Love takes courage

In the word "courage," I see the root of "heart" in Latin languages, such as "coeur" in French or "corazon” in Spanish. One definition of courage is to "have enough heart" to take the right actions despite our fears or weaknesses. Nothing requires us to have more heart than love. Similarly, acts of hate often stem from fear, and we could argue that acts rooted in hate are acts of cowardice, as they represent choosing the easy path of surrendering to our raw emotions without confronting them.

?To react angrily and use power to destroy an enemy who has wronged us is a natural human response. What's more challenging is to wield that power responsibly.

I write this in the context of the current Israeli conflict. Let's be clear: what Hamas has done in attacking civilians is morally repugnant and goes against our humanity. Civilians must be protected in armed conflicts at all times, without exception.

?The rule that "civilians should not be targeted" is a principle that all parties, state and non-state actors in a conflict, should adhere to. This holds true for all parties involved in the current conflict.

?Given the atrocities of these acts, it's easy to classify all Palestinians living in Gaza as terrorists or view them as mere collateral damage. Imagine if Ukraine had acquired weapons capable of causing as many civilian casualties as Russia has - would that be acceptable? Certainly not.

?So today, I want to advocate for courage on both sides. Courage to love. Courage to break the cycle of violence against civilians. Courage to distinguish between the minority brandishing weapons, their financiers, and those who provide them comfort, versus civilians concerned about their next meal, mortgage, rent payment, or school tuition - in other words, those striving for a normal life to provide for themselves and their immediate family.

?It's a fundamental human value that only those who commit a crime (and their co-conspirators) must be held accountable. These values resonate with Judeo-Christian traditions, as expressed in this Bible verse: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son." (Ezekiel 18:20)

?Consider these young Israeli babies who died in the Hamas attack. I bet for most of them under two years old, if you had told them they were Palestinian, they wouldn’t know any better. They are much like I was before the age of two. I would have accepted being European, American, Chinese, or of any nation for that matter. Isn't the same true for a baby born in the Gaza Strip?

?When we witness this kind of violence in a conflict, it's a natural reaction to lose hope that we can ever achieve peace. In my home country of Haiti, we have a saying that "hope keeps us alive." Centuries dealing with adversity including slavery, infightings, economic and natural disasters, have taught us that hope is the one asset we can never afford to lose.

?To all my sisters and brothers who may be inclined to lose hope when we, as an advanced civilization, witness conflicts like the one in the Middle East (state versus non-state actor), wars such as the one between Ukraine and Russia (two state actors), or internal conflicts like the ongoing gang violence in Haiti, my birth country, I say let's remember that we, as humans, have overcome similar conflicts. Warring parties like France and Germany are now strong economic and political partners; we've resolved ethnic conflicts in South Africa, Rwanda, and religious conflicts like the ones in Ireland.

?So, I say love will prevail, and we will achieve peace. A wise man once told me, "Even total darkness cannot extinguish the light of a small candle”. I share these words to encourage the loving souls on both sides of the conflict, reminding them that they are pilgrims on this earth, not of this earth, and their essence is love, capable of shining their little light, however feeble it may seem.

?To conclude, I offer these words of prayer, which, like all prayers, are an affirmation of what is, even if it has not yet materialized:

"Shalom. Salam. Om Shanti. Shanti. Shanti.

Peace. Peace. Peace."

?May you feel the love of our Creator, which is ever-present, wherever you may be.

With much love,

Sammy??

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#Thirdway #Peace #love #Courage #StandwithPeace #ChoosePeace