Don't Tell Me What to Do

life is filled with contrasts.  for every positive, there is a negative--two sides of the same coin.  love/hate, life/death, plenty/want.  often it is difficult to differentiate between the two.  as soon as we are born, we begin the process of dying.  love sometimes morphs into an obsession that engenders hate and loathing.  some of those who live in plenty are unhappy, filled with want for that which they cannot have.  our lives are spent searching for balance.  we seek love that does not engender a clinging to that which is loved.  we prepare for death in the midst of life.  we try to discover when we have enough so that we do not crave more than we need.

we see the suffering in the world, much of it caused by our own actions.  as we watch the war in ukraine, we see the results of one man's craving for control over territory he longs to possess.  we witness the needless death and destruction caused by putin's attempt to force the ukrainians to bow to his will.  the desire to control and possess when we already have more than enough plays out in large and small ways and has throughout history.  we seek to force others to be what we want them to be, rather than accepting them as they are.  i've watched parents try to mold their children into something they are not, often with disastrous results.  this sort of control is a political and social issue now in our country as we witness those who want children to be permitted to be their authentic selves labeled as "groomers" by those who would have children forced to live according to their biological characteristics rather than their sense of personal identity and gender.  gay identity is treated as something shameful that cannot even be discussed in schools by the passing of laws forbidding its mention.

may we see the continuity of life and death, the ease with which hate is labeled "love," and the great harm that is done when we seek to control the lives of others.  may we accept life as it is, living it as authentically as we can and allowing others to do the same.  may we know when we have enough and be willing to let go of that which is excessive.  may we be at peace with ourselves and one another.  shalom.