The Middle East Crisis: an Animist Perspective

The Middle East Crisis: an Animist Perspective

We commune and fall into reverence and relationship with the Natural World in our community.

We don’t find our spiritual connection outside ourselves (without), nor do we petition the bearded tyrant in the sky with fear & trembling in favor of promised afterlife prizes, nor do we use intermediaries to translate “his” ways.

She speaks directly into our hearts.

What started as a myth based on the far East Assyrian and Babylonian Kings took hold; through the “authority” and laws of the temple, the shadow of the hawk fell upon humanity and ultimately became institutionalized. Control and domination are its destination.

Humanity now bears the scars of this way of relating to “God”. We can now see the fruits of hate and fear as it roars its head in an intensified war in the Middle East.

Who pays? The innocent.
Who benefits? The few in power.

Picking sides and screaming on social media leads to becoming progressively more polarized and radicalized. It ultimately leaves us projecting our pain and vitriol onto one another, which only emboldens this entity that holds most humans in its talons.

This is not a pollyanna nor a pacifist stance, for at times, we must stand and face the battle at hand, as the opening of the Mahabharata clearly shows, but our most significant impact is achieved by not allowing the inner flame of humanity to be snuffed out during these dark times. Our most significant impact is how we relate and engage with friends, those with different perspectives, family members, and our circle of influence from a heart-centered perspective, not on social media but in real life.

It is heart-centered acts of kindness and courage like that of my friend Ido Grinberg (Israeli), who was visited by new customers (Muslims) at his home, and for a moment, he felt into both of these realities. The one on amplified on social media, which promotes division and purging of vitriolic hate vs. his heart, which spoke quietly to him to “let them in and be generous.” He followed his heart, and a beautiful and kind exchange was had—a minor healing in the fabric of humanity and a small victory in the us vs. them paradigm.

The myth of “God” based on East Assyrian and Babylonian Kings

“It was not always this way…” She whispers.

We pray and listen from our hearts (within) to ancient beings such as the Oak, the rolling thunder, and rain, and to our brethren, the fire, to name a few.  In such times of confusion, the only path before us is to journey within. Tune into and learn to listen from the heart vs. becoming a propaganda mouthpiece for others.

A beautiful, interconnected world awaits beyond this polarization, indoctrination, division, fear-mongering, and radicalization of society for the benefit of those few in power.

Learn to listen without ears and to see without eyes through the prism of the heart.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about” #Rumi

Draw close to those who are hurting, this is when they need you the most.  Show your humanity by being a safe harbor so they do not feel alone. Many people we know are directly affected by this war and this is the time to draw close.  Help them alchemize their pain so that they may keep their hearts open.  Keep the flame alive for we are our brother’s keeper.

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The irony is not lost to many who know that Esau (father to the descendants of Islam) and Jacob (father to the descendants of Judaism) were brothers, fraternal twins in fact, sons to Isaac and Rebecca as told in the book of Genesis.

Middle East Crisis: An Animist perspective.  We welcome your thoughts and comments surrounding this issue.

Join us at one of our men’s embodiment circle‘s if you’d like to learn more about our path and community.