Breaking through the silence of hierarchal domination is rare; whether in religion, politics, or age old cultural traditions. Often people feel they don't haven't a choice, that they must keep the status quo whatever the cost. But we are living in evolutionary times, and there's a restlessness, a will of the heart, that is demanding people speak out.
The sound of four deaf men who decided they couldn't live their lives in silence any more, will ring louder in your ears than if they were shouting.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God reveals a multitude of stories that many would prefer to keep in the shadows. In this HBO documentary by Oscar winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, the past and present cruelty of "the powers that be" who protected and seemingly aided the abuse of so many children -- is staggering.
The most impactful and moving element of this film is how a small group of men found the courage to 'speak out' and share their pain in an effort to break down the impenetrable walls of silence that have allowed upper echelons of power to intimidate humankind for centuries.
Most of the trauma found in peoples lives today can be traced to suppression from one system or another that has demanded silence to keep their rule intact. In this case, it's religious, but dominance has historically been the way of the world in political, financial, and cultural arenas as well.
Today it's given another name -- bullying, and we find it in sports, schools, buses, and intimate relationships. In many ways we still live as people did in the dark ages, surrounded by ineffable boundaries that define our lives until a day arrives when the concealed wordless rage becomes too much.
Finding your voice is one step toward healing painful memories, and every person who does demonstrates what is possible for all of us, individually and as a global community. What it sets in motion is a paradigm for a new way to live, now and for future generations, where the innate value found in every human heart can actually become the status quo, the new law of the land.
The four deaf men, who sounded the loudest note, will never live in silence again. Despite their obvious physical challenges, what they demonstrated is literally being heard around the world... How truly awe-inspiring is that.