December 2014

We are two weeks away from celebrating the birth of a man of peace, a man who came to lead us to new ways of thinking about our fellow human beings. Yet in our dark streets we curse the darkness, fear our neighbors and justify inhumane treatment of strangers, people we do not know but fear threats they might be to our existence.

Where is the humanity, the morality in declarations that inhumane, immoral treatment of those who differ is justified? At home and abroad we as Americans deny the very things we hold most dear. Every time we condone the killing of an innocent, every time we torture an enemy, every time we deny fellow humans the dignity they deserve we destroy the essence that will make us great and noble.

Our history is replete with atrocious acts, with cruel inhumane treatment of those presumed to be different. We have recognized that inhumanity, the atrocity and do attempt to make things right. For a time we move toward a better, more equitable community. Progress is made, women, people of different nationalities, ethnicity, color, gender identification are recognized as equal partners in our social group – for a time.

Then events crash upon us; we panic; our fears take hold; we turn against one another. As we bash those we should respect, attack those with whom we should seek peace, our very way of life crumbles around us. We become those people we most fear, doing the things we find most despicable and we lose our humanity.

In Ferguson, Staten Island, Cleveland, Berkeley, we gather to protest but turn violent, destroying the very people we want to help, we want to heal. Torch the cars; burn out the merchants; grab those goods we so much covet; tear gas the rioters, smash the punks, attack the bystanders, shoot them with rubber or real bullets. We don’t care, they are violent animals, berserk symbols of oppressive authority; mindless members of a rabid mob.

But then, then, a glimmer of hope, of morality, of humanity shines through. A police chief and his officers join the crowd to stand peacefully, quietly on the sideline showing they do care, all lives are valuable. However, even then some see the actions as a disservice, as violating their oath, as going over to the other side. These partially blind do see the rightness of the action and humbly come over, we hope that they are indeed changed, moved to see the folly of their original position.

Listen to those who are different, those who cry out for justice. Hear what they have to say, try to feel their pain, their ambition, their hopes for a future, their idea of a full and humane life. Take the time <ento act, to believe, to live a life of peace and equity, rejoicing in our differences, how those differences and variation actually complement one another, move us to a stronger, differentiated whole.

For all let there be Peace, let there be Celebration of our Uniqueness and our Unity.