Our Interconnectedness Should be our Strength.
As I’m writing this, the war in Iran is raging, as are the tempers of some world leaders. It’s not pretty, it’s not pleasant, and it’s not new.
The war in the Middle East has been going on for some time now, and someone who is far cleverer than I would be able to give you the dates, whys and wherefores.
Once upon a time, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said ‘There’s nothing I can do about it’ and ’It’s not my problem’.
This time, however, it’s different; it’s personal, it does affect me, and I know that it is my problem. I feel this pain and connectedness every time I hand over my little bit of square plastic with the 16 magic numbers at the petrol station
I am deeply, deeply sorry that this war is happening, and while I snore loudly in my comfy bed in Western Victoria, others have their tenuous shelter blasted to bits. They cry themselves to sleep, mourning those whom they love and miss. They are hungry at night and live in fear each day.
This particular war has taught us that every war is everyone’s problem. We are all interconnected. We are all responsible for each other. It is our problem, and while there seems little we can do to extinguish the flames of retribution and revenge on an international scale, back here in our community, we can live peaceably in ways of forgiveness and compassion. We can bind up scars with bandages of caring. We can pour the balm of a listening silence onto those whose wounds are hidden from us. We can wipe away tears.. softly. We can be gentle with ourselves. It is our problem after all. We are interconnected, and this should be our strength.