A Time to Remember Our Kinship
We are here to awaken
from our illusion of separateness.
... Thick Nhat Han
As I write this, Christians world-wide are celebrating Easter, and Jews are celebration Passover - holy days, a time of love and celebration and connection within our spiritual communities.
Religious ceremonies have been used for millennia to bring people together, to create a sense of community, of belonging. Unfortunately, that sense of belonging has also been used to create a sense of difference from others who follow other spiritual paths. The very experience of oneness that we feel when together in a familiar setting of a church, synagogue, mosque, temple – feeling the presence of a higher, loving power that protects us and guides our lives – the same experience has also been used to separate us from others who follow a different tradition.
We are at a time in history that requires us to put those ideas of separation aside and remember our kinship with one another – not just those who are like us, but with all others sharing the Earth with us.
All religions teach us to love one another. So, how did we get it so wrong through history and use our differences to hate and fear one another?
In our religious traditions, we all have ways of greeting one another with love and respect -
Shalom (peace), Salaam (peace), Peace be with you, Namaste (I bow to you). These greetings carry a message of respect and honor that says, “I wish you well.”
I was pleased to see the spirit of these ancient greetings show up in our modern culture. In the science fiction movie, Avatar, the indigenous people on a planet that had been invaded had a simple greeting for one another – “I see you.” That says so much in so few words.
That rephrases all the religious greetings in a way that speaks to us today.
Do we really see each other - not just superficially, but in a deeper way, recognizing our inter-connection, our kinship? As we encounter each other in our daily lives, do we see the differences that separate us, that trigger judgments that cause us to turn away rather than reach out?
How different our response could be if we silently said, “I see you” to every person we meet, and we saw the deeper truth – this is another myself – he or she has had their own life journey different from mine, but we each came into this life from the same loving Source, and we are each doing the best we know how to do in this moment.
Have you ever been judged for something you said or something you did or for how you looked? Was there something inside of you calling out to be seen for all of who you are, not just the way you are showing up in this moment?
The way we see each other – those we know and those we are just meeting – affects the way we respond to them. When we decide to live with kindness, it’s useful to have mental tools that help us stay in our hearts and not let our ego jump in with all of its judgments.
“I see you” puts us back in our hearts – it is calling on us to see beyond the way someone is expressing in this moment and see the deeper truth of our essential kindship.
Can we do this?
We all have the power of choice. As we choose this as a silent mantra when we’re out in the world, we will see no stranger, just family we have yet to meet.
You may find that this is a way to expand your kindness journey - to open new opportunities for you to take your love out into the world.
As you read these words, no matter where you are, please know that I see you, and I appreciate your being in my life.
What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
Help us spread the message of kindness.
If you know others who might appreciate these ideas, please share below.
We’re grateful that you are on this journey with us.
With love from our hearts to yours,
Pat and Larry
