There are a lot of wars that go on in our lives and around the world. There is Syria. There is Sudan. There is the Ukraine. There is Chicago. There is also the struggle at home: with parents, friends, experiences, belief systems, and ideologies. All of these are struggles that pierce their way through the shadows and into our bones and minds. However, I wonder if you realize that there is a common denominator among all these bouts and battles. There is a central argument that we all face as humans, that branches itself into every decision we make, whether we consciously realize it or not. There is an eternal and inevitable choice in every situation between two things.
Fear. And Love.
Whether you accept it or not, we are base creatures. Yes, we are the most intelligent life form on this planet. But we all must realize something about ourselves; we are animals. Now, whether we are special and placed on this earth with a purpose or not is not the point of this article. Rather, the point I am trying to make is that regardless of those notions, this dipole of love and fear resides within us. Every decision you make comes back to one of these two natures. Every time you interact with a fellow human being. Every word, every choice, every action, and every reasoning hinge on this eternal beam. Remember that time you lied to your parents about where you were last night? That was a decision based on fear. Remember that time you saw one of the new kids in school sitting by themselves during lunch and you didn't offer them to join your table because your friends might not like that? You feared what they would think of you. Another decision made out of fear.
But also can you recall the one time where you let a person go in front of you in line at the grocery store? Or the time that lady on the corner gave you two pieces of candy instead of one because she loved your costume? These were decisions made out of love. Small they were, but of love nonetheless.
I am talking about this because we are reaching a climax point in our society. In the Unites States of America in particular, we are at a boiling point. This year has been an absolute year of controversy. It seems every article you read and every story you see on the local or national news channels is one of death, destruction, war, burglary, fires, shootings, terror attacks, cyber hacks, government scandal, protests, and anything else that will give you a sense of fear. Some may argue that it is simply being aware of your surroundings. I don't disagree. But has there been the same number of articles about charities, community help projects, and general acts of kindness on the news, especially on the nation level? No. Not even close. They use fear as a motivator. They want you to think everyone is out to get you. The worst of these are demagogues like Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and the like. By preying on your fears of death and personal insecurity, they peddle their agendas. They want you to be afraid. They want that fear to turn to anger. People that are afraid and angry are vulnerable and easier to influence and manipulate.
They don't want you to love those different than you. They don't want you to love or trust anybody. And that's easy to do. People hurt us all the time. It is easy to distrust people that hurt you. Many hold a prejudice. Let me say that that is the easy way out. That is the lazy way out. It will always be easier to ignore the problems you encounter than to confront them and work to move past them for a better future. It's hard working with people you disagree with! It is hard looking past statements and assumptions people say when you are emotionally compromised. I am not asking us to abandon our feelings. But I am asking us to remain level-headed at all times. I want to remind you of one of Yoda's most known quotes; "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Look at the world around you. Tell me that this process does not manifest itself in our lives every single day.
I beg you to consider the alternative. Love.
Love is not easy. As Martin Luther King Jr. so wisely said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Do you know where this most relevant mantra needs to be exercised? The War on Terrorism. Or, as I like to call it, the War on Fear.
I want to leave you with my parallel to Yoda's saying.
Love leads to understanding. Understanding leads to peace. Peace leads to happiness.
Don't have a fear of love.
