Examining Our Role in the Israel — Palestine Conflict
Everyone is supposed to have an opinion on this matter, but I believe in something different —grief, peace, love, prayer — not that my opinion really matters.
As an American observing this conflict from a distance, I can only do my best to learn about this conflict and to empathize with humans on the other side of the globe. I am incredibly grateful for safety, security, and peace we often take for granted here in America. My mind, body, and spirit cannot fully grasp what it is like to live in the middle of war.
My heart breaks for families on both sides and I do not know enough about this prolonged conflict to comfortably speak on the topic. I am fully aware that my opinion really does not matter in the grand scheme of things, but I do believe I can help us think about this conflict from a different perspective and examine our role as fellow humans no matter who we are or where we come from.
Let me explain…
As news and media force and compel audiences to pick a side in this fight, I want to believe that our role can be something different and something better. Do we really think that making uninformed or poorly informed but highly emotive opinions on social media will solve this issue? Obviously it will not. So why are we being constantly compelled and politically pressured to pick a side?
We live in a hyper-politicized society today. Propagated by the fact that we are led by global news organizations and war-machine enthusiasts making way too many decisions at the top. The role of any leader in a time of need is critically important for the future trajectory of the people looking for direction, purpose, and a sense of security.
The decisions they take and actions they make directly impact the current and future state of the nation and its people. Generations upon generations will retell those stories in oral history to their families and friends — whether they be marked by courage and wisdom or by fear, pain, and heartache.
There is no doubt that both people groups in Palestine and in Israel are suffering. All of human suffering — and all of creation for that matter — causes our souls to grief unnecessary loss of life. I’m sure you’ve seen some news headlines or maybe even a few video clips that have provoked your emotions in one direction or another.
That’s precisely what they are designed to do. Within a few short seconds, news headlines and video clips are cast to catch your attention and evoke a specific emotion as a result.
Please, if you take nothing else from this story today, guard your heart against the ways in which all forms of media and messaging will inevitably be propagandizing to people groups around the world.
Be mindful of the marketing and messaging of ideas. Interrogate your own closely held beliefs to explore why you clench them so tight and perhaps relax a little bit as you open your mind and heart to the potential for new ideas and fresh frameworks for seeing the world around you.
What I know is this, above all else we ought to long for peace in the Middle East. These traumas have persisted for far too long. As unresolved traumas in our own individual lives restrain us to pain and prevent us from peace, the same can be said true about larger nation states in geo-political wars. What we see today is a long-lasting cycle of trauma and heartache that’s never been fully healed.
These matters are not simple. I would ponder that none of us could know the full depth and breadth of this issue and its history in the lives of the people in Palestine and Israel.
We ought to pray for brothers and sisters across this region whose history is so tattered and battered by unresolved conflicts that go back hundreds to thousands of years. Our hearts should break for the families of the innocent on both sides. These are people too.
They are just like us, simply striving to love each other and live each day to take care of who and what they can. They are us, and we are them.
You see, across the globe, despite what standard news and media may tell you, most people really want the same things at the end of the day. We are humans and we share similar intrinsic motivations and innate natural needs.
In America, we are founded upon principles that supposedly suggest that all men and women are created equal. In fact, when we as humans from across the world have a chance to tap into our collective consciousness, we begin to realize that we really are not so different after all.
Humans Need Love
Simply put, we want love, we need love, and we fulfill our divine purpose by loving others as we actively fulfill their own needs too.
Of course, many systems and structures of society make it complex and much more difficult to achieve, but at our core this is what we all want. In essence, in this existential reality we are unified. These invisible truths transcend boundary lines of border wars and span the globe in delight in moments where humans from different regions of the world, race, religion, culture, and tradition share a genuine smile or an unexpected chuckle with one another.
When we lead with love, we win. When we love each other deeply, our love guards our hearts away from anger, hostility, and rage. If we can all strive for the highest calling of love in this life, we can each enjoy the splendor of self-sacrifice and sufficient blessings. If we can love each other, we can protect each other.
When common language barriers thwart progress towards any hope for unified understanding, our shared language of love pierces through.
I bet you’ve even experienced this for yourself. The rush of blood flow throughout the body, the rise of dopamine and serotonin, and release of endorphins that occurs when we share an unexpected enchanted experience with a stranger is written in our DNA. This is part of our beautiful existence, that we can spark moments of bliss just by interacting with other fellow humans in an earnest and positive light.
Getting Metaphysical for a Moment
Welcome to Grounded💡- a place for my letters written from a deeper place, metaphysical if you will; What you can expect from Grounded: Learnings through a lens of faith, philosophy, love, and belonging. Ideas on life, health, humanity, spiritual experiences, prayer, and more.
In a world that can feel forever filled with pain, I believe it becomes imperatively important for us to strive for love and take strides to live life in the light. Our pain is inescapable but when humans live life as a light and lead with love it makes this life so much more bearable and even meaningfully beautiful despite the challenges we each must face.
Your pain may indeed be different than mine — and my pain may be different than yours or any other stranger’s — but in a sense our pain is the same. We are more similar than we are different and I believe we can come together in collective wisdom and understanding to love even when, and especially when, we are in pain.
As I’m sure many of us are trying to learn more about this issue and discover what our place is in the debate, I want to call us into something deeper, something better as fellow humans, as we continue to follow the latest developments in this story — and others — that can easily aggravate our peace in life.
This is what I believe to be true…
Peace should be our priority, first and foremost.
The following words will never get us there: revenge, avenge, vengeance
Anger is often a secondary emotion to mask sorrow and heartache.
Anger can feel like power but fails to lead us to peace out of conflict
History, conflict, and all of these emotions and chaos are very complicated. Unresolved traumas are complicated.
We live in a time where media & culture push us into ideological islands that fuel our rage & keep us separated from true peace & community.
It’s okay to grieve & cry & pray without picking sides in times of war.
We mustn’t let the chaos out there prevent us from finding love & peace in here.
Love & Forgiveness & Trust are the foundation of any peaceful relationship.
May we not let yet another conflict cause us to further divide us as a collective consciousness striving for peace & love in our life & the lives of others.
I believe humans have the potential to be bearers of light & love in this life — I would hate for that to be missed by means of propaganda & misunderstandings. ~ Love You All 💙
Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!
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