Oh, what a world


Oh, what a world.
Do you ever wonder if in a different time and a different space under different circumstances, if another “you” has made that same statement?
Maybe it was a young mother watching as the waters rushed through her small village taking her family and her life away in an alluvial flood plain in Mesopotamia.
Or maybe it was the Jewish leaders watching as Queen Salome Alexandra died along with the independence of their people.
Oh, what a world.
Maybe it was a child, standing on Calvary, watching Jesus die and wondering why the act of helping people would deserve death.
Maybe it was a crusader sticking his sword through the heart of a “Heretic” wondering, “Why am I doing this?”
Oh, what a world
Maybe it was a mother holding the corpse of her husband during the black death or a child screaming in fear as the plague doctor comes to take her parents' corpses away.
Oh, what a world
Or maybe it’s the man holding his lovers’ hand as that lover takes his last emaciated breath and finally is released from his earthly body ravaged by AIDS.
Or maybe it was the black man being held down screaming “I can’t breathe” as his life slips away because of the color of his skin.
Oh, what a world
Or maybe it’s the grandfather who has fought for freedom and antifascism in a world war, raised a family, and watched them grow, only to not be able to breathe because people around him didn’t wear a mask…..here…..now.
Oh, what a world.
When did we become a country of party over people?
When did we decide that a life is easily forfeit because of the color blue or red.
When have we NOT faced down any challenge or threat to America as one unified country?
Oh, what a world.
Are we living in karmic payback and now it’s time to pay the piper for all the vile things we did to create the land of the “free” (for some).
Are we finally paying for not realizing that our nation was created out of thievery and slaughter of its rightful inhabitants?
Are we finally paying for not recognizing that EVERY human being is worthy….that EVERY human being is equal and should never have been chained, stolen or “owned”?
Oh, what a world
We are a country of “them” and not “us”.
We are a country of  “me” over “we”
We are divided……and divided we fall.
Oh, what a world
We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, from our history. A simple child’s tale teaches a better lesson then many of us could.
The Four Oxen and the Lion
The fable reads as follows:
A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling [sic] among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in the separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.
United we stand, divided we fall. (Aesop’s Fables)
Have we fallen?
Are we all eaten by the Lion?
Are we lost?
Oh, what a world

Comments

  1. VirginiaArtWithHeartJune 30, 2020 at 8:13 PM

    We all need some excercise. Perhaps, humanity needs to start "working-out" the empathy muscles. We can do this as a team sport. You nailed it all on the head.
    Karma is the key.
    We need to purposely do the right thing.

    What a world of opportunity - to make a difference.

    ReplyDelete

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