Reclaiming Peace
I grew up in the Midwest and was raise Christian. And I remember hearing the adage of wishing for world peace for Christmas.
As a kid, I had no context for what that really meant.
There was no war that touched me. There was no collective violence that impacted my life. And my first introduction to the concept of military action was by way of wrapping a yellow ribbon around a tree in our front yard because that somehow indicated support for my step-uncle, who was deployed with the army during the Iraq war.
It was theoretical. It was distant. And it was exclusively in the realm of adults when I was a child.
So, world peace as a Christmas wish didn’t really make sense to me. My direct experience of the world was pretty peaceful.
Now, as an adult, and given our current world circumstances, I can’t imagine wishing for anything else – for Christmas or otherwise.
And part of it is the obvious. Actual bloodshed. Actual violence. Actual threats.
But part of it is also the quick and loud outspokenness by people who are not directly – or even indirectly – impacted by the bloodshed, violence, and threats.
People who proclaim justice, equity, and liberation but seemingly speak without listening.
Because these people influence the people who follow them. And their audiences listen more to them than they do to the people directly impacted, which can lead to other forms of bloodshed, violence, and threats.
I’m not claiming to know what’s right. While I may have an academic background that supports having a certain level of intellectual information regarding the historical context of current events, I also have a lived experience that is far from related.
Therefore, my voice is far from relevant. And any opinions are half-formed, at best, because they lack the necessary lived experience to make them fully formed.
I know enough to know that I DON’T know enough to take up space in the conversation.
So I’m listening. Not to mass media. Not to social media influencers. But to people impacted. I’m checking in with people I love. I’m having individual conversations with people in my life rather than open conversations with the general public. And I encourage you to do the same.
Because ultimately, a peaceful resolution isn’t going to come from online vitriol. All that will do is serve to ramp up the islamophobia and antisemitism that are already on the rise.
No, having an individual conversation isn’t going to impact the decisions of a political leader. But it will add a level of connection and compassion to your life, whereas the social media discourse is primarily stoking fear and anger.
And imagine what might be available if we all had a bit more connection to and compassion for one another.
In no way is this intended to silence anyone’s voice. (I can already hear the accusations.)
But it looks like a lot of what’s happening in social media discourse is the oppressed becoming the oppressors.
Here’s what I mean: As women, we’ve been silenced for so long. And reclaiming our voice has been a hard road.
Sometimes, though, that leads to speaking up in spaces that aren’t ours.
Hence the backlash against White Feminism.
And, speaking from personal experience, the inside of a lot of White Feminist spaces is nothing more than patriarchal constructs with a woman filling every spot.
Sometimes, the patriarchy shows up wearing pink.
When the space isn’t ours, it’s far more important to listen than it is to speak.
Not listening to correct. Or listening to condemn. But listening to connect.
And I know that can be hard. Ultimately, though, I believe that’s what our work is here as humans: Connection.
So, if current world events seem overwhelming, get off of social media and have an actual conversation with someone about it. Check in with someone you love. See how they’re doing. Offer support – even (perhaps especially) if that’s just listening, compassion, and connection.
