Conflict is
everywhere we turn in our world. Some of it comes in the form of cultures which
have been fighting each other for a millennia or two. Other conflicts are
between one race and another. Other conflicts are between socio-economic
strata. And some are closer to home between family members and neighbors. No
matter how big the conflict is, many of the parties involved, as well as the wider
audience of observers, speak of wanting peace. The sides might even ask for
cease fires or curfews or self-determined restraint to stop the conflict. Many
of these solutions are merely short-term because although the conflict or
violence needs to be resolved, what truly needs to be resolved is what is
causing the conflict which is the underlying judgment of each other. If we had less judgment for each other, we
would have less conflict.
I am not
saying we have to agree with other people’s positions or actions. I definitely
believe we all need to stand in the truth of who we are and in our
“self-evident” and “unalienable rights”. But if we could seek to understand the
others’ position, seek to understand what fears cause them to take action, seek
to understand what they believe their limitations are and why they feel the need
to lash out or act out, we might start to see these others as who they are;
Parents, children, loved ones, human beings with whom we have at our hearts the
same spark of universal energy and universal love that they have. No one, no
matter whether you agree with them or not, is not made up of the same universal
energy that you are. No one, no matter whether you are in conflict with them or
not, is not made up of the same universal energy that makes up the Milky Way.
No one, whether you believe it or not, is not made up of the Divine Energy that
runs through every blade of grass, every molecule of air or star dust, that
also runs through you.
Please don’t
think I am being naïve regarding the strife we see or that I am advocating
wearing rose colored glasses or blinders. It is through non judgment that we
start to see the similarities between us instead of the differences. Through
non judgment, we see how we can pull together for the greater good with the
mosaic of different ideas and strengths. It is through non judgment that we
help to raise the frequency of the situation even when others may not want to
pull together for the greater good.
Seeing the
issues and discerning what is the right course of action for each of us is
different than judging the people or the situation. The old saying about hate
begetting more hate applies to judgment, too. Judgment only attracts more
judgment. Judgment does not attract understanding. What we need now is more non
judgment, more understanding and more discernment for the actions that will
actually help a situation instead of inflaming it.
We need to
seek understanding and non-judgment of ourselves and within ourselves. The more
we heal ourselves of the racism, the sexism, the discrimination based on
religion or economic status, the self-hatred and loathing that we may feel in
places we don’t want to recognize within ourselves, the more we will be non-judgmental
and loving to those who are struggling with the same issues but might be out
picturing them in different ways than we are.
Peace is
attainable, but at its heart is non judgment.
