Today is a day to cry for Israel. Today is a day to cry for the Palestinians. Today is a day to cry for all of us.
Today is a day of war.
War anywhere, at this point in our history, is an action that threatens peace everywhere. Particularly when it comes to the Middle East. From its spiritual significance to its political significance, it is humanity’s hot spot. It always has been and probably always will be. It’s where all the rivers of human perspective meet, to become either a cauldron of hatred or an ocean of love.
While it might be tempting to “take sides” between Israel and the Palestinians, spiritually there are no sides to be taken. God does not give us victory in battle but rather lifts us above the battlefield. As a generation, our moral imperative is to end war period, to somehow move beyond the idea that war is an acceptable means of solving problems. Anything less then that makes us attitudinal conspirators with a line of probability leading to nuclear catastrophe.
According to Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, humanity’s biggest problems cannot be solved; they must be outgrown. Our task is to create a field of consciousness in which the idea of war has dropped from the ethers.
So how do we outgrow war?
The first thing we do is to accept the possibility that the end of war is possible. In fact, in the words of Congressman Dennis Kucinich, “We must challenge the belief that war is inevitable.” We must embrace the possibility that a world without war could exist.
Secondly, we must mature beyond the belief that the thinking that got us into this mess is thinking can lead us out of it. “The problems of the world will not be solved on the level of thinking we were at when we created them,” wrote Einstein. We must realize that the mortal ego will not provide us with a solution to the existence of war, because it itself is the problem. Notions such as, “The Israelis have a right to defend themselves,” and “The Palestinians have taken so much abuse; what do you expect them to do?” are both insidious drivers of war masquerading as principled stands. They keep us attached to the very duality that is the root of separation and war.
On a spiritual level, our greatest service to both Israelis and Palestinians is to reach for a higher truth within our own minds. An essential principle of metaphysical reality is that all minds are joined; as any of us are drawn to higher thoughts, then all of us are drawn to higher thoughts. As we ourselves embrace a higher truth, we help create an anti-gravitational force field that lifts all minds above separation, hatred and war.
For all our talk about wanting to be the change, how many of us are siding now against one side or the other in the current Mid-East conflict? If you really want to help the situation there, ask God to remove from your heart any judgment you have against the Israelis or the Palestinians. Any thought of judgment you hold is like a gun that you yourself are firing.
The human race is evolving to the realization that what is happening on the level of consciousness both precedes and determines what happens in the world. War is just an effect, not a cause. With the power of our minds, we can move beyond the level of effect to the level of cause. There, and only there, can we wipe out what President Franklin Roosevelt called the “beginnings of all war.”
As Americans, we have a creed — a set of principles enshrined and institutionalized in our founding documents. First and foremost among them is that “all men are created equal.” Period. End of story. Don’t be lured into thinking that either Israelis or Palestinians have been either the perfect innocents or the perfect victims here; such thinking serves neither. The greatest gift you can give to both is to realize that on a spiritual level, Israelis and Palestinians are one. Their only true reality is the reality of whom they are in this moment, freed from any thoughts of the past.
Complexity is of the ego; do not linger there. Of course there is a complicated history to the struggle currently playing out in the Middle East, and that complicated history has significance and relevance for traditional political formulation. So leave that to the traditional politicians. Our task as seekers and purveyors of a higher human consciousness is to move beyond traditional political notions, to a holistic politics that embraces the relevance of psychological and spiritual realities to the political issues of our time. As students of Gandhi and Dr. King, we know that moving beyond the violence in our own hearts is essential if we are to be conduits for the creation of a world at peace. The truly new politics goes beyond mere “post-partisan” hand-shaking and collaboration among former rivals. It takes us to a new kind of thinking as a basis for the creation of a new kind of world.
Traditionalists can call us naïve all they want to. But anyone who thinks that human hatred can simply be bombed away…they are naïve. Anyone who thinks we can continue to tolerate violence on this planet at ever-increasing levels and have such conflagrations not lead to the ultimate cataclysm of nuclear catastrophe… they are naïve. Anyone who thinks that the narrowness of a rationalistic, mechanistic human perspective can lead us out of the hell which that perspective itself has created…they are naïve. And those who see prayer as merely “symbol, not substance”… they are naïve. Prayer is hardly just symbol; it is a mover of hearts, and thus a mover of mountains.
Mountains we now need desperately to move.
Through the grace of God we are not powerless; according to A Course in Miracles,
moving mountains is small compared to what we can do. War is at heart a spiritual problem and it can only be eradicated with a spiritual solution….a solution that lies within all of us.
Martin Luther King Jr. said there is a power in our hearts more powerful than the power of bullets. He described Mahatma Gandhi as the first person in the world to take the love ethic of Jesus Christ and turn it into a broad scale social force for good (To Gandhi himself, non-violence was not just the love ethic of Jesus, but rather the heart of all religion and the heart of reality itself). On today’s geo-political landscape, we see hatred turned into a political force all around us; the politics of non-violence turns love into a political force. The question for any conscious human being, much less spiritual seeker, is, “How can I help do that?” Only the power in our hearts will be able to eradicate the idea of war, then the reality of war, from the experience of the human race.
According to Gandhi, the problem with the world was that humanity was not in its right mind. And arguably, we still are not. War, quite simply, is insane. For those of us who wish to be part of the solution, not part of the problem of war; it is time to change our own minds, to accept a healing of our own war-like thoughts, in order to create a new field of possibility. Whether dealing with the transformation of the individual or of the transformation of the world, only what is changed on the level of consciousness becomes a fundamental change in the conditions of the world.
For five minutes each day, be a spiritual activist.
You probably already know what to do. Turn off the TV; neither CNN, MSNBC or FOX know the news. They only know data.
Turn off the bright lights. Put down the newspaper. And go within.
However you do it, turn your attention to the God of your understanding. Surrender your own hatred, give over your own wars, and ask that this year you be lifted above the violence that still lives inside your heart.
With your eyes closed, see on one side of your inner vision the Israeli people. See their physicality, their mannerisms, as you recognize them on the material plane. Now see a light within their hearts, and slowly watch that light expand, extending beyond the confines of their bodies. See the bodies begin to fade before the greater light of their eternal selves.
Now with your inner eye look to the other side of your inner vision, and see there the Palestinian people. See their physicality, their mannerisms, as you recognize them on the material plane. Now see a light within their hearts, and slowly watch that light expand, extending beyond the confines of their bodies. See the bodies begin to fade before the greater light of their eternal selves.
Now using your inner eye – your greatest source of power -bear witness to what happens as the inner light of the Israelis begins to merge with the inner light of the Palestinians. Bear witness to the merging of their spiritual selves. Simply watch and focus, for what you focus on grows stronger.
You are bearing witness now to a higher truth, thus using the power of your mind to draw a heavenly truth into material manifestation. In the presence of higher thought forms, lower ones fall of their own dead weight. In the presence of light, darkness disappears. In the presence of eternal truth, temporal lies begin to fall away.
In the words of Dr. King, “No lie can last forever.” The idea that the Israeli and Palestinian people are truly separate, or have separate needs, is simply a lie of the mortal mind. Spiritually, we are all one. Israelis and Palestinians were created by the same God; in Him they are equal and they are joined eternally. Only thought forms have separated them. Thought forms of guilt and separation have been handed down to children born innocent of such lies, generation after generation; those are the true enemy here, not either group of people.
As any of us move beyond the fear-based thought forms of separation and guilt to the truth of our eternal oneness, it becomes easier for everyone else to do so as well. Let’s give up the way-too-easy, so-American way of chiding either Israelis or Palestinians for their difficulty in forgiving the past. What both peoples have endured is almost unimaginable, and only the truly sainted among us should even for a minute consider judging either side.
We don’t have to; and when in our own right minds, we don’t want to.
Use the power of your mind to create a new possibility… a miracle in the Middle East.
As the poet Rumi wrote so eloquently, “Out beyond all ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” So go there now. Such thoughts are not just poetry, or even symbol, any longer. In the world that’s being born, they’re the stuff of a new politics.
No more simply asking, “But what can I do?” Go even further, to “What can I think? What can I pray for? What can I meditate on?” Pray for the removal of all walls that separate any of us from any of us, not only on our earth but also in our minds. Pray for the removal of the guns that still fire within your own mind as you accuse or withhold your forgiveness from anyone. And pray that at this perilous hour, those of us whose lives have not been touched by the horrors of war can be of service to those whose lives have been.
Dear God, please deliver them.
And dear God, deliver us all.
Amen.
posted January 3, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I think it’s naive to think that war is sometimes NOT the solution. (This reply is going to be very unpopular on this website). Historically, war has accomplished a lot (when it has been necessary). Our original biggest enemy (England) is now our greatest friend (thank you Revolutionary War). And don’t be naive to think that the Civil War wasn’t necessary: we are still a united nation precisely because of that war. Our biggest enemies of the last century (Germany and Japan) are now our friends. Once VERY aggressive, Germany is now a pacifist country and Japan is a strong ally, even though they were once as idealistic and willing to die for their “god” (the emperor) as Islamic fascists are today. How did this happen? A no-nonsense World War II. War has also re-shaped (south) Korea, Iraq (arguable I know), Libya (indirectly), Italy (now irrelevant on the world stage), etc. Even the Soviet Union (although not a real war) was tamed through a display of strength.
Israel’s enemies have been fortunate that they’ve show restraint this long. If you took all of Israel’s weapons away, their enemies would destroy them without hesitation. But if you took all of the weapons away from Israel’s enemies…there would be peace in the Middle East. What makes them different? They are truly democratic. Democracies don’t war with other democracies. If we want war to end on this planet, every country must truly be democratic. This is why we shouldn’t give up in Iraq and Afghanistan. If they become thriving democracies, they will become a contrast with their Arab neighbors as South Korea is with their northern counterpart.
“WAR! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?” (as the song goes)
Sometimes…a lot.
posted January 3, 2009 at 10:26 pm
@Sam: I believe what Marianne was speaking to was something beyond all the countries you described. Beyond recognition of borders. Perhaps even before we start to accept that war can be eradicated, we must first accept that despite our different origins, governments, and languages, we are all people with dignity, emotion, fear, and love. These things are true. It certainly isn’t naive to believe that much.
So, in a way, you’re right. War accomplishes a lot. It accomplishes a lot when everyone doesn’t get on board with the philosophies Marianne is describing. Humanity is inextricably tied together in that way. All it takes is one man blowing himself up in a marketplace to burst everyone’s bubble of peace. Sad but true. But war is also self-perpetuating. Peace brought by war will not last forever; history has shown us that much. Rome’s rise to power and its decline are bound up in its military conquest. The same is basically true for the Mongols, Russia, England, and yes, America. Every great empire. If you tell me that the only way to form an empire is through war, I would quote for you Hunt Greene, “Everything is impossible before it works.” At any rate, empires rise and fall. They won’t last forever.
War is a very real force in this world. Marianne isn’t denying that. But I agree with her that there are even stronger forces. As a man of faith, I can’t deny it. War is insane — by killing our own brothers and sisters, we think we have accomplished something. Moving lines on a map? Saving our children so they can fight and die in their own wars? There is no true change. No human change at all.
posted January 4, 2009 at 9:11 am
Well Jung also had many antisemitic views. He had a lot to “outgrow” I also read about a Zen Roshi who was an antisemite. He had a lot to “outgrow” to.
I don’t think that you understand the depth of Hamas’s hatred for ALL Jews everywhere. On the Atlantic Magazine’s web site Jeffrey Goldberg recalls his interview with Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan:
“There was no flexibility with Rayyan. This is what he said when I asked him if he could envision a 50-year hudna (or cease-fire) with Israel: “The only reason to have a hudna is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don’t need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel.” There is no chance, he said, that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. “Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God.”
I asked him if he believed, as some Hamas theologians do (and certainly as many Hezbollah leaders do) that Jews are the “sons of pigs and apes.” He gave me an interesting answer that reflects a myopic reading of the Koran. “Allah changed disobedient Jews into apes and pigs, it is true, but he specifically said these apes and pigs did not have the ability to reproduce. So it is not literally true that Jews today are descended from pigs and apes, but it is true that some of the ancestors of Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and it is true that Allah continually makes the Jews pay for their crimes in many different ways. They are a cursed people.”
What are our crimes? I asked Rayyan. “You are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah,” he said. “Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God.”"
Yes, there are times when war is necessary. I think that pacifism led to the Holocaust. We could have stopped Hitler when he invaded Poland. I do realize that Hamas leaders are not Hitler, but that is only because they have never had the power or ability to become a Hitler.
posted January 4, 2009 at 9:57 am
@Susan: If war is necessary, then your rationalization would allow you to shoot each combatant at point blank as they entered a room prepared to kill you? Let’s start with ten.
Ten people enter a room to face you, one at a time, and you either shoot them or they shoot you. This is how the “war” will be conducted. Regardless of whether or not its self defense, and whether or not they are the worst killers the world has ever seen, the toll it would take on your mind, heart, and spirit would be unspeakable. Now let’s say you face 100 people, and let’s make their families watch…
I don’t see how anyone can believe this isn’t extrapolated to affect the consciousness of entire societies and cultures. War may seem like the only option when we’re under siege but it is not a solution. Shooting a dog that has rabies does not cure rabies and it does not mean rabies has been eradicated.
posted January 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Wellsey, I don’t deny that, but yes, sometimes war is necessary no matter the cost to the individual or to the society. Golda Meir once said to Sadat, “We may forgive you for killing our sons, but we can’t forgive you for making us kill your sons. War is sometimes the solution. It was to the Nazis.
posted January 4, 2009 at 4:35 pm
My only comment is that Marianne is correct to say that this war between Israel & Palestine affects us all in one form or another. So for us to do what she suggests – which is to spend time each day and lay aside our bussy-ness turn the televison off, be silent and go before God would make more of an impact than just sitting around talking about what we believe or don’t believe about war – or whose side we are on. I hate war, I believe that is the concensus, but we have to deal with it and spiritually try to move that mountain, as she so well put it. We all need to pray for God to interceed between these two countries and change the course that it has taken from war to peace. Peace is so long over due in that part of the country. So lets all believe God by faith for Peace, lets pray every day for God to move mountains, for the sake of these two nations and others that are at war. America needs prayer for it’s own inner wars, crime, drugs, broken marriages, leaving God out of everything in our lives, etc. so we need to all pray for eachother and ask God to forgive us and for His awesome blessings to return to us once again. Can you imagine the impact that would have if every believer was to do this – I know it would turn God’s ears to listen. Our miracle maybe in 2009 – I’m believing for it with all my heart.
posted January 4, 2009 at 7:46 pm
@Susan: War was necessary to stop the Nazis once they had gained that much might, but it wasn’t the solution. Think of the culture that had to grow and the events that had to take place so that Hitler could rise to power and actually get people to do what he wanted. The true solution was prevention. And that’s always the best solution. But often very difficult to achieve. Obviously.
I think historical figures like Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. would disagree vehemently with the statement, “War is necessary.” Certainly they accomplished their goals without leading a single army into battle or using a weapon, though, ironically and sadly, they all died as a result of violence. But nevertheless, their messages endure.
Furthermore, all Marianne is saying is accept the POSSIBILITY that the end of war is possible. Why relegate it to some crackpot’s dream? I am a citizen of the USA. I’m just one guy. But this is how grassroots movements work; 1 becomes 2 becomes 4 becomes 8. And suddenly, you have thousands of people clamoring for a change in policy of the strongest nation on Earth. A shift in funding away from military and toward education, research, and infrastructure development. So many countries want nukes because they want to be strong like us. What if the USA could give them something else to admire for once?
If the end of war is not possible, ever, then humanity, in spirit and body, is doomed.
posted January 4, 2009 at 9:16 pm
This post was beautiful, profound, timely, and dripping with wisdom. The only outcome of war is more war. It’s a negative feedback loop. Moving beyond the cycle of war cannot be accomplished under our current political and economic structure. They must be replaced with new institutions that replace borders, boundaries, and separation with unity and universal connectedness. In such an elevated state, war and genocide could not exist because they would literally make no sense. Absent boundaries and differences that mattered to anybody, what would there be to contest or defend?
posted January 5, 2009 at 6:50 am
Wellsy, yes prevention is obviously the best method, but it rarely happens.
Ghandi is an interesting example. He said that Jews should commit mass suicide to awaken the conscience of the world during the Holocaust. This was surely a bad idea when the Nazis were trying to wipe out every Jew. All the allies already knew what was happening and didn’t do anything. He also suggested that Israeli Jews set themselves on fire to gain Palestinian understanding.
Jesus wasn’t the only Jewish historical figure who was a pacifist.
posted January 5, 2009 at 4:33 pm
well there no time war is neccessary, while the Palestinian massacres going on is abhorred, Israel will only survive through violence if that is what they believe.
posted January 6, 2009 at 7:47 am
Marianne Williamson,
This post really helped to keep my mind in check. Thank you! I particularly liked the following: “The greatest gift you can give to both is to realize that on a spiritual level, Israelis and Palestinians are one. Their only true reality is the reality of whom they are in this moment, freed from any thoughts of the past.”
This sounds similar to Eckhart Tolle’s teachings in THE POWER OF NOW & A NEW EARTH.
I think a release could also come from noticing the tension in your body as soon as you pick a group with whom to side. When news of the tragedy comes your way via whatever medium, do you find yourself becoming tense? Does your heart beat fast? Examine why. I think when you pick a side, the anger and feelings of injustice are far more for the body to bear than a general sadness of the entire tragedy itself. Anger burns like a raging fire.
Also keep in mind, like the post says, the news only brings data. Ironically the news isn’t really the news. In fact it’s mostly more of the same.
I was starting to identify with one of the groups in the tragedy, rather than seeing the whole. When I ran into this awesome post, it allowed me to dis-identify from those negative feelings; to go within; and re-connect to the WHOLE.