How can they reach that place of inner peace? Yeah, I imagine even discussing this viewpoint doesn’t whet the appetite of those strongly holding on to their views. Everyone draws their own “line in the sand” (another brilliant militaristic phrase) and says “this is what I think we should do.”
You are free to have your opinions. You have yours and I have mine. We can agree to disagree on some things, can’t we? No? So I can’t stand here, holding sacred space for hurting souls around the globe, and still call you my friend and say, “I love you?” I have to pick sides now?
No, you can pick your sides. I’m just looking at a different picture, which is fucking hard to do.
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I wish I had the magic answer for everlasting peace around this blessed world. It is blessed … more so than dangerous. Yes, I know the Christian faithful will tell me to look to the Lord Jesus Christ for the “peace that passes all understanding.” Amen. The Jewish faithful will tell me to look to G-d. Shalom. The Islamic faithful—oh yeah, I’m going here—will tell me to look to Mohammad. Motashakr Awi (“Many thanks” in Arabic). The spiritual faithful will tell me to look to Divine Grace. Namaste. Pick your peaceful path and follow it.
In simply bringing up the horrid pain that sears through the souls of these people right now, there are no real winners. Unless you have been in the middle of a war zone like that – and I do know a few people who have actually been in them – then you really cannot say “yeah, I know what that’s like.”
Nope. These hurting souls deserve some peace. They really do. Same goes for those in Nigeria who are suffering at the merciless hands of Boko Haram. Living in Paris and Beirut has been a bitch lately. One could say the same thing about other foreign lands. If you live in the United States, then obviously you know about the out-of-control homicide rate on the south side of Chicago. Maybe not.
Humanity never learns, does it? These people, no matter what you think or feel about them yourself, do deserve serenity. There are good, decent, kind, loving people that do live in these countries. Not everyone is a terrorist. Let me ask you this. Is every Christian a bigot? No! Is every black man a murderer? No! Is every Muslim a member of ISIS? No!
One can only imagine how much the noise of bombs and wailing from family members who lost their beloveds in the carnage affects their minds, bodies, and spirits. Do you care about that part of their lives? Does it make you feel better to say “I stand with the Republicans on this issue” or “I stand with the Democrats on this issue?”
Wake up!
Politicians demean the fact that Syrian refugees would dare be allowed in droves in America. States like Texas and others are saying “no” because of the threat that these people will cause. There might be a terrorist in the group. Yep, there “might be” a terrorist in the group. Sounds a little like the voices of fear that ruled the United States for many years, giving us the immense distaste of historic pictures showing two unique lines to bathrooms—one for white people and one for the colored people. This time, are we going to change “colored” to “immigrant?”
What a mess.
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Tell me. What would you do to bring peace for those with pained souls? There is no right or wrong answer to this question. You see them on television or the Internet. You see their desire and wish that their loved one, now dead, would still be alive.
The soul’s deepest desire, in my opinion, is for love. Is it too much to ask that these war-torn people receive peace? By the way, this same desire fills those here in the United States who send their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers out for another tour of duty. They, too, want love and protection for their beloveds at all times. They do not want a visit from a uniformed military officer telling them that they, too, lost someone in the battlefield.
It happens, though.
Maybe I’ve lost my mind here in writing about peaceful souls and their desire for love compassion, empathy, and sympathy.
Screw that. More people are being killed as you read this piece. Sometimes it’s by gunfire. Sometimes it’s by hand. Sometimes it’s by whatever gets the job done.
The line of pained souls grows longer by the hour. Hold fast to your beliefs, though. May you be willing to look at them and challenge yourself. Ask yourself and look to your soul for peace. When you do this, then others will be encouraged to do likewise. Yes, those in Paris, those in Beirut and all over the world.
This has to start somewhere. Might as well be with you.
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Photo: Getty Images