October 31, 2022
Compassion. Totally absent in our current political climate here in the States, we have to look elsewhere. And of course, I found it again in Ireland.
In meditation yesterday I got a very strong message to give voice to ancestral wisdom through graphics. We need their wisdom in these tumultuous times. I was culling through the many pieces I’ve created over the years and spent the morning refreshing them a bit. I was working on this one when I glanced at the headlines in The Irish Times.
What caught my immediate attention was yet another piece on the Ukrainian immigration situation there. They are still pouring in although resources to support them continue to be stretched. The story today was about the coastal town of Westport where there will be an anticipated 1,000 immigrants by Christmas in a town with a year-round population of just over 6,000. The community is reeling from the influx and struggling to make it all work. And yet this is what one resident said:
Basically, because of the volume of people arriving, the pressure on services, the lack of easy communication between different agencies and the complexities of their needs, the situation has proven challenging. The spirit of community in the town shines through the challenges and humanity, decency and care prevail.
The wisdom of an ancestor and the wisdom of the people in Westport. Indeed may we all have the courage to discover what we must do. May we find the courage and the compassion to find our way home to humanity.
Beannacht,
Judith
The courage for compassion. We tend to think that feelings for others, like love, is easy. But it’s so much easier to complain or to do nothing. Compassion takes strength in feeling, thought, and action. Indeed compassion is a form of love, and the love that makes a difference in the world is not easy as it is not effortless. I think O’Donohue and your meditation and you have it again just right for everyone to comprehend–and especially for those who choose to apply.
Thank you so much for your reflections. Always so meaningful. Like your writing. Yes. Compassion is a form of love. May we all choose to apply John’s wisdom.