The mass exodus of millions of people from their homes and communities is very dramatic. Our news media give us much to see, much to react to.
There are stories of courage and desperation. There are stories of acts of open-hearted kindness and generosity. There are stories of the closing of doors, the closing of borders. There are accounts of people making money from the suffering of others, or capitalizing on the crisis.
Everywhere I look, I see evidence that we as a collective, the vast collective of all humanity, are showing ourselves that we are ONE PEOPLE. We are showing ourselves that borders make no sense anymore. We are showing ourselves that suffering in a far distant land eventually and inevitably makes its way to our back yards and front doors. Our inboxes are full of news of our fellow humans needing our help.
That part of me, a large and growing core within me, that sees all that is as perfect and radiant with divine love, sees this refugee crisis as serving us deeply and truly at this time. We are ready to feel our hearts as the heart of all humanity and make that choice in a personal way. Is this mine? Is this refugee my own fragile self? Is this flight to safety the same one that I have to make? When I help this woman, this man, this child, am I actually helping myself? How does it feel to give, and give and give again? How does it feel to lose everything, to have nothing, to be forced to flee? How does it feel to have everything I could possibly want and still see no abundance there to be shared?
This calamity is rich and full and serves us. Every single person suffering homelessness, statelessness, a complete and utter lack of security of their person, a complete lack of safety - every single one of these incredibly brave and battered souls is in profound service to humanity and I am grateful to them all with every breath that I take.
In whatever way you are aware of this crisis, in whatever way you respond to it, or seem to remain unresponsive, you serve as well. We are collectively having an incredibly important conversation about what it means to be human and what it means to love the world.
I do not rejoice in any person's suffering, but I rejoice in the way in which we are being challenged, more so now than ever before, to open ourselves to the essential unity of all of humanity.
It is said that every crisis is an opportunity and this crisis is most definitely that. This is an opportunity for all of us to reshape our world in profound ways.
If we were not ready for this, not 'up to the challenge,' we would not be faced with it. We are faced with it. We are ready. I believe that we will make good choices, will find ways to help all those affected by war, will transform our view of humanity from deep within our hearts and will change our world in ways that we will look back upon with great joy.
