Are you out of words to express your feelings at a time of crisis?
What is the analogy that will help you do the right thing?
Do the words you say these days express a crushing need to revolt, condemn, and destroy?
Israel may be facing one of its most existential dilemmas following the October 7th attack. Will crushing the Hamas solve its issues or something else completely? It is natural to express my worries about what might happen if Israel does the wrong thing. I am hoping to reach a message that can possibly inspire the process I believe is better. My whole spirit is engaged in yearning that humanity changes direction.
Let us move from killing on behalf of the dead to keeping life that is there to save.
My first realization of a problem came almost immediately after moving to Canada: not everyone in my communications circles jumped onto the online bandwagon. The explosion of communications tools was exciting to me. I was in awe of the variety, the ingenuity, and the technological promise. But technology alone is a tool which can be used for its intended benefits just as it might be abused. We see and experience this in every generation of human history.
When I moved to Canada, many of the people I was hoping to stay in touch with were still on the other side of the Globe. And my communication skills were not perfect. They still aren’t. As I type these words, I make silly typos. Technology corrects them. Sometimes it’s amazingly useful and many other times it’s hilariously annoying. The creeping analogy I was getting at was ‘The Tower of Babylon’.
We’re all trying our best to talk with each other, do things together. It’s hardly ever easy.
It’s not only typos that screw up my communications with others. My self-proclaimed disability reaches all the way to content, structure and message. My ideas fail to result in the reality I am hoping for. Do they? Is it me? Is it the communications tools? Should I even bother to find the cause?
I am fortunate to have stories that inspire me to persevere. One of them is that of the holocaust survivor who asked with a mischievous wink in his eye:
“Do you think we didn’t laugh in the camps? Of course we did!”
Now, this doesn’t mean that the tragedies we experience are a laughing matter. But neither are they the source of justifying any move we take. I am a virtual victim. None of my immediate relatives have endured an injury (yet) since October 7th. But I know a person whose son was injured. I have a niece who was recruited to help in administration efforts. And yes, a dear friend’s wife lost her son from a previous marriage.
When I try to engage an individual, our acquaintance helps me find analogies that can make immediate sense. On a social scale, I’m not sure analogies are required. I just need to sound my voice. On this occasion, with the permission of the family who lost their son, here is a link to a short video with their call to avoid vengeance.
To expand a bit on a call I’ve had this week, I’d like to use the same words as before. “Each and every one of the treacherous monsters who crossed the border to kill was once a helpless baby. There is a process by which they become what we see in the news or in front of our eyes. It is almost always hidden from us. Their innocent souls have transformed. Individually, one might have a chance to save this person or that.” Collectively, we have to move in ways that the individual can only voice their opinion to promote.
Institutions such as states and their armies have plans for more than one scenario in the future. That future – the Hamas attack of October 7th – is one such scenario. That scenario has unfortunately happened. Tragically, Israel did not have a plan for that scenario. But it still has many other plans. Will you, the individual have any say in pulling out any of them for the benefit of the coming days and weeks? Neither will I. My hope is that we engage in a constructive way to advance the insights that we can for the benefit of life. What that means is not the same for everyone. So, what can we expect to advance together?
Whether you come up with an enlightening analogy or just have to say something – do the right thing: voice your opinion and take action. Even questions and feedback on this page would be a great first step. Feel free to let me know.
Design is a Matter of Life 