  Spiritual
This week: Divided We Fall Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Spiritual Newsletter. My name is Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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"Look out into the universe and contemplate the glory of God. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, all with a message of unity, part of the very nature of God." ~ Sai Baba
I often wonder if racism and prejudice would exist if we were all born blind.
Forget the logistics of such a thing. Forget the hows and whys and whether or nots of day-to-day living in a world full of people who can't see, just ... imagine. Think about it for a minute. Would racism and prejudice exist if we were all born blind?
We rate people and their worth based on how they look, do we not? They look different, dress differently, and their skin is a different color than my own. They must be less than I. Inferior. Separate. Other.
Blind people "see" each other by touching each other's faces. Of course, they don't touch every person who crosses their path, so therefore they can't "see" everyone they meet. No, they touch people they know and trust and feel somewhat comfortable with. Their opinion--the fact that they already like and feel a connection to said touched person--wouldn't change after they touched him or her for the first time and realized their differences, would it?
Imagine being unable to see what others look like. Our first impression wouldn't be whether they're thick or thin, short or tall, beautiful or homely. We wouldn't know whether she wore a traditional hijab or crocheted beanie. It wouldn't matter if he's bald or has dreadlocks that brush his shoulders. We'd listen to what the other said, how it was said, and determine whether or not the person is kind. We'd focus on what we have in common and mutual points of interest worth talking about. We'd take the time to delve into what makes the person who he or she is rather than worry about what he or she looks like.
Have you ever noticed how toddlers run onto a playground and make instant friends with whoever's there? Children don't care what color, race, or religion you are. They don't care whether you're overweight or thin, short or tall, beautiful or unattractive. They couldn't care less whether you're a republican, a democrat, or who you voted for in the last election. They see each other as the same: Hey, there's someone like me. Let's play!
Racism and prejudice are learned behaviors.
We are shallow, closed-minded creatures. Even those of us who pride ourselves on being open-minded and inclusive are guilty of passing judgment on others based solely on how they look. We place such value on outward appearance, skin color, manner of dress, whether or not they worship the same God or voted for the same candidate that we forget we're the same. We are members of the human race made of the exact same stuff. Each and every one of us feels pain, experiences loss, and cries when we're hurting. We all respond to the kindness of others, long to be heard, accepted, and loved.
We are one.
"I do believe that the original sources of all religions should be taught, because with that we will find our similarities, not just our differences. I believe that if Mohammed, Buddha, Jesus, and Moses all got together they would be best of friends because the spiritual basis of all religions is something that builds unity." ~ Yehuda Berg
Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to reach out to someone--someone you wouldn't normally reach out to--and start a conversation. Maybe it'll be the person standing in front of you at the market, the woman next to you in the bookstore, or the guy playing guitar for pocket change downtown. Don't be afraid of speaking to someone different, just ... listen. Try not to have any expectations, no preconceived notions or prejudice based on how the person looks. Later, when you're alone, write down how you felt, what you expected, and what actually transpired. Send me your comments about the experience and I will include them in next month's newsletter.
Peace and blessings.
P.S. Click here to watch Loy Machedo's TED Talk (he's the tattooed guy in the embedded video). |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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The following is in response to "Holidays and Grief" :
spidey writes: A beautiful newsletter, thank you for writing it!  This will be my fourth Christmas without my Mom and it's still really difficult. These are great ideas to help someone who is grieving.
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes: Thank you for sharing this particular illness/problem in this newsletter. There are many of us who suffer not just this type of "holiday blues" from losing loved ones - but just from problems with depression or other psychological problems. And holidays seem to bring them about more often. I think it's because not all family members understand the issues associated with it. Thank you again.
Elycia Lee ☮ writes: Thank you for sharing such a lovely newsletter. This festive season does feel odd to me and I can only think of other WDC members who may be going through the same thing.  My godfather passed away only very recently and I have not visited my godfamily yet after the funeral ended about two weeks ago and I am afraid not knowing what are the right words to say. Your newsletter helped me. It was a festive season for the Chinese yesterday, the Winter Solstice, which is a very big festival among the more traditional Chinese. I remember my godmother telling my godfather to hold on so that he could celebrate yesterday but he didn't make it. She must be especially sad yesterday but I didn't go see her. And Christmas is coming soon. The really odd thing about having 3 families - my in-laws, my biological family and my godfamily, whom I don't see often enough. The mourning - celebrating phase. Feels very odd.
Prosperous Snow celebrating writes: I was born on December 24, until four years ago my mother and I celebrated my birthday and participated in family Christmases together. My mother died on November 29, 2012 and that was the year I stopped celebrating my birthday. Sometimes, when asked, I still participate in the Christmas celebrations of my friends, but not very often. The hardest thing about this time of year is celebrating my birthday without Mama.
Mary Ann MCPhedran writes: A well written item and has great topics I enjoyed reading and found no reas0n to edit. thank you for sharing and have a wonderful holiday and seasons greetings.
Quick-Quill writes: The last verse of your trinket is one I have had to say or teach little ones to sing or say for a Christmas program. I love it.
Thank you all for taking the time to read and respond, and thank you for your continued support, friendship, and kindness.
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Spiritual: January 18, 2017 Issue [#8079]
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