| july 30, 2006 (0037us) the soul is suffering; blogs are blowing hope |
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If I've been a penitent good enough to have made myself a soul, my soul is suffering (Rev of Ares 4/5). This sail, which will take and keep me away from the shores of pain as long as my pounded bones (Rev of Ares 17/4, 18/4) are awaiting resurrection (Rév d'Arès 31/11), like a skin gets scratched by grief. Now I understand Jesus' feeling process better, every time that he looked unwell in front of me in 1974. Even though he had been resurrected and transfigured, his soul kept suffering, but it was suffering from love and nobleness sickened by the grime and the stale smell given off by my poor heart of a then selfsatisfied "christian".
That little soul of mine is much less gloriously suffering from remorse for having failed to harvest (Rev of Ares 6/2, 31/6) the number of penitents it would take to spare 34 children fear and death today in Qana, Lebanon. I too experienced fear during bombings in 1943 and 1944. I know the sort of horrible anxiety felt by everybody, even kids, under the roar of the unseen blind force just about to kill at random, kill no-one knows whom or when or where. I wanted this blog to be often, say, every other entry, a joyful alternative to the sometimes too heavy seriousness of faith and worries given us by hard earthly realities, but what can I make it now? In the Middle East the compendium of pain and death in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, the maelstrom of problems currently insolvable between mentalities still culturally incompatible, are tormenting my soul. When I created this blog I only sought to share my thoughts with my sisters and brothers, but not be a pain in the neck with cause for concern too much repeated, I just intended to stay ever present amid the assembly while leaving a window opened for chance strangers (Rev of Ares 25/3-4) to take a glance at me. I figured that, as the world has to change (Rev of Ares 28/7), I ought to let men take time to decide on that change, I should make sure that I never put them off by repeatedly reproaching them for their sins, I should feed their minds with moderation and gentleness (Rev of Ares 25/9) and should not forget to amuse them at times. Unfortunately, I can't. Today, July 30, Israel has bombed Qana, Lebanon, and in minutes has killed 54 fellow humans, 37 children among them. I have cried once more...  But even if I am grieving, I am not in dispair. I mend my sail, my soul, it swells with the wind of faith and reason. My soul will not grow three legs and three wings like the crane that can no longer run or fly — religion and politics, in short, Néro — (Rév d'Arès XXII/1-2). I've got a blog, a blog which defies distance, haven't I? My blogger soul flies and joins the bloggers who over there, in Lebanon and Israel, send each other messages, but no bombs, no missiles. All of those messages are not polite, but many of them are not negative, I'm told. Yes, indeed, bloggers in their forums and chats exchange hopeful messages all the way over the poor plastic-coasted cocoons that the Qana children have been made into (see picture). Hundreds of bloggers tell each other their expectation that they all will be some day living together on the land that the religious and the politicians are fighting over. Then, although I feel somewhat frustrated, because I cannot talk in Arabic and Hebrew with my fellow bloggers in the Orient, I am relieved to hear that they see the situation intelligently unlike their leaders.  |
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The Soul is Suffering, the Blogs are Blowing Hope!
Perhaps there is something that can be done to avert the crisis unfolding in the Levant. It involves truthful and clear thinking. It definitely will involve a shift in the consciousness of the world's people. A wake-up call, what is the real agenda being played out here?
The three religious groups involved here, all peoples of the Book, Moslem, Jewish and Christian (USA and West generally), have lost all credibility to my mind. None of them seems ready, willing or able to recognise the claims of the others. The Christian (USA) mediating influence is blatantly supplying ammunition and armaments, which can only be read by the Israeli recipients as support for their offensive. The paranoid and militant Jews in the state of Israel have grossly over-reacted to the kidnapping of their serviceman. Hizbollah have also acted opportunistically in kidnapping servicemen, but again Israel's reaction is way over the top.
One can only feel deeply for the peoples of Lebanon, their country once again rendered to rubble, and approaching one million people forced from their homes. Equally I sense the Palestinians have a legitimate grievance. They appear now years, perhaps decades away from their much needed Sovereign State. Their recent election was rendered invalid by the International Community's rejection of the democratic outcome, the election of the Hamas led Government. If Hamas are not to be allowed to form Government in Palestine they ought to have been excluded from the election from the start!
Now Condelezza Rice is sent to sort a ceasefire. By what stroke of imagination can anyone suggest that she is a credible mediator? The master she serves is busy arming the worst of the protagonists. What peace or ceasefire is she likely to broker?
Who in the world believes that a settlement of the Middle East question in the longer term can occur without both Israel and the Palestinians having viable homelands, secure borders, functioning economies and water for drinking, industry and food production? If these are not afforded to each of the protagonists, the fight will continue. The question of the (so-called illegal) settlements in the West Bank need some hard thinking... I claim no profundity here. But the question of the Holy City of Jerusalem must be opened up. Unless all three of the groups of people who worship the God of the Book have equal and free access to this place, man's intolerance of man stands.
No longer can the protagonists continue their bloody and reckless fight and maintain credit with the world's peoples. We see that the issue has festered for much too long already. Those inflaming the situation, or obstructing either a ceasefire or a permanent solution are equally culpable in this deadly game. May the souls of these children of Qana be the last sacrificed to man's intolerance of his fellow man, for it is not the women doing the fighting, they are busy burying their dead little ones, and praying with us for an end to this horror.
Greg R., New Zealand, gregfullmoon@kelvin.net.nz
What can be done?
Before the war was started in Iraq, there were many protests.
This was the first time there were protests before the start of a war. It went on and still is going on, anyway.
djd
Dear brother Michel,
Last year, during the Pilgrimage in Arès, we took par in a meeting of which the question of the day was : "What can we do... to help brother Michel?"
At the same time, we were all very anxious and sad because you were in hospital, your life was in danger. Then a brother told us that when he announced to you one year before that he had cancer, you told him that you wouldn't pray for him, but you'd do something more useful, you'd increase your penitence for him.
Isn't war like the cancer of the world ?
If so, there are little things we can do concerning the war in Lebanon and all other wars. Our penitence would take off some veils of sadness that cover the world to let some light shine out and veil after veil the darkness of humanity's choices would disappear.
But many men (...) will show the way (Rev.of Arès 24/3) means that all depends on our harvest, as you said. But to get strength for that we need to pray, to put God's Breath into our breath (Rev of Ares XII/9).
We believe that increasing penitence, harvest and prayer here and now we are giving a chance for peace all over the world and we'll find answers to that question : "What can we do ?"
We believe that with the Creator's help, your help and with the help of all our sisters and brothers we will release the Light (Rev of Ares IX/8) and re-create that famous Garden...and the Wind will dry our tears for ever.
Peter and Rosie, New Zealand, theblue.island@yahoo.co.nz
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