I find myself thinking today about something I find myself thinking about often, and this is Israel, and her struggle for peace. The struggle for peace, and the struggle within myself to find some way to reconcile my love for the land and people Israel with my desire for peace. Wholeness. Sanity.
And I'm agonizing, as I often do, over the fact that this desire sometimes puts me at odds with others (others whom I yet love - kol Israel arevim zeh b'zeh) who seem at times not to be able to look past polemics and anger and rage and self-righteousness, and see the possibility for hope. I know that there are other things that must be looked past too - I'm not unaware that there is also fear, disgust, pain, anguish, grieving, and determination. I know what is at stake. I know why you are angry, I know why you fight hard, stay strong, lift your chin in pride and resilience. I know.
I am thinking of a visiting lecture last year from Amos Oz. Two things have brought his words and ideas to my mind - the current (seemingly intractable) division of our own United States as highlighted by the recent election, and Mr. Arafat's impending death.
Mr. Oz spoke of fanaticism as being the antithesis of peace. He said - and I may be quoting, as I'm taking this directly from my notes on the lecture (though it wasn't necessary - the words landed like a rock in my chest and resonated there for days...):
Moderates must come forward to dominate the scene in order to contain their societies' fanatics. He spoke of compromise (not to be confused with capitulation) being synonymous with life. He said that the opposite of compromise is not integrity or idealism, but rather it is fanaticism and death. He said that fanaticism is bred of hopelessness and despair, and that moderation can be encouraged by the injection of hope.
Hope. Not despair.
I know I'm not alone in believing that there must be hope. I know I'm not alone in wanting to find a way past the anger and vitriol and bitterness and defensiveness. I know that we must assure our security. I know that we must assure our right to exist. But we will never achieve these things if we continue to hate and despair, rather than look within ourselves to find love, and hope.
I just cannot bring myself to accept the idea that positing oneself as another's enemy can ever bring about peace, hope, justice, healing - anything right or good at all. For me, at this moment, that's the bottom line. I'm not alone in my thinking. So when is everyone else going to speak up?
M
And I'm agonizing, as I often do, over the fact that this desire sometimes puts me at odds with others (others whom I yet love - kol Israel arevim zeh b'zeh) who seem at times not to be able to look past polemics and anger and rage and self-righteousness, and see the possibility for hope. I know that there are other things that must be looked past too - I'm not unaware that there is also fear, disgust, pain, anguish, grieving, and determination. I know what is at stake. I know why you are angry, I know why you fight hard, stay strong, lift your chin in pride and resilience. I know.
I am thinking of a visiting lecture last year from Amos Oz. Two things have brought his words and ideas to my mind - the current (seemingly intractable) division of our own United States as highlighted by the recent election, and Mr. Arafat's impending death.
Mr. Oz spoke of fanaticism as being the antithesis of peace. He said - and I may be quoting, as I'm taking this directly from my notes on the lecture (though it wasn't necessary - the words landed like a rock in my chest and resonated there for days...):
Moderates must come forward to dominate the scene in order to contain their societies' fanatics. He spoke of compromise (not to be confused with capitulation) being synonymous with life. He said that the opposite of compromise is not integrity or idealism, but rather it is fanaticism and death. He said that fanaticism is bred of hopelessness and despair, and that moderation can be encouraged by the injection of hope.
Hope. Not despair.
I know I'm not alone in believing that there must be hope. I know I'm not alone in wanting to find a way past the anger and vitriol and bitterness and defensiveness. I know that we must assure our security. I know that we must assure our right to exist. But we will never achieve these things if we continue to hate and despair, rather than look within ourselves to find love, and hope.
I just cannot bring myself to accept the idea that positing oneself as another's enemy can ever bring about peace, hope, justice, healing - anything right or good at all. For me, at this moment, that's the bottom line. I'm not alone in my thinking. So when is everyone else going to speak up?
M
Comments
Often people are willing to kill and die for things that happened long before they were born, in places they may never have visited; and these feelings, this history will be reinforced by those around them (parents, teachers, peers) and by the society in general. We are, as a species, prone to fanaticism, and it is a very easy trap to step into (its human nature). If someone kills one of yours, you kill at least one of their's, I may be blind and toothless but I got my pound of flesh, I'm going to hell but I'm bringing friends, etc.
If we can find a way to stop conflict at a personal level, I think we might do better at stopping it at a global level. Unfortunately there are a great many things involved in keeping just one person from fulfilling the cycle, hope is easy to loose sight of, and love does not stop the bullets coming through the walls. So the question becomes, how do we stop that one person from seeking retribution, how do we help the one find harmony and come to terms with their grief, anger, hatred, etc?
Thats my two cents on war and peace. You have a noble ambition, I truely and deeply hope that you can bring it to fruition:D