Photo by GDJ on pixabay |
As we slowly move towards acceptance in this country we are
faced with something that is so unacceptable as to bring us to the brink of
deep frustration, anger and even hatred.
I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed and find myself
roiling in an emotional storm. I oscillate between tears of anger and tears of
sadness. I tumble in befuddlement. I’m drawn into drama, following words that
are blows.
Then I step back. I watch the fight and see beyond it. We
will not, cannot accept one another. Right, left, people of color, people of a
certain religious persuasion, background, culture, sexual orientation, gender, when did we become “other”
to one another? When did the shade get drawn against our common humanity? When
did we forget our common Divinity?
The unacceptable has happened is happening and has been for
quite some time. It’s not just children being separated from parents. It’s hateful actions or guns
raised in fear and anger upon one another for no other reason than being black,
Hispanic or just someone who we fear. Our fear has turned to rage. It is
killing us.
But here we are. We can’t accept this and yet we must if we
are to reclaim our hearts. The unacceptable is happening. We cannot deny it any
longer. Many of us have not denied it, but we may have turned the perpetrators
into “other” in order to release some of the pain. But this only turns into
blind rage. If we are to see clearly, we must accept not only what is happening
but those souls who are engaged in the unacceptable. There are no monsters
here. We must not dehumanize others for in that act we dehumanize ourselves.
As we continue on the path of acceptance, and I have faith
that we will, our horizons will broaden. We will begin to see the path that can
lead us to healing. Courage will replace rage. Love will replace fear. When the
dust settles we’ll look around and know the damage we have done because we’ll finally
see the broken hearts and know they are ours. Only then will they finally beat
as one. Only then will we finally know who we truly are, expressions of the
beauty of Life Itself.