I Just Don’t Get It (Part 1)

I Just Don’t Get It (Part 1)

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I received an email this morning from a friend of mine. She told me her daughter had been staying at a hotel in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Last Friday, the hotel was attacked by Al-Qaida. Luckily, my friend’s daughter, who hid in a closet with a friend for seven hours, survived.

I just don’t get it. To me war and evil are synonymous. It’s not a secret that most of all wars in our history were started by religious dissent. To me, war means extreme suffering and chaos for people who just want to live their lives in peace.

I was in Jordan last year and got to know our wonderful Muslim guide. He talked about the sadness he felt for his people who were struggling to buy food. Tourism was way down and he said it was hurting the Jordanian economy. “Americans,” he said, “don’t want to visit Jordan because of its proximity to Syria.” He was flummoxed because the people of Jordan are peaceful and he couldn’t understand why others didn’t want to see his country’s marvelous treasures (i.e., Petra, the Dead Sea, etc.). I found this out to be very true. Jordan is a beautiful country and the people are welcoming. It makes me sad and angry that evil continues to keep us in fear.

Throughout history man has used faith to propagate evil. This is not what our “gods” want. Fear and love can’t exist in the same moment. Evil relies on fear and the only way to stop this fear is to love. If we choose love we defeat evil.

Isn’t it time for love to rescue us all?

Do you get it? If so, please add your comments to this blog. Thank you.

Never Give Up — EVER!

A Letter to the People of Paris

A Letter to the People of Paris

Dear Paris:

My soul bleeds for you today – just as it did when the World Trade towers were brought down by terrorists. I feel your fear and disbelief. You feel that evil is everywhere and that you can’t escape it. Dread clouds your vision and your heart. How can this happen to peace-filled people? How can this gutless evil continue?

There are some people who say prayer isn’t enough, that we need to take arms against terrorists, and blow them away. No one has the right to take another person’s life, yet, it happens every day all over the globe.

I’m at a loss on how to console you in your misery, and maybe, there is no consolation when it comes to soul-deep agony. I can cite quotes on survival and ask you to be strong, but will this ease your pain? Probably not.

Several months ago, I sat in one of your cafes, in a window seat, watching life in Paris. It was a short moment in time, but I was awestruck by the vibrancy of your lives – not really that much different from my own. We need each other at these difficult times. We need to harness our grief, embrace our sorrow, and take the right steps to eliminate evil. We need to promise to act as one force rather than separate entities. Together we can grapple with the injustice of these terrorists’ acts, and find the right solutions to bring peace to our world.

I promise to do everything I can to make this world a place of love. I promise to eliminate the fear that tears us apart. I promise to combine my efforts with others who have different beliefs, yet, have hearts that yearn for the calm that I do. I promise to always act out of love and not fear. I promise to not let fear determine my journey in this life.

I promise to pray for us all with an open heart and divine hope.

Never give up Paris – never!

Please share this post with your loved ones all over the globe.