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Brian Wilcox 'Stream through the Wood'
I penned this writing during the uprisings across the United States and, now, in other countries, after the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This writing briefly explores the need to embrace the natural ways we may divide and diversify, while our innate nature remains one of belonging together. Any prejudice against another person or a group is simply against our nature as human beings, a violation of the dignity of the other and ourselves. In such prejudice, the one acting in prejudice harms self in violating her or his own self. Racism, for example, harms the racist and the one she or he is racist against. Nondual spirituality addresses this in affirming oneness precedes diversity. Oneness is that which holds together the diversity, so that diversity does not splinter into disharmony. Diversity rests on oneness, being secondary to it. That we are different can be honored most in recognizing our differences are reflections of our unity. For example, one might have black skin and another white skin, both reflections of one humanity. We need, then, to heal disunity by returning to unity, not merely fighting against disunity. The final solution is to return to our belonging, not to fight among ourselves due to our differences and disagreements. The final solution is a spiritual one - not religious, strictly speaking - but of-our-spirit and the one Spirit - , yet, that does not mean other means are not needed, such as changes in the justice system, education in diversity senstivity, and political action that addresses systemic racism. We can each participate in this healing, for it begins with us each, especially as we are receptive to open our heart more and more to the Love that is our only hope for healing and harmony.
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Even if I do not belong with you in some way, I belong with you - that is okay, I am not an outsider, I cannot be, you are not an insider, you cannot be; that is the way of the Way. We still belong, for belonging means together, not in some way but the heart.
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That we are one in the heart, means we seek to express this in our relationships, persons with persons, and in communities. This natural proclivity of welcoming is witnessed to, in our experiences and feelings, as our natural way of being:
There is a persistent strain in the human spirit that rejects the experience of isolation as being alien to its genius.
*Howard Thurman. Meditations of the Heart.
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