Why Reconciliation?
“It takes one person to forgive; it takes two people to be reunited.”
Lewis B. Smedes
Some years ago, two people from two very different political positions sat on a college stage, side by side, sharing their perspectives with the students. The male was a Palestinian. The female was Jewish. They both came from the East Bank of Israel. Each had suffered family losses during Israeli-Palestinian violence’s. They met; they took part in a forgiveness experiment; they both forgave – and worked to understand each other.
Then they decided to travel the world – together – to teach the possibility of reconciliation. First, the woman Hannah Levi said all those who hate have to learn who they hate. And why. The deepest reasons why. In order to do this, said the man Ari Daoud, they had to learn how to communicate with each other. None of it was easy, they both agreed.
Through all their work they learned that they both wanted the same things: shelter, food, their families close, safety for their loved ones, growth, a time of peace, love in the world, roots for their children.
They soon realized they could have none of these things until they could learn to respect each other’s views – to understand if not agree with them. Then they had to learn to be open to the possibility of reconciliation. Eventually, they did all this. Now they were trying to share these possibilities with others.
Today, voices in Iraq, the Sudan, Turkey, Taiwan, Australia and other nations throughout the world are raised in pleas for reconciliation. Here, in America, we pray for our leaders to gain the wisdom needed to embrace negotiations and to understand the art of reconciliation.
However, we need not be part of a national movement to demonstrate and teach the art of reconciliation. We can start right here, right now, with our loved ones, our neighbors, our tradespersons, our colleagues. Remember the old saying: Bloom where you are planted?
Meditation for the Day
The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way. Anon.
Action for the Day
Today, I’ll practice negotiations aimed at reconciliation. I will not only go half way; I’ll go a little bit further. Today, I’ll accept that a negotiation allowing a win for the other guy as well as for me is the only path to reconciliation.
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