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being edited, return please
*Brian Wilcox. 'She Who Is Compassionate - Kuan Yin'
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"Reconcile," literally, "to make friendly again." This is possible, for being friendly is our natural condition? This entails being friendly toward other persons, other creatures, ourselves each, and the Sacred, our Friend?
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Early in life, as a child, I heard the word "reconciliation" in the Scritpure of my native faith. One of these passages, 2 Corinthians 5.19, has "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself . . .," or "reconciling the world to Himself in Christ." Many wisdom paths say the same thing, whether stated in religious or nonreligious langauge. These are saying, "Something we are all apart of is working to bring us together, to reunite us with one another, with Nature."
Today, more than even before, I find "reconciliation" most lovely as a word and a reality; it resonates a beauty I cannot put into words. Possibly, "reconciliation" echoes within me, for it speaks to me of love, joy, and hope: the beauty of companionship in a world of fragmentation and hostilities, and amid persons and nations trying to outdo, undo, or dominate others.
Yet, thankfully, this word speaks to me, also, of the peace and harmony that live within many persons, those who are beings of peace in a world of strife. These beings embody peace, most quietly, most will never be known but by a few. They live reconciliation, for they are reconciled to and by Life. They are like magnets of peace. Most of these you will never see march or protest, for that is not their purpose on Earth. They are here to be what Earth is crying out for us all to become. These beings know that without peace within, harmony within, such cannot be without, and if it were to be gained without, it would revert to the former, for only peace can sustain peace. These are the minority, a much needed minority. They cannot fight for peace, for they have no fight in them: "Those who live by the sword [i.e., aggression, war, hostility, violence], these die by the sword."
What can be more beautiful than that which is naturally to live in harmony and grace, to return into that peace, so love? This writing looks at this beauty of reconciliation from varied angles, including the need for harmony with Nature as a whole.
And, writing during the COVID-19 pandemic, reconciliation and its need we see all around. We see the hostilities and politicization of this pandemic for selfish, economic, and political party advantages. We see the corruption of governmental leaders who do not have the best interests of the people at heart or in mind, partly for leaders have lost their souls to power, money, and privilege. We see national news that propagate lies at the expense of the deaths of citizens who trust them to provide truth, not lies, or speak what goverment leadership wish, even when it violates the best of science and scientist trying to protect human lives. We see the nobodies, the socially powerless, among them minorities of low income, suffering hunger and joblessness, while the haves and those in national leadership funnel money away from families and small businesses to big corporations. Yet, we see the best of humanity, also, as persons demonstrate, many at the risk of their lives, that we are one, and we are who we are, not apart, not in opposition to one another, but together. The pandemic has highlighted the extremes of selfishness and self-giving. This hightlights the need for reconciliation, when it is not about you, me, anyone, but about us, about Life, Nature, not merely humans.
Here, I attempt to be inclusive in what I write. The writing brings together varied sources. One can view this work like a room with windows on all sides, an invitation to look again and again at the same subject, from slighly different, and, at times, previous, windows. I am hopeful the message will inspire one to reflect on our times as times not for despair, but of hope, that reconciliation can arise from the ashes of loss and provide us a new and better future as one. And, while that might seem too much to hope for, is it not true that one act or thought of reconciliation is itself a step in that direction and an act of Grace in itself, regardless of whether or not we ever reach some ideal of world peace? There may never be a world at peace on Earth; in fact, we may end up destroying ourselves by our lack of frienship and respect for Nature and ourselves. Yet, regardless, I do believe we can live closer to that ideal of peace among all by choosing to be peace, and for one to choose to be peace means the world will be a better and safer place for us all to live.
Continued... |
