Jun 16 2019
I spent this week reliving history, as massive demonstrations and emotional testimonies evoked recent world events, and as I reflected on the father figures in our lives.
(Too busy to read and click through all the article links? Listen to this podcast episode, for highlights on the go.)
As The World Turns
When history repeats…and repeats…and repeats
I’m still thinking about Queen Elizabeth and the other 90+-year-olds I talked about in last week’s issue of #PeaceMatters. How can they stand to see history repeat itself, decade in and out? This week, I relived moments from 1997 and 2001, and already found myself feeling deja vu, and not in a good way.
Then I took a step back, and leaned in to the spiritual truth of this repetitive cycle. Things come back around because we haven’t fully learned the lesson, because the young among us have the energy and conviction to demand change, and because those demands can turn violent or deadly.
Peace isn’t free, and keeping the peace is a timeless (and often thankless) task. But strive for it we must, or society will crumble.
Here are some of the deja vu moments from the week:
- A helicopter crashed into a Manhattan skyscraper, invoking unhealed memories of 9/11. It turned out to be an experienced pilot who’d somehow lost his way.
- John Dean, who testified and was convicted in the Nixon Watergate hearings almost 50 years ago, once again sat before the House, this time to offer his perspective on the findings of the Mueller report.
- Protesters filled the streets of Hong Kong to stand against what they see as an unjust extradition law, reminding me of the Tiananmen Square protests 30 years ago, and of the mixed feelings during the 1997 British handover of Hong Kong back to China.
- Jon Stewart delivered an impassioned speech to Congress, to help secure funding for the 9/11 first responders. His plea reminded us of that horrific day, and had us questioning why it was this hard to secure funding for America’s bravest souls.
Om Is Where The Heart Is
Fathering our families and countries
Jon Stewart’s devotion and fierce advocacy for the rights of 9/11 victims shows us how masculinity can be a force for good. I’m thinking of his children, and how proud they must be of him this week.
My mind also drifted to other father figures in our lives, something I elaborate on in this episode of my #PeaceMattersLIVE show:
When “I’m sorry” never comes
I attended a book tour talk by celebrated playwright and anti-violence activist Eve Ensler. She’s out with a new, and potentially groundbreaking, book on engineering the “I’m sorry” she never got from her abusive father.
As we mark Fathers’ Day today, and in this #MeToo age, it’s time for a larger reckoning about the state of manhood and gender-based violence. The Apology is by her, for her, to her…written from her father’s point of view .
And whether you’re an offender or a victim, it has the power to set your pained soul free.
News and Views
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In the next issue:
We’re heading into summer season in America, with all the new books a bibliophile can want. I may feature a couple more next week.
Till then…
Live well and lead large – Maya