It’s those immeasurably powerful moments when we stand still and stay close to ourselves that make us see things more clearly, and that give us a better understanding of ourselves and our connectedness with each other.
I was born into this culture/religion but I was raised not practicing it. There are actually lots of aspects about Islam that I can’t relate to. Same as I can’t relate to much of what’s in other faiths. So, I’m a nominal Muslim at the most. I don’t even see it as part of my identity. As cliché as it may sound, I consider myself a spiritual person rather than a religious one. In my eyes, organized religion is redundant and has morphed into something that serves no end other than the separation of people.
The Creator is in all of us. Whether we call ourselves Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists etc., whether our skin is black or white, does not change the fact that we are all part of the same creation. We are all intrinsically connected to each other, all part of a universal, collective consciousness. An article I recently read, sums it up beautifully: “We are the cosmos itself. We are made with the atoms of stars that exploded many billions of years ago. We came to be out of matter and energy to know ourselves and to know what surrounds us. We are a way for the Universe to take consciousness of itself.” ((Jesus Diaz, “The only reason we need to celebrate 2015—and every year until we die,” Sploid.)) The cosmos is energy, and the power of energy is creation. The different names we humans give to the Creator, or the Universe if you like, do not change this universal truth; we are all ONE.
I couldn’t agree more with my brother’s take on religion: “None of the so called prophets had a religion, this by itself says it all. They were “only” teachers, and what they taught was love and awareness. Any other aspect is added by men, just as the so called holy books are man-written.” This nails it. ((Thanks Ozan Kapsal, you are a source of inspiration!))
When we stand still and connect to our inner wisdom, our consciousness, and shed all conditionings, how could we feel separated from each other? How could we not see that all religions are referring to and revering the same Creator? I don’t mean to disrespect anyone of any faith here. In life and in this vast Universe, that we’re part of but far from fully grasping, we all need something to hold on to in order to give our earthly existence a meaning. For some it might be the teachings of a holy book or scripture. When we break it down into its purest form though, it’s all about love. All religions and their teachings are about love. Love is in every cell of our being, we see the Creator/the Universe through love. Love is our home.
So, what if all religions were united into one? What if we called it “LOVE”? Imagine.
Words fail to describe the tragedy of the Charlie Hebdo murders. It’s a heinous crime. Fact. May their souls rest in peace.
What makes it even more tragic and sad is to observe how mainstream media plugs into and uses it to keep the prevailing Islamophobia alive. Even worse, governments use it to cover up and whitewash their materialistic motives as they declare war on terror and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people. As blind and heinous as those who kill cartoonists.
Reading statements such as “By what right does an Easterner murder people in our lands for a comic?” makes me cringe. Big time. Not because I support anyone killing another person (or any kind of living being), but because of the inherent “we-they”/”our-their” demarcation. Nobody has the right to kill someone else. But as long as we feed this “we vs. the other” mindset — no matter which angle/perspective/culture/religion/hemisphere we’re speaking — we will always feel and be separated from each other. WE ARE ALL ONE. There’ll be no peace on this planet until humanity — i.e., WE as in all of us — internalizes this basic truth.
And what about all the other killings going on in the world? Why are they not talked about in the media to the same extent? Objectively speaking, no one’s life is more important or valuable than anyone else’s.
So, why do we not take the Charlie Hebdo slayings as an opportunity to wake up? What if the leaders of the world and the media worked together towards uniting people instead of separating them even more; feeding love instead of fear?
Change starts with ourselves and as individuals we should do our bit. Let’s not blindly plug into this discourse of fear driven by our leaders and the media. A discourse that divides people, fuels hatred and supports sensationalism. Let’s disarm mainstream media and contribute to spreading more awareness, unity and love.
Love and light.