Let us reflect on the Holocaust. Let us remember to not repeat the past by understanding the conditions that brought us to this moment in history, to this tragedy -the blame, the fear, the hate.Traditionally, it is when times are hard that we become the most divisive. We look to blame without taking the blame. We argue the problem into war. Instead of, resolving the problem through peace. It is these moments that will define us in ugliness, or define us triumph. Today, will we come together for the greater good, or fall to our knees in fear, cowering to the enemy within?We have this choice. We have the propensity in our hearts toward good will. Yet, we also fear in self preservation. Charity when we focus on the greater good. Greed when we focus on what will save the self. Yet, the self can only persevere in the greater good. Greed is bigger than the self, and takes at every opportunity in fear to grow. Charity is for the true self and will give in every moment for every self, for the collective self.
What am I saying and what does this have to do with the Holocaust? Nazis wanting to do away with the government as it was, and pretending to care about the working man -you and I- this Party pandered to the German people. They rallied around a Man, who stood for a party that said what they wanted to hear, but the Hitler said those things in fear. People ignored the hate he spoke and listened to the promises of a Great Germany united: yet only by their fear. Unhappy and dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, the people began to listen. Hitler didn’t start off saying kill the Jews. He said blame the Jews: he gave them an avenue for the discontent, for their anger -someone to blame. He played to the enemy within. The people became blinded to their own hate, to the battle being waged inside, in the self. Divided, Germany become more divided. The internal war was now ever present in the external world. In greed and in a lust of power, the German people’s humanity (the charity of the heart) ceased and an ugly monster rose up to replace it. The true self fell to the Greed that become bigger than Hitler, bigger than Germany, and this breed of Greed ravaged the world in fear. Yet, eventually Greed falls under its own weight and takes the self with it -not just the self, but the collective self too.
We need to remember, I am my brother’s keeper. I am you -and you are me. And WE live or fall by the compassion we give in charity to all. The enemy we fear is within -we fear others, because we know our own individual nature, but should we fear it? Or challenge it? And understand this nature is only dangerous when we give over to our fears. When we hand our fears to other people, only to support their fears and have them support our fears, we sell our humanity to fear -from this, greed is born. If we acknowledge our fear and refuse to give over to it, our nature is only for the greater good. Without fear, we want what is good for all, and we strive for it.
Do not fear these uncertain times. Trust that when you focus on the greater good for all, you are included in that ALL. We will flourish if we rise together and leave no person behind. Together we Triumph, divided I fall. I am you -and you are me.Together, we are one. In fear we are none, not even the self can stand as one.