Living a New Day
Anyone living in the U.S. today cannot help but wonder at the state of things in our country. Although I am a proud American, I find myself baffled by the current rhetoric, hate-filled sentiment, and plain hegemony of today's political climate. I intensely dislike political debate, however, and so I am choosing to focus on the lesson that I can learn from these events.
When conducting my collaborative doctoral research on Adult Learning in the Context of Interreligious Dialogue with Jane West Walsh at National-Louis University , I was struck by the reflections of one particular gentleman. In talking about his experiences as a devout Jew in dialogue with devout Christians, he said something to the effect of "It is difficult to hate someone with whom you have broken bread." I remember his words today as I contemplate the lessons I can personally learn.
The messages of which his words remind me today are:
Don't judge people by their group affiliation; get to know them personally.
Live by example based on the strong morals and ethics of my faith; especially as they are shared by those of other beliefs.
Don't be afraid to stand up and be counted as the person I am: an Indo-African, British, Canadian, American Muslim woman.
Believe that change is possible and that the spark of divinity (however you choose to define this) that is in all of us will ultimately be stronger and more powerful than divisive elements.
Keep living my faith through my everyday actions.
Perfection is not ours but we can strive to do better and grow stronger each day.
I think I will work on a jewelry line that captures this positive, humanity-affirming stance. 😊 After all, tomorrow is a new day and I must live it to the fullest. In the words of Edward Everett Hale: "I am only one but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something and I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."
Until next time, stay sane, keep faith, believe in good, and keep dreaming.
