This Christmas, there is a stark contrast between the world on my screen, the reports of the brave journalists, and people living with deep suffering, and at the same time, I look up and see my world is entirely different from that.
The two feel like a universe apart… but they are not. It is my world.
The surrealness of this ongoing reality of struggle, where technology enables me to connect with people and events from around the world, yet also highlights the unsettling and fierce contrasts between different communities. I refuse to look the other way, to not read about the atrocities; doing this, I am bearing witness to the sobering cruelty and injustice around me while holding this struggle, living what others do not have. It hurts, I feel guilty, I am angry, and I feel helpless… but none of those feelings or thoughts compare a wink to what most of the world endures every second of their existence. So, I let it be a poignant reminder that, despite the raw differences, it underscores the urgent need that I must strive for peace and understanding to embrace one another to create a more just and equitable world for all.
And how can I do that?
By doing what I love and or do best…
If you can march in a protest, do it,
If you are a baker or cook, share recipes and create food from other countries,
If you sing, sing their songs,
If you can write, spread the message of peace,
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Whatever we can do, do it in the name of love, forgiveness, peace, understanding…
let those words become the daily focus, the Christmas gift to humanity.
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