I’m not here to debate the justifications of war. Rather, I am here to invite collective empathy towards the unspeakable trauma war unleashes, especially towards our “enemies”.
Consider setting aside a small percentage of our thoughts, a space in our prayers, and potentially, a small chunk of our national resources to attend to those devastated by war on the enemy side.
We Americans must explicitly recognize the fallen lives and the shattered dreams—counted in millions—that followed our nation’s invasion. It’s undeniable that the US invasion wreaked havoc on a heartbreaking scale in Iraq.
The dismissiveness and eye-rolls captured in this video are psychological defenses. Our then-president Bush’s seeming lack of remorse for the millions of lives destroyed—innocent on the surface, like us, but cloaked in a different shade, certainly at utter odds with his professed faith in Christ.
This denial is because acknowledging the sorrow would be UNBEARABLY heart-wrenching to us.
So we live blissfully indifferent lives, belittling the gravity of a distant agony, focusing more on the plot twists of the latest Marvel movie or the perfect sweetness of our afternoon lattes.
I’m not diminishing anyone’s lifestyle here. I’m in this too. Very much. Yet, we must let ourselves feel more deeply in order to transcend war and to truly step into the essence of Love. At least a little bit.
If we’re committed to Love, this is not just good to do, but an absolute prerequisite. We must not be afraid of trauma if it helps us Love more fully.
If you feel I can help in some way, please get in touch.
Ranjeeth Thunga / Perspective Mapper