Nuance, Tenderness and Fearlessness
Nurturing the nuances of being human
Before you begin reading, I invite you to listen to the short meditation above as a place to arrive and ground. Thank you.
As I see the continuation of progressives taking a hardline stance on their calls for a cease fire, I work hard to see that they believe they are doing it from a compassionate standpoint. That they believe they are doing good and spouting right from wrong. Of course the death of any innocent is wrong.
What progressives fail to realize is nuance.
If we go back to the nuances of being human we remember that things are not black/white, right/wrong, or left/right. We are not even tall/short, introverted/extroverted, spiritual/religious, scientific/spiritual, structured/chaotic, sad/happy or sorrowful/joyful. We are ALL of these things depending upon the situation, moment in time and they are simply labels. One thing these labels have in common is that they are opposites and they are BOTH AND statements.
That is what is missing from the conversation. Both. And. These that coexist depending upon the story we tell ourselves or others or what situation we find ourselves in.
When I listened to Sam Harris’ podcast this week - “The Bright Line Between Good and Evil,” (link below) he calmly outlined our issues in this war between Israel and Palestine. I learned about what is beneath this necessary and unnecessary battle between these two forces. Here are some of the highlights I have gleaned, some new and some not but I urge you to listen to it yourself. Take your time with it.
It is not what it seems, it is much much bigger than land disputes or religion.
This is not a religious war from the Israelis perspective, this is a rescue mission from the kidnapping of over 200 hostages of varying ages and nationalities. The majority of Israelis are secular, roughly 80% although their government leadership is religious. Israelis have been peacefully protesting this for months prior to October 7.
This is a religious war from Hamas’ perspective. This is about killing as many people as possible for entryway into the eternal kingdom. They have stated they will do it again and again until there is no Jew left. This is about the deep well of jihad by very definition is a struggle or fight agains the enemies of Islam. Jihad is a dogma that is pervasive among all the Islamic terrorist groups and it is the one thing they all agree on. We are lucky in this moment they don’t team up with one another for there is infighting among them. And once they are done with Jews and Israel, they will be making their way here. They do not care for life or anyone else’s.
Sam even goes into his former belief that it is unnecessary for Israel to exist as the only nation based on Judaism. However, when he explores this further, he realizes that Jews need this small land the size of New Jersey. For reasons like when during WWII the United States and Canada among other nations would not take in the Jewish immigrants fleeing from Europe or when he finally admits to the uprising and pervasive hate crimes in the United States from the basis of antisemitism. He clearly sees that Israel needs to exist for Jews all over the world. (I find it ironic that these democratic nations wouldn’t allow those fleeing persecution from extermination into the borders for they were not terrorists seeking to destroy. Yet the Palestinians are not allowed right of passage to their neighboring brothers and sisters. Not all Palestinians are Hamas but they are treating them as such in Gaza for manipulative and propaganda purposes.)
And yet those who are fighting for “Free Palestine” don’t even know this or if they do they don’t care. They do not have outrage for the murderous deaths on October 7. The double standard placed upon Israel is astonishing. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at who is leading the United Nations and Red Cross. Until Palestinians begin to speak up against Hamas loudly here, we are screwed.
I am finding that nihilism is a great form of refuge and disassociation from caring. Perhaps nihilism is a form of caring in of itself? This detachment feels cold and necessary at times. I know it only will last a short while because I am me and the fire in me always comes back. Disassociation is a respite necessary to stimulate joy and aliveness even for a little while for then my with an open heart I can go back to caring deeply. The flirtatious aliveness that arrives afterwards brings me back into my love with life and those participating with me.
Nothing is in our control anyway and nothing really matters other than what is right in front of us. Perhaps that is selfish nihilism. When taking a bird’s eye view one can see the egos, the matrix in complete organized chaos. The game of chess being predictably played out. “Everything is perfect,” my Baba’s guru Neem Karoli Baba would spout as if it would make us feel better. Everything is inadequate and perfect at the same time. It’s unsettling.
To be fearless in this situation without a need to be protective is daunting. Viewing the discourse without my story is not easy. However, it is the only way to make a true connection with another human being without aloofness. I am guilty of snapping with fear and indignation for my need to be understood sometimes feels like shaking those I do not know. And at the same time I lean into both the desire for peace and the anger residing within. Every human being deserves a place on the planet with the tools necessary to heal and get back to their divine nature.
As a promiscuous spiritual traveler, I did not even identify as a Jew as a top 5 characteristic until October 7, I am open to diverse thinking, being and becoming. It is continuously challenging to live comfortably in confusion with only partial answers. It is not an easy place to reside and taking people at face value when they cannot handle these nuances I’ve described is pretty clear for me where I stand. However, in my inherent faith, I know the world is still full of vitality, surprising and waiting for us to commune with fresh eyes.
I’ll leave this here. I don’t have the answers only the exploration. Thank you for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting. It means more than you know.
When politicians and people talk about peace, they don’t really mean it. To have peace, actually to have peace, one has to live peacefully. That means one has to live without any nationality, without any religious dogma or believe which separates man and live peacefully. This means no competition, no ambition, no sense of me first and everybody else second. As this is prevalent and dominates the world as thought at present, we cannot have peace. The world is divided between blocs of power, as Russian and American and European, so how can you have peace? —Krishnamurti
Resources, Creations and Writings:
"Living in the Era of the Unthinkable” out now on Illumination on Medium
“The Bright Line Between Good and Evil” - Sam Harris podcast
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For more meditations find me on Insight Timer.
