Hearts As One

While historic hurricanes and earthquakes have ravaged the landscape and deeply affected the people in and around the United States the last month or so, the Nation has been wrought with internal strife that doesn’t seem to ease.  Whether racial, political or economic, the factions that have evolved in our country seem to get further apart every day.   

Typically, I avoid discussing controversies online, preferring to focus on subjects that bring people together. Recently, however, a kind-hearted family member asked my personal thoughts on what she was seeing on the news. I shared a portion of the following and thought I’d do the same here.

My personal belief is that much of what we’re experiencing in America can be traced back to an erosion of a simple value we seem to have lost in our society: Respect.  Not only must we respect each other, but I also believe some inanimate things should be respected regardless of your personal views. I would include any society’s sacred symbols (national flags, anthems, etc.), religious symbols and scriptures, and other objects that may hold importance to others, like grave sites and monuments.  

If I offended someone by accidentally disrespecting their religious beliefs or their country's flag, I would be mortified. Thus, I would never even think to do so deliberately--even if the country is my own; because I know that, regardless of my personal views, there are many of my fellow Americans who hold deep feelings for those symbols.

Which brings me to the specific example cited by my family member: NFL players refusing to stand for the National Anthem.  For me, the decision is bigger than the flag or even the tradition of standing for the National Anthem. It's a matter of respecting my fellow beings. That said, I understand that many don't feel the same way I do. I respect their right to act as they please.  It doesn't make me angry, but rather it makes me sad that we all can't find less offensive and more productive ways of resolving our differences. Too many on all sides want to be "right" and make the "other side" listen by causing emotional or physical discomfort to gain public attention. That's what many protests have become.

Over the centuries, religious leaders from all faiths have taught us to patiently work out our differences with love and mutual respect. Here are some examples:

Christianity

"Blessed  are  those  who  choose  to  love  rather than  hate.    Blessed  are  those who forgive rather than trying to get even. Blessed are those who seek God’s face in others rather than naming them enemies. Blessed are those who protect creeds, cultures,  doctrines  and  lifestyles  not  their  own.  Blessed  are  those  who  don’t  fear every  stranger  or  are  immediately  suspicious  of  those  who  are  different.  Blessed are those who see the world and others with God’s eyes and act with God’s heart."  
--Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor

Islam

“Humankind is besieged with all sorts of conflicts. But instead of dealing them through peaceful means, we are often faced with its Darwinian resolution… the powerful resort to force and impose their will on the weak. But while this mechanism may apply to others of God's creation, it does not work for Homo Sapiens: Because we are endowed with a moral sense, which overshadows all our behavior. This moral dilemma requires tackling the underlying problem adequately. And unless it is tackled properly, the conflict persists: It does not go away and comes back in myriad forms, becoming ever more pernicious.”

--SirajI. Mufti, Ph.D.

Buddhism

“The reality today is that we are all interdependent and have to co-exist on this small planet. Therefore, the only sensible and intelligent way of resolving differences and clashes of interests, whether between individuals or nations, is through dialogue.... Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.”

--the Dalai Lama

Last year I had a heart attack.  As you’d expect, it was a shock to me in ways that I’m still only beginning to understand.  The fear of another cardiac event led me to try to adopt a better lifestyle, both physically and emotionally. I lost some weight, started walking more and have learned to resolve the aches and pains of daily life with far less over-the-counter medications.  As a result, I feel better and I’m on a much better health track going forward, though I look back on my early life and regret not adopting those better habits sooner. Not only could I have enjoyed life more, I may have spared my body some life-shortening damage along the way.

Life in our country (and on our planet) has its problems, and the threats to our well-being—whether natural or man-made—seem to come from every direction. But we know it could get a lot worse—even disastrous. Like the health scare that changed my behavior, I hope it doesn’t take a massive national or global crisis of some kind to finally pull us all together as human beings.

Instead, let’s start now and enjoy the peace and happiness that comes from respecting each other. My hope is that we can soon find a way to think about each other and respect each other to the point that protests are replaced with celebrations.

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