If you look at what is behind the pressure to obliterate diversity and inclusion, you will find only fear...miles and miles...eons and epochs... of fear. The threat of losing power, control, safety and privilege is a strong motivator to undermining the opening of a heart to accepting new ideas, concepts and beliefs.
Few people want to admit they are scared. Instead they put their belief in things that make promises of safety, control and superiority like guns, money and a benevolent afterlife given under qualifying conditions. These things cannot care and protect us from anything real. These things are powerless because they rely on fear to thrive and exist. They can only cultivate more fear. We live in a time where fear has become the gross national product of our nation (the USA). What is more, we are all invested in the GNP via our participation in a system that requires that we be afraid if only to keep up appearances. To not drag this fear around is to not be patriotic, an activist and to be of questionable value socially. So much for the land of the brave. Relating to someone's feelings of fear for the sake of implied sensitivity, relatedness and comfort by saying, "Oh! I understand! I'm scared, too!" is not kind. It is just easy and it simply feeds the beast by supporting disempowerment. We must try harder at strengthening our resolve to love and walk our talk with what we know is right. Shoring up courage by being a steadying hand is what is kind. Remind those who are afraid that you can hold courage for them until they get their legs and their hearts back.
Hafiz speaks here of being careful of how leaders want to homogenize human experience and sterilize it in the name of safety from what they deem sinister and a threat...in other words: change. Many dogmas make promises that they cannot - and have no intention in - keeping.
...Burn
Every address
Of God...
If our God is perceived in only one way and does not value diversity and inclusion we will always be defending it and divided by it because we are not all the same and we all have something of value to share. Choosing spiritual affiliations is as critical as choosing what food to eat to sustain our health. Both of these things deeply effect our daily living.
Thank you for listening.
Serge Quadrado Music https://pixabay.com/music/world-muslim-way-181261/
Music: In the more tender time of the 1970's, the songs flying through the air carried a hope that few can muster these days when it comes to peace. We are now deep in division in ourselves and our perception of the world. Here Marvin Gaye sings What's Going On? like he wants an honest answer. A prayer is a prayer, however, so here is a bit of MoTown soul to strengthen a person to choosing love and courage over fear. It really is our daily decision.
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz (including an addendum regarding the authenticity of these poems) can be found here. Also, my thoughts on this series a year into these poems, HERE.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.
My book can be purchased HERE. E-book HERE. The Season Two blogcasts with audio excerpts from my book begin HERE: in Behind The Lines. This reading of the book excerpts in a mixed media format is Season Two of this blog. These recorded excerpts are outside the chronological order in which the book was written. Podcasts with audio only beginning with episode 22 can be found HERE.
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