These days, there seems to be so much darkness lurking around. In a second, each of our lives can be destroyed by horror. Whether we are in the wrong night club at the wrong time, passing the wrong car, wearing a skirt in the wrong street, or simply looking at the wrong person at the wrong time.
Or, in the case of the US, get the wrong president. A lot of my friends put so much hope in Bernie Sanders being elected, and I too am excited to see such an admirable man so close to being able to impact positively the lives of millions. And I couldn’t help but think: “Wait, even if he is elected, he might still get shot.” It’s not like it didn’t happen before. And then what? He’s just a man. What hope is there for a man against the well-oiled machine of greed and power? What hope is there for any of us to triumph?
And this answer resonates from the depth of me, so strong it made me cry:
“For each one they take down, thousands rise."
You can kill one man, but you cannot stop the wave of consciousness awakening on this planet. You can imprison thousands, while millions stand up and rise. For love, for compassion, for freedom.
For each act of hatred and desperation, there are millions each day who tend to the sick, rescue dogs, educate children, speak the truth, donate selflessly, meditate, create and bless the world with their caring touch. For me, revolution is far beyond going in the street. The revolution happens in our homes, in our schools, with each child that looks around and cries: “Why are they doing that?! Why are they so mean?!” And then they do something. They give some of their toys to charity, stop eating meat, invite an autistic classmate over to play, give food to the homeless in their neighborhood, create amazing works of art,… and we can too. We don’t even need Bernie Sanders (ok, that would really really help). And please, don’t try to go to Canada if Trump is elected (assuming they’d let you in), because we still need you here.
It is happening! It is happening, and there is no turning back. Like a tsunami, this wave started from the depth of the depth and is rising higher and higher and there is no stopping it.
So when I feel my heart ache for the dead, the abused and the hungry I have never met, I tell myself: “Don’t fear. They can’t stop us now. For each one they take down, thousands rise. This wave cannot be stopped. And you are riding it just fine."
