A Call for Unity

In light of the recent attack on Paris and the media response I have decided to finally get around to writing this article. I wanted to discuss what I observed during a "social experiment" during the Autumn Equinox, but I will be expanding into the social media response to the Parisian attacks since they are one in the same really.

Around August I noticed that the Equinox, Eid, and Yom Kippur were going to land at the same time. Then I realized that a large portion, if not majority, of people were going to be praying/meditating at the same time. I felt this was going to be an opportune time to try to get us all to focus on one goal; peace and unity. I tried to speak with the authority of my Universalist ordination to get all in those groups to pray for all humanity to come together no matter of creed, for those who are starving, without family, without homes, those who are suffering, to try to join together to help stop conflicts and wars. People who believe in the power of Intent and Will (which prayer falls within this scope) believe that we have the ability to affect change whether it is the hearts and minds of the people or of our leaders; or even that a deity will intervene in the situation. There is no harm in focusing this power of Intention into one goal, especially if most of humanity is doing it at once. Even if it did nothing other than changing the hearts of the people who were doing it.

I had made a post to be shared but people did not seem to share it. I then started to make entries into groups who it was a relevant topic, still crickets like they did not read it. So I devised a plan, I would make a shiny graphic with the info. I threw together a graphic with all three religious symbols (the Crescent/Star- honestly looks like Moon/Star to me I'd like to see it as a glorious and soft night/darkness religion but they probably do not see it this way so I spare that idea-, Star of David, and Pentagram) together in the same size/location for equal footing. I put the call to action under it. I put my plea in text form in the accompanying spot for a caption. I put it in the groups (Muslim, Pagan, Spirit Science, etc), in my various social networking apps (even on Meet Me lol), and I made sure to tag my Jewish and Muslim friends who I felt would help spread the word. I got a bit more better reception. I dropped the image with message onto the band Orphaned Land's fb asking them to help spread it since they have a unity message (only for Abrahamic faiths, but I took a shot); got some likes. I even took that image with me to the women's artist group I'm apart of to spread it that way. I was able to text some of the ladies for them to spread it to their friends.

So the holidays came. I spent my day off in complete prayer. I did my own rituals in my shrine room; one to the ancestors asking their help to bring their children together and for their guidance to stave the coming conflicts I saw off, then one to my deities for strength to do what need be done. I was off to the beach to pray to Ama-Tiamat per usual, this time crying for her help in saving her children and again strength to get things done if things turned bad. Then I ended where I usually do when I go to the beach to pray, the Lake Shrine Temple. There I started with a basic prayer for the unification of humanity and peace at Gandhi's ashes. I sat near Shiva's statue then prayed to all gods with the authority of the Universalist ordination, even the ones who would be my enemy, I did a similar plea as to Ama-Tiamat. I prayed hard for the whole of humanity and for the respective deities to hear me as one praying for their followers to help them heal and bring that brotherly peace. Then I went home for the post ritual grub and rest; the rituals are grueling and take quite a bit out of me (formal ones get into blood letting and other high energy dumping activities).

The next few days I monitored social media quietly, making sure to check in on the people who said my idea was a great one. All I saw was the Muslims asking for blessings for Muslims only, Jews asking for blessings for Jews only, then the typical pagans just saying Happy Equinox to all, maybe a few blessings style greetings but didn't feel sincere. Even the band semi-snubbed me by no mention of the Equinox when they wished Happy Eid and the greet for Yom Kippur so I added onto the thread the greetings for those two AND a blessing for the Equinox from the pagan community "since we were joining them in celebration that day as well." There was virtually nothing about anything unity based, there were a few and I was grateful for that. Part of my wounded ego got in the way and I felt like, "fine! I tried. If you want to be like that and continue this path of division and self-destruction; do it. I will not try to help you any further. The world is obviously not ready for what I have to teach still." I could not just be happy that I did my part in trying to rectify a situation that was festering and people were doing some good within their own communities; like offering animals to feed the poor during Eid, I cannot condemn the Muslims even if they did not want to extend blessings towards other religions since they were helping the hungry that day. I fully support those actions, they are identical to the heathen practice of ancestral meals/animal sacrifices down to the sacrifice the animal to the deity then feed the community with it.

Then comes Paris a few months later; now I'm seeing a flood of cries to unite against terrorism and hatred. If you notice there are people who also weep for and asking for attention brought to Palestine, Chad, Cameroon, Lebanon, Italy, and Iraq (all others who have had terrorist attacks the past week); of course Syria as well which is dealing with the constant assault still. They are calling for unity of all of humanity, prayers for the world, prayers for all who suffer from the terrorists and warmongers-- is this sounding familiar? This is all great to see, really it is. I'm glad to see the message I tried to push a few months ago is finally getting some footing around the world, but I'm saddened that it took such an event in Paris to get people to start to care. Almost wonder if my prayers were answered in classic way my deities usually work. This escalation would have come regardless; I saw it and it was what made me flail to do what I felt in my heart what was needed to try to stop it. But the response to it being exactly what I was trying to accomplish makes me suspicious that it wasn't an answered prayer in my deities' twisted comedic way.

No matter what is going on, or not going on spiritually one thing remains clear; we as a species need to unite against the warmongers. We need to get on our politicians, stand up against the attackers to defend the weak, use our belief in prayer/deities/Will to affect changes; we need to become as proactive against those who wish to destroy us as they are in trying to destroy us. If I was no as stubborn to live my abusers would have won in trying to kill me. Christianity would have claimed the life of another Pagan, but I would not let it happen with my favorite line; "not today death; I have people to prove wrong." Do not simply roll over and allow these attacks to continue to happen even if the most you can do is get to a voting booth and meditate for the world daily. Tell them, "not today, not ever again."