We Are, One Race

Don Kindred, the publisher of the San Clemente Journal writes in the current Journal: 

"We occupy these spaces for only a fraction of time. But our lives are important, not just as individuals, or families, communities, or states and countries...but as humans.

We are, one race." 

The title of his message is "Life, Matters."

I thought it was an appropriate and timely message. I was very grateful that our Center had been featured in the current San Clemente Journal.

Senior editor, Ann Batty, wrote a lovely article about our Center in that same magazine.
She was interested in us because she heard we were 'healers.' And indeed we are healers. The basis of all our healing is the idea of oneness: "There is only one Life. That Life is perfect. That Life is God's Life. That Life is my life now." When we see life as an opportunity to be curious about each other, we create bridges of understanding and peace.

As many of you know, I was recently with family in Canada for my mother's funeral. After the funeral, family gathered to break bread together and to connect. I was so heartened by a conversation I overheard between my two nephews -- one a high school social studies teacher and the other a salesman. Usually the salesman is known to be a joker. The salesman was asking how the teacher handled difficult subjects in his classroom -- of race, or privilege or violence, etc. The teacher was very passionate about free speech and how important it was to have conversations with each other about our differences without resorting to violence. He also said that he knew that the teens who were talking were usually regurgitating what they had heard at home, not necessarily their own original thinking. When he finished speaking, he apologized for monopolizing the conversation. His cousin, assured him that he (and all of us) benefited from the teacher's experience and was grateful that the teens had someone like him to listen to them and perhaps moderate the debates between students with differing views.

I was proud of the maturity and wisdom in these two young men. I have lived at great distances from both of them, and doubt that any of my philosophy or values have rubbed off on them, yet when it comes down to it, human beings are all in this together. And life matters.

The conversation would not have happened if someone, hadn't been curious enough to ask questions.  We are all in this together.