Stillness 6-2: There’s an awful lot of furor occurring now, boiling up and spilling over after the relative calm of our surreal lockdown spring. I’m hearing opinions, reactions, and rage that take my breath away. In response, I tend to retreat into quiet. Being quiet and listening is a main part of my work as a metaphysical practitioner, yes, but that’s not why I’m quiet—it’s because in our current outrageous climate I find the experience of trying to convince someone who doesn’t agree with me to be utterly exhausting and debilitating.
Several years ago, during my travels, I met up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in many years and during our conversation we got onto the subject of race. The topic was a passion for him—genealogy, generally—and since I’m interested in most things about most people, I listened. He stated unequivocally that he was not a racist, and he grew vehement about his ideas of inclusiveness, about everyone’s equal intelligence, about fairness of opportunity, and so on. But eventually these words emerged carelessly and glibly: “Except for gypsies…they really are a rubbish race.”
He then began to name all the stereotypical reasons why gypsies were dreadful and I had to stop him. I knew there was probably very little use in arguing with him about his prejudice—my stating “facts” about gypsies was not going to change his mind. But I did tell him that he was a racist. What was so interesting to me was that he absolutely denied it! He simply could not see it. Since gypsies deserve to be despised he was not being prejudiced, only factual.
I tend to avoid entangling myself in controversial topics, usually because it all feels so hopeless. There seems to be no discussion, no way of connecting, and I hate that. It’s like arguing with a stiff breeze that just gets stronger and doesn’t care how you feel about it. There’s something terrible about that happening between human beings.
But, unfortunately, by not saying anything, we are saying that we agree with whatever cruelty, misinformation, or conspiracy-gossip is being said. And that is not acceptable. We must always speak our truth, even if it’s to a harsh, unfeeling wind. I know that in my heart. Whether my words are ignored or whether I’m burned at the stake because of them, they must be spoken.
So this morning I responded to an email that at another time I would have simply ignored and deleted. But with all that’s going on in our world, I simply could not turn away from ignorance, prejudice, and isms. I needed to take a stand for courage, kindness, science, and clarity. I think, in the end, the fact that we’ve spoken the truth may be more important than changing someone’s mind.