We’re living at a time when lying, misinformation, alternative facts and conspiracy theories have replaced truth itself. American citizens are frequently caught between different pieces of misinformation, and often, people can’t tell the difference between misinformation and truth.
The problem is: If we can’t believe what we’re being told, how can we make essential decisions regarding the welfare of our country? The truth is: We can’t.
A good example of this is the creeping re-entry of White Christian Nationalism into our country’s fabric. Within this belief system, men are generally dominant over women, who typically have no say when it comes to their reproductive decision-making.
Toni Morrison and the Dalai Lama as guides
The Dalai Lama has written, “Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature. Our own survival is so dependent on the help of others that a need for love lies at the very core of our existence. He has also stated that “without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”
Furthermore, the Dalai Lama believes:
Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbeliever, man or woman, black, white or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally and mentally we are all equal. We all share basic needs of food, shelter, safety and love. We all aspire to happiness, and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture and language make no difference.
In addition to the Dalai Lama, Toni Morrison can serve as a guiding light through this post-2024-election valley of the shadows when we read these words:
This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair. No place for self-pity. No need for silence. No room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.
Resolving to embrace my values
As for me, Trump’s election in 2024 has strengthened my resolve to embrace the values that I hold dear. I’m resolved to relate to others as I’d want others to relate to me, while realizing that “but there by the Grace of God, there go I.” And I keep in mind that when one of us suffers, we all suffer.
Trump’s “Ugly American” shadow reminds me of what it means to express awareness, compassion and loving-kindness, moment by moment. It reminds me to acknowledge that I’m a person whose Divine Essence lives within me, as it lives within each one of us.
By living with such a sense of community—even throughout difficult times—we’ll be able to rebirth our basic sense of oneness with one another, moment by moment.
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image: Steppe Walker
