Solidarity with French Victims of Fear and Hatred

[Ted Craven]

I wish to express my deep sadness and empathy with Parisians who lost their lives and who suffered at the hands of those who only understand hatred and fear. We are all of us connected in some way to ALL human beings on the planet, and others' suffering should somehow cause us to feel those connecting bonds (however faint they may sometimes seem) reaching through to us, just as those same bonds often deliver us joy and happiness.

At the same time, the response to hatred and fear cannot be merely ... more hatred and fear, can it? The way forward out of such a never-ending cycle may be more nuanced than we human beings have the wisdom and depth to accomplish right now. And I think this thought troubles me most of all.

I am convinced that ALL of humanity, encompassing ALL religions, cultures and spiritual values dare not permit to continue the blackness of ghastly human confusion we saw in Paris and see daily coming from occupied lands in the Middle East, just like we once dared not permit Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan to exist. But the collective rousing of the world's peoples during World War II and the terrible ensuing sacrifice required in the response - changed the world from what it was, and surely for the better, though at GREAT price. The true benefits have been realized perhaps only after a generation or so and the fading of much grief.

Just like we would not permit an infestation of mice in our town, or poison in our water, or an ebola-like virus to spread unchecked - YET, we do not carry vengeance or hatred in our hearts when addressing these kinds of scourges: we simply rouse ourselves, spend our resources, mobilize our forces and get the job done. ISIS, or ISIL, or whatever - being on the wrong side of history even to the vast majority of their fellow Muslims - must be eradicated by efforts of the entire human community and not the least by a lead from other Muslim nations, but again, my fear is that if this task is undertaken with the same echo of hatred and response to fear as demonstrated by the perpetrators themselves -- then the cycle will NOT stop.

I expect that the idea of 'compassionate force' is too much to ask from politicians and humanity in general right now. Force as in: many (MANY) boots on the ground, planes in the air; and compassion as in an equal number of doctors, teachers and billions of aid dollars and political inducements to quarreling neighbouring Muslim countries to co-operate to serve the occupied populations of Syria and Iraq. No amount of bombs can change the minds and hearts of those who currently cause so much grief and suffering. One way or the other, I think we ALL (all humans) must become somehow engaged in a solution involving not only force to eradicate those whose minds cannot ever be changed away from hatred, but also in convincing first ourselves and then our leaders that love and compassion should be EQUALLY applied to this terrible human calamity in support of those innocent peoples who just like us, only want to live and love God and raise their families in peace. Or else we will soon enough find that 'far away' conflict knocking at our own front door, just like our brothers and sisters in Paris.

Thank you all for allowing me these words. I am just trying to figure out how to respond to this in my own heart, which troubles me deeply.



Ted

[Ted Craven]

The Well of Grief

Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief

turning down to its black water
to the place that we can not breathe

will never know
the source from which we drink
the secret water cold and clear

nor find in the darkness
the small gold coins
thrown by those who wished for something else

~ David Whyte ~

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