Reflecting the Polarization of our World.
War divides people into the passionate pro’s and the ardent con’s. Instead of coming together and exploring unity, most of us stand together with those with whom we agree, and find it hard or even impossible understand those with whom we are not aligned. In so doing we become divided. Separated by our pain, our hurt, our righteousness and our logic.
War comes out of one thing and one thing only. Judgment. We judge the other to be wrong and we judge ourselves to be right. And on a deeper level, war is simply an externalizing of the conflict within ourselves. War comes out of our blind belief in our own thoughts and opinions. When we leave no room for uncertainty when we refuse to question ourselves, when we are convinced we are right, we become convicts, prisoners in our own narrow life. You may say, “I have no war within me.” You may say, ” I am a peaceful soul who wants only to live and let live.” And yet if we staunchly believe this perspective it divides us again into them and us.
As long as we are here, alive and sharing this world with each other we will come up with struggles and problems that call for resolutions. Let’s look for a moment at our feelings around any conflict in our lives at present. It may be with a friend, family member or a group of people. It may be with our own government, or a war waging on the other side of our planet. If you believe one side to be right and the other side to be wrong, if you feel stressed or angry, about any situation, I suggest the conflict on the outside is simply reflecting the conflict we hold on the inside.
How do we resolve the conflicts around our planet? We can’t. Well not instantly. All we can do is address the conflicts that emerge in our own lives. The world is a mirror image of what we have not healed within ourselves and as long as we believe we are right and they are wrong, we continue to stoke the fire of war within. Inner work, questioning every belief and value we have, opening ourselves to hear that which is uncomfortable or even unpleasant can bring us closer a place of inner peace.
One small exercise that can make a big difference.
Sit for 5 minutes everyday and surround the world with pure white light. Imagine the world covered by a net, and ignite each intersection of the net with light, allowing the light to flow around the world, without focusing on one particular place. Once you see the whole World ignited by this white light, seal it with Love. A prayer, a poem, a beautiful image.