As I watch the images of Gaza, I am flooded with a myriad of different emotions. You see people fleeing for fear of their lives. We are bombarded with images of explosions and mass destruction. More importantly, I see images of mothers crying for their children. I see families separated and torn apart. I see bloodshed and innocent lives lost. The death toll is now over 500.
I had the opportunity to speak to a young man that I mentor in Palestine, and he is frightened. Every day he fears for his safety and his life. Right outside his back door he is reminded of the hostile situation around him. I check on him every day, and all I can do is offer my prayers and encouragement to him. I try to empathize with him; however, the reality is that I am not living the nightmare that he and his family are living. They are constantly living in a state of fear and panic not knowing what will happen next. What I know is that nobody wins in war. War brings division and division brings displacement. War is detrimental to humanity. In fact, war leads to the deterioration of humanity. War ravages the world. War produces seeds of revenge and resentment. How do we maintain perspective in a moment of peril? How do we raise our consciousness in the midst of crisis? We must never forget that the goal is not retaliation but resolution.
Most wars are birthed out of disagreement. Disagreement presents us with the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue. The desire to be right is the greatest hindrance to resolution. Wars are waged out of our desire to be heard. Massacres occur because both sides want to prove that they matter. What we fail to understand is that in our attempt to voice our concern no one is vindicated. Yet, after the casualties and crossfire of battle nobody is right. We see devastation of communities and nations. The residue of war is eternal. War does not produce justice. The product of war is wounds and sorrow. The price of war is the piercing of hearts with deep wounds. Precious lives are lost in pursuit of liberty. Liberty at the expense of another's freedom is social genocide. Liberty that infringes on the liberty of another is lethal. Hostility cannot produce harmony.
I believe that liberty is a fundamental human right. We should never engage in combat without counting up the cost. We must never sacrifice future generations for the sake of standing our ground. If we fight for anything we must fight for freedom. Philosophies create the perils of the world. Maintaining consciousness in this moment of crisis requires contemplation. Contemplation raises our level of consciousness and reminds us that we are all connected. Our power is in our partnership. Oneness will always accomplish more than opposition. The enemy doesn't pay in war. The entire planet pays for war. You cannot expect to end injustice at the expense of innocent lives. Any battle fought that does not contribute to the conservation of humanity is futile. Let us always fight with purpose and fight for peace. When we raise our consciousness we realize that we are our brother's keeper. In other words, your true heart is revealed through your treatment of humanity. You cannot sow war and reap peace. War does not move us forward but backwards. A life for a life will always equal loss. The power of humanity is demonstrated through the patience of humanity. The patience of humanity is what leads to the progress of humanity. The resolution of peace requires the right perspective. In this moment let us raise our consciousness and realize that war will not heal the world. Healing the world requires harmony.