Rumi says:
I weep when boys throw stones at dogs….Forgive
the harm that anyone does.
We are here to be a forgiveness door
through which freedom comes….
We are tasting the taste this minute
of eternity. We are pain
and what cures pain, both. We are
the sweet cold water and the jar that pours.
Wash in wisdom-water. so you will have no regrets
about the time here….
Two days ago in Cairo, American President Barack Hussein Obama addressed Egypt, Muslims, and the world. He articulated the vision of all great faiths and great souls: peace, forgiveness, compassion and an insistence on the value and the rights of every human being.
Citing the Holy Koran, the Holy Bible, and the Torah, Obama urged all of us to walk the talk of the faith of our fathers and mothers–to hold a high vision of how our global village could be, and to do our own parts to make that vision real.
One of my efforts is my new children’s book–Awesome Obama: How a Boy with Big Ideas Changed the World. It’s meant to teach children to follow President Obama in deciding early to make a difference with their lives. There’s a huge international market for this book. If you know someone who might want to help me get it published, please email me at: yeswecan.victorialee@gmail.com .
I hope the President cites Rumi when he begins to negotiate with Iran. A great soul who created tens of thousands of profound verses, Rumi is a 13th century Persian poet who lived as an adult in Konya, Turkey. If we know Rumi, we must see the Iranians through the eyes of profound respect for their history and culture. This tends to make for a good beginning to personal or international diplomacy.
Even if we’re not diplomats or politicians, we each have a part in the global paradigm shift that must happen if we are to save the planet and our children. It begins with how we treat relatives, neighbors and friends who challenge us. It begins in our own back yards.
Pro-life advocates must come to affirm each woman’s right to follow her own conscience about reproductive choices. Pro-choice advocates must recognize the profound moral urgency which fuels compassionate pro-lifers. We must all work together to minimize the need for abortion and the support for women and babies once born.
We must all agree to forego violence in this and all personal choices.
President Obama has the courage to insist that Palestinians and Israelis must open their hearts to the pain of the other side. As in the pro-life/pro-choice issue, perhaps we will find common ground faster if we all focus on how much we all care about the children–innocent children in pain, children who live in fear, children who die needlessly because the adults in charge would rather seek vindication and vengeance, than create a safe world for their precious little ones.
Rumi says:
Work. Keep digging your well.
Don’t think about getting off from work.
[Soul] water is there somewhere.
Submit to a daily practice.
Your loyalty to that is a ring upon the door.
Eventually, the joy inside will open a window
and look out to see who’s there.
So many challenges–so little time. Thank you Mr. President for leading us toward the light.
Blessings to you, dear visitor. You may respond here to this post, or email Dr. Lee at drvlee1234@aol.com.
