TRULY - DEEPLY

  The thoughts crowding into my head tumble over one another. I question. If I believe this, how could I believe that? Or agree with that idea only and reject the other premises tagged on to it. Is it in fact realistic to think, to believe, there is a possibility of choosing and meshing choices from diverse platforms? Might we reformat until a more acceptable credo emerges? Will the process of selection of compatible beliefs inevitably relegate me to no man's land? In the tense atmosphere enveloping Israel today, with shouting factions drowning out all others, is there any hope of reconciliation and the recalling that we are in a world of 'us vs them', and 'them' is powerful, judgmental and manifestly not our friend.

 Today, Israel is busy digging a chasm so deep and so wide that it rivals the chasm within America    today. Its dimensions had and continue to deepen a growing sense of negativity and impossibility of finding and developing a middle ground. People are so obsessed with what they have to a degree of severe selective deafness, even as the answer was given. As happened in a hearing in Congress. The possibility of forward movement is mired within a deep, sticky, gluey mud which actually forced us to move backwards too often. A growing effect of that mud is ossification of our brains, thus precluding most, if not all, constructive thoughts and approaches re societal issues.     

Is there in fact any solution to this growing aversion to the exchange of ideas, of melding them, and compromising? Of ideas emerging better, shinier, with positive synergy, casting aside the rusty and broken, that which no longer works nor makes sense, extracting the best of it, meshing it together and put it into play. But how? From whence the strength, the courage, the inspiration. 

Some recommend going further with the idea of separation within society - subdividing and    redividing within the strata of society. That is foolish and dangerous for the separations will develop - longer deeper and wider - impossible to repair and bridge. It weakens that society and places it in a position of danger. All the while, optimism becomes an endangered species.

 The answer is not separation. Answers will arise from a faith, a deeper, different kind of faith. It is a faith in Man bolstered, inspired by a faith in a Power, or simply in a vision and belief in a set of Rules of the Universe. Faith. Perhaps different from the faith of others, perhaps eyed with a questioning perusal and evaluation, but faith, nevertheless, engendering the enthusiasm and capability necessary to embark on a most difficult journey, seeking what is nigh unto impossible - but which must come to fruition.

Almost immediately arises a point of contention. How does one know another has a faith compatible with yours? Is that even relevant to the matter at hand? Must we actually question and evaluate the legitimacy of the faiths of the participants of this group of well-meaning courageous people?  In what manner is that faith expressed? Is that of critical importance as we begin discussion? Certainly not, if we are aware that violence is not approved within that faith. Why must we go deeper and further into the personal lives and beliefs of individuals? Does it matter whether prayers of a faith must be said in solitary format or within groups? Are there set and/or required prayers to insure, hopefully, positive reception or might the individual craft one's own prayers, perhaps more meaningful at that moment for a reason? Is it required for prayer to take place only within specified structures or is place unimportant as long as there is truth and devotion within the words and heart of the one praying?  

Are these questions and answers critical to this discussion as to how to branch the chasm within society? Must we all be the same down to the last line of life? Or must we simply be the same in one thing - to have faith in Man? That Mankind has been granted the ability and the desire to do better, be better, to strive always to be thus and even more. to know and believe that only via cooperation and shared burdens and goals, minimizing differences and envisioning and bringing to reality a better society for all and for individuals as well, can we bridge and fill in that chasm and prevent its return.   

For that to take place, we must start at the very beginning - the individual, for they make up the society at large. He/She must be comfortable within Self, of thought and rethinking, of understanding of differences without belittling them. And willing to think deep within one's Self and trust that the others are doing so as well. The next step is for these individuals to identify points of connection amongst themselves, solidify their understanding and ideate as to how to encompass within those points, the members of their particular strata or segment of society, before venturing on to application to society at large, as a whole. Too often internal distinctions and differences within a larger group distinct from others, prove detrimental to stepping forward and upwards to larger segments of society. One might be surprised at the distinctions among groups who present themselves as one to the outside world. 

Tomorrow's topic of thought and changes, for me, at least. 

Trigger alert: Some readers might not be happy with me. That is okay for we are all entitled to think as we wish, as we believe, even as necessary. To spare ourselves aggravation we push aside rethinking, avoid areas of contention. However, there comes a time when questions arise and cannot be set aside. This is evidently my time.