Let this tragedy be for something. Let it bring us together to display the best of our humanity today and every day forward.
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While meditating and sending out prayers of love and healing to the victims of the Paris attacks and their families this morning, I couldn’t help but think about the historic fallout of violent attacks like the ones in Paris last night; more hate, fear and division in the world, which equates to more acts of rage and violence in our future, and I am clear I do not want to own any of the fallout.
None of us have to. History shows us “an eye for an eye” does not create more peace and love amongst people. It has successfully fueled the creation of more distrust, separation, hate and violence. So as I see it, we can promote more Hate or more Love. I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of Hate. I choose Love. I hope you will too.
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When I was a child my brother, sister and I would hop on a bus some Sunday mornings and go to a Sunday school that was offered to kids in our neighborhood. They provided us with snacks and craft projects which kept us returning. We also learned a prayer or two. One of the prayers was The Lords Prayer with the instruction to recite it at bed time. On nights that I remembered to do this, I would end it with blessing my parents, then I added my siblings, and then friends. The list went on and on because I didn’t want to leave anyone out from receiving a blessing. I eventually figured out if I just named my parents and then spoke “The whole wide world,” everyone would be covered.
Killing people like them has not stopped more people, just like them, from stepping up to carry the banner of hate.
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It was in that same spirit that I sent thoughts and prayers of love and healing out to the world this morning. Operating from Love I included the men who attacked and killed in Paris and Beirut into my prayers and meditation. I prayed for their transcendence and ours.
Killing people like them has not stopped more people, just like them, from stepping up to carry the banner of hate. It seems to only breed more hate. However, people like these men, transforming into compassionate and kind human beings, could be hugely influential to their followers. So I meditated on this image as well. I prayed. I prayed for them to wake up and marvel at the love and beauty of who they are underneath the hate and rage and begin to care about other humans beings. Recognizing our divinity removes the illusion of separation and illuminates our oneness. From there we begin to feel the pain and suffering our actions cause others, and we see the destruction of all violence and aggression; I pray these men reach this awareness. It is only in this space they can understand and know the pain they have caused to others. It feels good to focus on love instead of revenge.
I pray they are either found or surrender to stand in accountability for their action. Holding one another accountable for our actions is the most loving thing we can do. In accountability we meet one of our basic needs; to stretch and grow beyond who we were yesterday, so we may thrive. My prayer includes that they have this experience as well. This is no more or less than what I want for myself or my family. To know love, compassion, accountability, and contribution to making the world a better place.
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If our prayers and meditation lead to nothing more than growing more love inside each of us, then the world is better for it, and we have contributed in creating a more compassionate, loving and peaceful world.
I used to be the person shouting for death in cases like these. I was caught up in the narration of us against them and believed in an eye for an eye; wiping out the stains on the planet I thought. I have actually said on occasion, “If they won’t pull the trigger, I will.” In my ignorant bravado, I believed it. I have never owned a gun, nor shot one. In fact, I am afraid of guns, but when I was in fear, I believed I would use one and in this drama I also fed and promoted the violence that scared me to begin with. I can’t recall the exact time that changed for me, but it did many years ago. I remember watching 9/11 and the aftermath as it unfolded and recognizing that retaliation, with violence, towards a country or anyone, was just going to create more rage, hate and violence.
I want to make sure the ripples I send out into the community, my family, and our global family are rooted in love and goodness.
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My change of heart cannot be contributed to one specific thing. I matured, had spiritual awakenings, learned to love myself. It’s really hard to hate others when you love and value yourself. It is also hard to see others as separate from you when you love yourself. I began to ask the questions. Why are we killing each other? Why do others either fear or hate the US? Why am I afraid? What part have I played in this? How have I played into and supported the idea of conflict resolution through violence? How can I move through the world in a way that both supports and promotes love and peace?
Ask and the answers will come. The answer I received, in a nutshell, “We need to promote whatever it is we want to see in the world through the way we live, the choices we make.” I wanted less hate and more love and connection in the world and in my life.
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If everything has energy, and I believe it does, then we have to know that sending out love in the form of loving thoughts and prayers, is a good thing for each of us and the world as a whole. Meditating on love grows love. Echoing the current narrative of us against them, posting aggressive and retaliating posts on facebook or liking them, or believing in resolution through violence of any kind brings less love into your life and delivers more hate into the world. The smallest acts can create ripples that affect us and others in a significant way. I want to make sure the ripples I send out into the community, my family, and our global family are rooted in love and goodness. What are you sending out into the world with your choices and what do you want to send out into the world? Is what you want and what you do congruent?
So acknowledge all forms of anger; hate, rage or desire for retaliation. Be curious about the emotions it is covering up for you as a way of protecting you from pain.
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Acknowledging our emotions is healthy. Rage, hate, and violence are expressions of anger and anger is always a second emotion, covering up one that is much more painful like fear. Fear of not being safe, worthy, abandonment, the absence of love, etc. So acknowledge all forms of anger; hate, rage or desire for retaliation. Be curious about the emotions it is covering up for you as a way of protecting you from pain. It is this kind of self-inquiry that prevents us from getting stuck in the fear and anger. Talk to someone if you need to. Ask the anger or fear what it is protecting you from. Meditate on the question. There are so many ways to do this; through stillness, focusing on the breath, in motion on a walk or on a bike, creating in some art form, through dance, song or music, and prayer.
We do this so we can transform our anger and fear into more love, compassion and forgiveness and so we may heal the things inside of us that need healing. Let this tragedy be for something, let it bring us together to display the best of our humanity today and every day forward.
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Photo: Getty Images
What a great struggle of almost a metaphysical dualism on the continuum spectrum between idealism and reality, in that what we believe IS reality. Given that, as you say, everything has energy, our ability to turn our thoughts and prayers into a purposeful act sheds hope on our global future, for those of us who want and need to practice love. Remarkable article, Carrie!
This is the post I wish I could have sat down to write this weekend. All the sabre rattling I have been reading about just fills me with dismay as that is what has got us to this point in the first place. A different way is needed and following those who promote “love, compassion, accountability and contribution” seems worthy of our consideration. The family members of the victims of ‘Jihadi John’ showed us the way earlier in the week – refusing to revel in his killing, but rather wishing that he could have been held to account for his… Read more »