Last week in the grocery store I couldn’t help overhearing a loud discussion two women were having about politics. I guess this is true in other places also, but folks here in Wyoming love to discuss politics. Or, more accurately, argue about politics.
Anyway, one woman was describing to the other a heated political argument she’d recently had with someone. She said she ended the argument by hurling out what I guess she intended to be an insult: “You liberals are all alike!”
John Cali
Anyone with any common sense knows such blanket statements are almost always grossly inaccurate at best and inflammatorily hateful at worst. Yet we hear them often. For example:
“All Republicans are right-wing wackos.” (If you’re a Democrat.)
“All Democrats are left-wing wackos.” (If you’re a Republican.)
“All Germans in World War 2 were Nazis.” (If you weren’t German.)
“All Muslims today are terrorists.” (If you’re not Muslim.)
“All Protestants are going to hell.” (If you’re Catholic.)
“All Catholics think they’re the only ones going to heaven.” (If you’re Protestant.)
And on and on ad nauseam.
Those attitudes only separate us further instead of uniting us.
While everyone is free to say whatever he or she wants, this brand of polarity contributes to the wounding of the world and does nothing to promote the peace we all say we want.
Here’s Spirit.
Spirit
As John said, you all — or most of you — say you want world peace. We do not doubt you sincerely do want peace on earth. But, from our perspective, what many of you want is conditional peace. That is, peace on your terms, not anyone else’s.
Herein lies the challenge for most humans. And it doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about peace between two individuals, two countries, two groups, or among all peoples on the planet.
Each of you, individually and en masse, often think your path to peace is the only path.
Yet that is so contradictory to what real peace is. Real peace, friends, is total acceptance and unconditional love for all with whom you share your lives, all with whom you share your planet.
To approach others (individuals, nations, ethnic groups, religions, etc.) different from you with hatred and hostility will never produce peace on earth.
Yet this is what we see you often doing with your brothers and sisters.
You are polarizing the planet, not unifying it. Only in abandoning polarity will you ever find peace.
You abandon polarity first by remembering how to love yourselves unconditionally. Abandon the polarity within yourselves. Each of you individually have divided yourselves into “good” and “bad” parts. You pit those parts against one another. For example, you talk about your egos and your higher selves as if they are separate, polarized.
They are not.
You talk about other humans, other countries, other religions, etc., as if they are separate, polarized.
They are not.
See the oneness in yourselves. See the oneness in all humans. See the oneness in all that is.
Only then will polarity and separation wither and die. Only then will peace and love thrive and live.
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