Ron Matela: Resisting Fear

My husband, Ron Matela, wrote this piece today, which I am deeply moved to share. It is powerful, tragically true, insightful and illuminating! It is also tragically true that each of us here in America is at far greater risk - which is still a very small risk, not like the one we take each day when we get in our cars to drive somewhere - of being killed by an angry white American male than by someone from another country. And to lay our fears on these desperate people who are simply seeking safety for themselves and their children is a deeply and morally dark act. 

So many moments of our days we humans are making choices between our smaller fearful and fragmented selves or our more expansive and consciously caring, connected, compassionate and courageous Selves. Always there is this choice between love and fear, if we would but open our eyes, our minds, our hearts, spirits and souls to listen to the deeper call that emanates from the Sacred wholeness which connects us all. 

Or we can choose - consciously or otherwise - fear. F = False. E = Evidence. A = Appearing. T = True. 

May our circles of caring grow and grow, ultimately to embrace all the children and all living beings everywhere, including our Earth Mother. May we be that brave. May we care that much. ~ Molly

As I understand it, a Syrian passport was found "near" one of the suicide bombers in Paris, and the response of 27 or so Governors is to proclaim that they won't allow any of the million plus Syrian refugees fleeing for their lives from the largest humanitarian crisis of the century to find shelter in their states. Fortunately, the power to admit or not admit refugees is a Federal prerogative, and doesn't fall to grandstanding, fear mongering, political opportunists. But they can make it hard by withholding funding to needed support programs. I find this sad beyond words. Unfortunately, the same political "wind testing" will likely keep the Federal government frozen in fear as well. Since on its face such an extreme over-reaction makes no sense, I am left wondering how much of what I see is just old fashioned xenophobia cloaked in today's headlines.

Two forces seem to doom us to an escalating cycle - fear and our apparent willingness to be manipulated by others who shape that fear to their own ends. A stated goal of ISIS in their magazine (yes, they have a magazine) is to divide the world into "believers" and "non-believers," and to create an environment of persecution of true believers, thus driving them to ISIS as their savior. Elegant in it's simplicity, and effective. Every drone killing, every perceived invasion of Muslim "space" by "infidels" creates new jihadists and potential "martyrs." It is clearly working. Meanwhile, innocent men, women, and children are suffering while we as a nation speak of compassion, but do little or nothing.

- Ron Matela