After a bucolic weekend in the vineyards of Burgundy, I came home to immense sadness around the slaughter of many innocents in Orlando, two young French policeman, parents of two, and the female English politician and mother of two.
These represent the utmost extreme forms of hatred, prejudice, and violence, but lesser ones, such as violence of tongue can create a path towards extremes and emotionally maim for many years, such as I have seen in families, and even amongst like minded bodies of people.
An example is the Holy and Great Council of Eastern Orthodoxy which just started on the island of Crete, had begun to unravel at the seams before it started, when the Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian and Antiochian churches pulled out at the last minute.
This debacle highlights how even those who belong to the same religion ( and Orthodoxy isn’t the only one) can’t tolerate the diversity amongst themselves, and have forgotten that harmony of heart, should be of more importance than rivalry and turf wars, in a church where unity in the body of Christ should prevail.
The last Great Council was in 787! That was long before the unfortunate schism of Christianity in 1054, that was precipitated in part by critical accusatory tongues that eventually separated the Latin western churches from the Eastern Byzantine ones.
As a therapist, I have dealt with just about every imaginable human intolerance that has led to conflict, be it amongst couples, siblings, families, friends, work situations and yes, even within oneself.
Having been able to practice in a foreign “adopted” country has been a tremendous blessing. My patients here have been very diverse in nationalities, cultures, political ideologies, religious beliefs, or lack of.
I have had the opportunity to get to know some really beautiful people, however externally “different” they may initially appear in language, culture or beliefs, to offer an endearing and sacred window into their heart, where basic desires, needs, and concerns are no different from mine own.
I saw first hand how lashing angry tongues caused a painful riff in my own family that lasted many years. I learned at a young age, because it fell to me, to initiate the art of arbitration, negotiation and the importance of seeding peace and creating harmony of heart over differences and discord.
Although, that might have been an unintentional and premature boot camp for a young teen, who would someday be a therapist, it left me with a determinism of my own to place harmony and peace above whatever differences I may have with others.
My opinions are not superior to yours. I have no desire to hold my religious beliefs over yours. My political sidings are not the only valid perspective.
My culture and nationality are not better than yours. My needs and desires are not more important than yours.
What is important to me is how you treat other human beings and animals with kindness, understanding, tolerance and respect.
The common golden goal of treating others as you would like to be treated still holds true, and this should be in place not only in their presence, but in their absence as well.
Diversity is everywhere is the natural world, where opposites are not only needed, such as we see in micro invisible particles of matter, but seemingly are created with a consistency in nature.
We are not born to conquer and divide others and societies because they are not like us or nor do they believe as we do.
Creating division using aggressive, hurtful and demeaning words towards others who hold different opinions from you on social media is a form of bullying, and in my eyes resemblance of what little kids do on playgrounds.
All of this adds up to how human beings intolerance and hatred towards others who are different from them, can inflict painful schism, destroy, emotionally maim and kill in the name of their insane “righteousness.”
Tomorrow is the summer solstice, that has been celebrated since pagan times, which is a special time of the year for me. Some call it Saint John’s Eve, MidSummer Eve or Fête de la Musique here in France.
From a cosmic and alchemical perspective, is a splendid time to celebrate the coming together of masculine and feminine energies, or the Mystic Marriage.
The veil that separates the unseen mysteries from the physical plane will be thin and porous. A marvelous opportunity to gain wisdom from nature and the Divine Light of God.
You can read more of my treatise on the subject here:
http://https://www.cherrychapman.com/2012/06/21/summer-solstice-cosmic-convergence-supreme/
Separates and opposites are called to link for the common good of unity within humanity. We can maintain our individual uniqueness, yet find common ground amongst us, that would benefit the human condition on planet earth.
One of my own personal missions is to do whatever I can to seed peace and harmony wherever I might be.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to be like me, in order for me to care about you, your life or your suffering. Your humanity is already plenty enough!
P.S.
For those of you who wonder why I am very concerned with what is happening at the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church, I will try to explain.
When I visited the absolutely magnificent beautiful church of Hagia Sophia, in present day Istanbul, I was literally in awe, as I sat on the well worn stone floor as if in a trance.
I was overwhelmed by the profound and incredible beauty of ancient undivided Christianity that reeked from every corner in this church, built in 537 Ad.
Just the mere fact that it has survived intact all these years, despite earthquakes and takeover by the Ottoman Islamic Empire is a testimony of Holy Wisdom. Turned into a mosque, then into a museum; perhaps it will someday be rededicated back into all of its original glory as a church.
Until then, Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and considered the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians must sadly contain the headquarters tucked away in a small enclave of Saint Georges Church, in a rather out of reach part of Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia, meaning Holy Wisdom resonates throughout the very essence of the early undivided church as it was meant to be.
I can only hope some day, that both the Eastern and Western Church will be reunited.
This is sad, beautiful, very meaningful… and useful. Thank you very much Cherry. I needed to read this today and I will copy it to make sure I go back to it.
Thank you Claire for your very kind comment. Harmony and peaceful resolution becomes a philosophy and a way of life, but nevertheless is often difficult to achieve. Harmony and peace starts in our own hearts, along with self forgiveness for our human fragilities.