...How Many Deaths Will It Take...

...How Many Deaths Will It Take...
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Paul Bloom

On this April day in 2017, dew on the petals in my front yard captures me.

How beautiful. How fleeting. How fragile my life – the life of each person – in our world.

The juxtaposition of headlines rattles me:

chemical warfare / missile strikes

palm sunday processions / church bombings

passover preparations / hate killings

In the middle of the night, as I walk during the day, I search for any spark of insight, of hope.

The only glimmer I find right now?

When we get into any kind of “us” vs. “them,” we’re in big trouble — eons ago or right this minute in my neighborhood, in my country.

Dylan’s song rings strong. I alter his words a bit:

how many deaths will it take

till we know

that killing

won’t stop killing

My lifework is called Oasis in the Overwhelm. Its purpose is to help us find a place of respite, of clarity, when life appears to be too much. I wish all of us – me, too – deep wisdom and active compassion today. A simple Oasis Sanity Tip:

Today, any time you catch yourself in “us” – “them”:

Pause

Breathe

Look for the big picture, the very big picture

Do one simple act to make that big picture a bit saner

Peace to all our hungry world.

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