A Fingerprint of Human Compassion

Sep

Impromptu Letters | Belief, Compassion, Quran burning, Voice

Recent news items have brought to light the erratic nature in which a minor religious player has deemed it necessary to draw a line in the sand on American soil. Offensive notions should never overshadow the common good.

We can ill afford to trust the one who holds his hand out in the name of God without first asking why his hands always seem so empty. He who asks for a commitment of the human soul had better step forth and allow others into the fold before the window to his own soul is opened in a less than grand reveal. If we worship an invalid interpretation of what it means to be compassionate we turn to the ego and mask our separatist ideology in a market where marketing does not belong.

Our world view can never be dominated by the acts of a lone wolf in sheep’s clothing.

In this myopic view, the adversary and the victor are one in the same. In truth, if love for another fellow human being exists there is never a victor, and so there is no need to request a victory. If we address an audience with the sole purpose to refute, we bring with it the promise of standoffs, trade-offs and tariffs. This act does not stem from one who values all human life; this is the unmistakable shade of pretense requesting the hollow victory of an ego that less than eloquently requires an immediate platform.

One always arouses suspicion when one calls for action while pitting one against the other. Who in their right mind would ask for an audience, while at the same time admit there is only one possible outcome prior to a meeting? The only one who would commit this act is the one who has reason to believe there is only one voice that is of value in the decision making process. This is not the voice of reason, love, care or compassion; it is an atypical voice feeding on mixed fear, complicity and past violence, none of which are associated with wisdom. This is the voice of an unfortunate soul misguided by the notion his isolated voice exceeds that of others.

Do not to fall prey to those who offer you a home and deny that relationship, a similar space to your neighbour.

There is no place in society, modern or otherwise for segregation due to race, religion or belief. Rise above. Ask yourself if the shoe were on the other foot and your voice needed a home, would you not care to live in an environment that claims to give that voice an equal footing? If not, then perhaps democratic values sway to meet your purpose. If we come to the table with predetermined victories we return home bereft of spiritual value. We sleep alone with the single condolence of one, our ego. If one wins another loses. This is not the voice of equanimity; it is the voice of slander purporting to protect a flock that does not share the unattended voice. Lightning bolts will not fall from the sky for the musings of such a misguided voice.

We must always be careful who we lend our voice to and who we take sides with. Why is there a need to take sides and broker in the first place? When we begin to amass an audience, we need to ensure a humble nature remains intact to the extreme. Are we listening to the greater good, a world full of human souls or the outward appearance of selfish indignation? Who matches our words against our actions if we do not speak out and denounce the absurd? We in fact do this ourselves. Fear has no place in the practical spirituality of daily living. It would be a crime if we allowed such a voice to be granted even a momentary audience.

If a perfect stranger asked for a drink of water what would your response be?

If you hold out a glass to them, then care to hold your head high. If you listened to another who questioned where that person came from, what their name was or any other detail, then you allowed your soul to be measured by the opinion of someone who measures caring by controlling, nothing more. Do not deny your ability to witness what we have in common. Everyone needs a home to pray, love, heal and gather. If someone asks you to relocate, they surely ask you to relinquish the home of your beliefs and your values. For the meantime they ask you to move the bridge and censure a wider gap so that in fact the gap could once again increase in their favour.

Do yourself a favour, start asking why we need to expand the gap.

How will it enable you to love another human as much as you do yourself? And most importantly, will it create a will of kindness among others who witness your actions or will it hinder them? Never counter an attack beneath the need to change an opinion. Instead, turn around and offer a glass of water to those in need. That is the topic worthy of more air time.