ESCAPE THE FACTIONAL DAM

ESCAPE THE FACTIONAL DAM

.

.

Sharing his dismay over the arms deal the USA made with Saudi Arabia today, a Syrian friend of mine lamented, “When will we wake up from this willful mental hibernation?"  Responding to a comment a reader left him, complaining about the irresponsibly of the USA increasing the Saudi arsenal, my friend explained that the seller is no worse than the buyer.  In fact, he pointed out that,

.

“The US government is nothing more than a sales representative for those global companies exporting weapons of mass destruction, yet the same government also sells products of other global companies that build the infrastructure of any country in the world.  Instead of fighting the sales representative, we need to muzzle the insatiable appetite of our Arab rulers for keeping their thrones and holding on to power and authority for life, and get our people to rally against them instead of praising them and falsely praying for their good health and longevity.”

.

My friend loves his native land of Syria.  Yet, even though he undoubted suspects those American armaments will likely be used to further damage his homeland, and perhaps even kill more of his family and friends, his question of when will we (citizens of the world) “wake up,” addresses not only the greed of our merchants, but points specifically at the driving force behind most human conflicts.  That weakness is the unquestioned assumption that our side is always right, no matter what.  We are far to willing to launch into conflicts and continue fighting; with little regard for the long-term damage, our fierce loyalty inflicts, not only on our enemies, but ultimately on our own country and those we hold dear. 

.

The stream of global brotherhood slows to a trickle at the dam of provincialism.  Frankly, I doubt humanity, as a whole, has the innate capacity to burst the dam that divides us.  The dream of unity waits fulfillment beyond this reality.  Yet while it is true, we need to separate ourselves from evil; it is inexcusable to isolate ourselves in a poisonous pool of self-righteous aversion to the rest of humanity.

.

 That kind of separation, dams-up not only Christian love, but even normal human love, as well.  Factional hostilities around the world and those here in the United States, daily raze that dam ever higher, making escape nearly impossibility.  Nonetheless, I am one of those choosing instead to follow God in His liberating flowing, free of factionalism’s blockage, whether ideological, fiscal, political, racial, national, cultural, or religious.  

.

I have the luxury of being factionally detached, yet passionate, because I am a citizen of a free nation, which is not presently destroying itself or the ones I love in the horrors of civil war, not to mention, I am a member of a religion that is not likely to behead me for expressing a dissent view.  Therefore, I can afford to be patient, no matter how long it takes, for the rest of my fellow citizens to ooze through their provincial barriers.

.

My Syria friend is now an American citizen.  Like me, but in his own way, he has chosen to splash over the dam of our country’s rotting lake of animosity.  We do so knowing that long before the dam ever truly brakes, our kind will have already evaporated in the sand at the end of the spillway.  That end seems far better to me than eventually drowning in our nation’s present cesspool of human discord.  Personally, I see no other acceptable option.  We implore you, wake up, and join us.