I opt to stand in the new paradigm of loving and light with abundance, ease and joy. Otherwise, we have not learned enough from the past. The past tells us that hatred only brings retribution and more hate; violence only begets violent responses. Its time has come for hatred to fade into oblivion never to surface again. That’s a game worth playing.

This past Sunday, with the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, CA and Paris, France still stinging our psyches, my dear friend, Barbara asked me, “As a minister, what do you see is needed to affect change among our leaders and communities to stop bad-mouthing the Islam religion and our Muslim neighbors? I now fear for their safety here.” She clearly wanted to spearhead solutions.

Being an interfaith minister, educated in many practices of faith, aligned with my Soul’s purpose in this human experience, I replied:

I’m thrilled you want to take action, for being in action is where we need to be at this time… sitting by will not work. We each have a role to play.

• We must appeal to the clergy to educate, or rather re-educate, themselves and their congregations on the act of forgiveness and unity, declaring our Oneness, our same-ness, and commitments to resolution peacefully. We need to have discussions on honoring our differences, being tolerant of one another. We are a richly diverse world of human varieties, like a garden, rich and fertile with special gifts and talents. We can appreciate the garden with all the diversity, all the colors, heights, smells, tastes, value.   We must embrace differences in our humanness.

• Our clergy leadership needs to come together in their communities for tolerance and social justice services and discussions… all faiths … and figure out how to expose their congregations to the other congregations in their communities. Christian, Jewish, Muslims, Buddhist, Hindus…  trading pulpits. Understanding and knowledge bring peace, while differences evoke fear…people need to see and align with one another. Our faiths may be practiced in different ways, and yet when you discover the truth about each faith, each religion, what’s underneath each is Love of God, Love of Family, Love of Country… Love of Self and on and on. We need to evaluate what importance we give love… what we give ourselves to without regret. It’s about being true to love that’s important to self, family and society.

• We need more script writers, directors, producers who will make movies of solving human issues, peace, harmony, getting through the conversations to fulfillment, not killing off the problems (i.e.,people considered to be the problems). We need more TV that exposes people of different persuasions, religions, ethnic background to each other, for example Modern Family exposes us to gay marriage and adoption, multi-lingual family members, foreigners being welcomed in their home, sisters so unlike each other, jealousy, upsets …We can be entertained while being educated to laugh at all the bigotry, own our fear of others (racism). After a while (remember Archie Bunker), we awaken the clarity to see everyone as one family.

• Our children need to know hatred is taught, starting at home. They see it in a bullying parent, brother or sister, abusive language, threatening … in some way disregarding human rights within the home…and school teachers need to be educated to discern problem children from children with problems and to reach out to their guidance counselors and special needs teachers to intervene for those children with problems (at home).

• Our government officials need to curb their rhetoric about immigrants, tactics that separate and isolate foreigners here and those that want asylum … we need to hold the Press/Media to account for stirring hatred rather than tolerance. Moral values are wanted and needed.

I charged Barbara, you and everyone with standing for Love and Light:

• Love heals everything;
• We are the Light Bearers, champions of bringing Light where it is dark and Love where it is missing.
• You are needed on the planet NOW…we are the ones, it will require you and me, NOW.

Yes, we must find and express our love to the idolizers of ISIS for the human beings they are, while NOT condoning what they are doing. They are misguided, trained through hatred and misinterpreting the sacred Koran. If you read the Bible, both Jewish and Christian editions, and the Koran, you have to see the similarities, the oneness that underlies them all.  We must be compassionate. These ISIS idolizers have grown up in an environment where their mothers, most women, are mistreated, not valued, subjugated. How can a mother love when love is unavailable to her to give to her husband and children. They live in darkness, they are loveless. This is where we can make the biggest difference. We must realize that any group, loving or hating, praying five times a day are a mighty force. IF WE HATE ISIS and their idolizers, we are adding hatred to the world, not love.

We must be the light bearers, the lovers of love and from our desks, from our prayer chairs, from our social media posts, we can make the biggest difference. WE CAN LOVE OUR ENEMIES.

PERSONAL ACTION

I told Barbara that I sit every morning on my balcony, 18 floors above the Delaware and Christina Rivers, overlooking Wilmington, DE, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I pray for peace within every heart I touch. I sing for peace, harmony and tolerance. I demand my forgiveness of others and myself. I stand for Oneness and Love. I am the Light Bearer. Every day, my Spirit, my voice goes out freely to touch the hearts of the infidels, as well as the seekers of peace. I know that this is my niche, my kingdom to safeguard.

I asked Barbara to take whatever actions are hers to take. And I asked her to love the enemies of loving and light.

Now it’s your turn… what actions will you take. Doing nothing at this time is not acceptable. Light your inner candle and blast your neighborhood with love and light. You are the warriors of peace and humanity’s healing. I bow to you. I applaud you. Thank you for listening.

Dr. Irene is a licensed modern minister, standing for all faiths, all sects of religious piety. She counsels individuals and groups on being the Soul’s purpose to bring light where there is darkness and love where it is missing in everyday experiences and challenges. Being divine is aligning with the Creator, we are the co-creator, let’s create harmony, peace and joy.