A Thought Pattern on Fear and War / Within and in Ukraine

A Thought Pattern on Fear and War / Within and in Ukraine

In the midst of all that is troubling our souls within and in Ukraine, I decided to construct a thought pattern…which if followed is capable of creating peace.

The root of war is always fear.  We fear what we don’t know.  So we don’t speak.  We fear what we don’t understand.  So we don’t think.  We fear being wrong.  So we don’t come to conclusions.  We fear.  So we don’t do anything.  Inertia becomes who we are.  The world sees us as nothing because we offer nothing.  If we desire an end to war, we must find a way to overcome our fear of the other.  The other doesn’t fear what they don’t know.  So they speak.  The other doesn’t fear what they don’t understand.  So they think.  The other does not fear being wrong.  So they make conclusions.  The other doesn’t fear.  So they do something.  Action becomes who they are.  The world sees them as something to fear because they offer something.  One operates from a place of scarcity.  The other operates from a place of abundance.  If we desire an end to war, we must find a way to become the other.  The only way to become the other is to let go of the comfort of fear…to let go of the comfort of saying nothing…thinking nothing…concluding nothing…doing nothing.  The only thing that transformation costs us is fear.  So why do we hesitate?  We think that fear is worth more than the other.  We think we are going to lose out if we let go.  We are afraid.  So war rages.  Our only hope is to discover our self in the other.  If we can find a connection, we can pull our self to a place beyond war.  Turning the other into the self creates space for the true self…and an end to war.

The root of fear is always war.  We war with what we don’t know.  So we don’t speak.  We war with what we don’t understand.  So we don’t think.  We war with the possibility of being wrong.  So we don’t come to conclusions.  We war.  So we don’t do anything.  Inertia becomes who we are.  The world sees us as nothing because we offer nothing.  If we desire an end to fear, we must find a way to overcome our war with the other.  The other doesn’t war with what they don’t know.  So they speak.  The other doesn’t war with what they don’t understand.  So they think.  The other does not war with the possibility of being wrong.  So they make conclusions.  The other doesn’t war.  So they do something.  Action becomes who they are.  The world sees them as something to war because they offer something.  One operates from a place of scarcity.  The other operates from a place of abundance.  If we desire an end to fear, we must find a way to become the other.  The only way to become the other is to let go of the comfort of war…to let go of the comfort of saying nothing…thinking nothing…concluding nothing…doing nothing.  The only thing that transformation costs us is war.  So why do we hesitate?  We think that war is worth more than the other.  We think we are going to lose out if we let go.  We are at war.  So fear rages.  Our only hope is to discover our self in the other.  If we can find a connection, we can pull our self to a place beyond fear.  Turning the other into the self creates space for the true self…and an end to fear.

In the midst of war and rumors of war, surely we can find a space beyond fear…without war.  In the midst of fear and rumors of fear, surely we can find a space beyond war…without fear.  We can be free of that which is holding us back…within and in Ukraine…if we realize that the root of war and fear is fear and war.

Amen.

*Thankful to Thomas Merton for helping to stimulate these thoughts.