The #1 aim of terrorists isn't to create mayhem & wreak destruction - it's to induce a state of terror. It's to turn people against each other, to create a "us v. them" mentality, to identify some as "acceptable" & the rest as "others."
Sadly, when fear comes into our life, the awareness that we are created for interdependence is typically its first victim.
So let me take a moment to remember honor celebrate the power & importance of interdependence.
We are created to love one another. Every other. We are called to be of service to others. All others. We cannot save ourselves at a cost to someone else, cannot grow ethically morally spiritually by dehumanizing another.
Interdependence isn't easy. It means leaving ourselves open & vulnerable. It means not hunkering down with a bunker mentality that seems most of the world as dangerous & only a precious chosen few at save & trust worthy. Yet it is what we are called to do.
While I didn't learn the term until my late 30s, always had some sense of it. It took Stephen Covey to formally introduce us. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, confirmed what I already knew - that our highest level of being is interdependence. It isn't easy to hold onto in times of heartache & insecurity, when it feels almost comforting to want to lash out in retaliation against our pain & fear of what may come.
Young & old, we can all score a victory over terrorists - of every stripe - who set out to divide, to sow fear & animosity. Whatever our age or circumstance, we can all embrace interdependence, celebrate our need for each other, give a shout out to all who surround us, can all reach out in our hearts in larger & larger interconnected circles to every - every - corner of the world. That is the victory terrorists fear most - the refusal to forget our humanity, our source of light, our connection. Let the light of the candles held at vigils become a flame in our heart fanning community caring compassion.
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