A Series of Observations

“If you think you love freedom, but you don’t care if it applies to everyone, what you actually love is privilege.” -Unknown

I have inadvertently taken the last two weeks off from writing not only because my personal life required all my mental energy to get through, but also because the world has been a particularly difficult place to exist within.

You would think that we would be numb by now, completely desensitized to the horror and growing changes our country and world face.

But I’m not.

I’m horrified by the attacks on individuals and groups that represent ethnic minorities, to those that love differently, to those that choose differently for their bodies or identify in a way separate from how they were born, to those whose faith looks different from my own.

I recognize that I say this from a highly privileged position simply because I do not identity with these groups and have not experienced the persecution many within them do.

Regardless, it horrifies me that these groups are not safe in this world because someone else believes they have the right to dictate what “should” be.

That is not power, that is perversion. A perversion that has rooted itself so deeply into minds that are altering our world in unfathomable ways.

I’m not someone that claims to have an eloquent political opinion. I have anger, disbelief, frustration, but sometimes not the words. We exist in a world where everyone is expected have not only an educated opinion, but a “perfect” one, which none of us will ever have, and I recognize that about myself.

I needed a break, I needed to Zoom Out, but every time I did, I got a bigger glimpse of the picture, and my despair deepened. I was sucked into my phone that fed me videos and narratives of the “opposing side,” videos of satire, videos of despair, videos of “what we are up against.” Our world has diminished itself to such a low that we forget that our decisions affect us all.

In case you are new here, and are unsure of my political standings, and in case hearing an opinion different to your own is not something you can handle, let me be clear of where I stand:

I support the LGBTQ+ community. I believe that people should love whomever they want because it is none of my business.

I support abortion, because having the right to safely say yes, is also the right to safely say no, and another woman’s choice with her body is none of my business.

I support immigrants, because I would not exist without one, and if they are able to come here safely and legally, they can have as many jobs and votes as they want because their journey to a better life and safety is none of my business.

I support transgender rights, because how you identify and express yourself is none of my business.

I support a free Palestine, and support for Gaza, because genocide and terrorism are wrong. I also hope that Israel can find peace but would never condone their actions.

I support the Jewish community, because everyone should be allowed to follow their chosen faith without persecution.

I support Ukraine, because dictators and communists should have no place in the modern world, and because we deserve to hold onto our land, our culture, and our families.

I support gun reform, because no death, especially child deaths, should ever be seen as a necessary evil to protect a right that allows for unfit individuals to get their hands on any firearm.

I support any and all environmentalism reform in the name of benefiting our planet, conserving our resources, limiting consumption, and minimizing the damage we have already done.

I support free speech, because we each have the right to share our thoughts, even if our ideas are different. Discussion is the catalyst for change, for education, for growth. Which is what many fear so deeply.

I support a great many things that others do not. I wish I could say that I believed that as a society we could end it there and be fine. It will never be fine because not only do they believe differently, but they believe that it is their right to decide for these people. I wish I could adequately describe how lacking their logic is. To decide for others instead of allowing them the space and support to decide for themselves. To believe that their existence is so wrong, and alternatively yours so superior, that every decision you make reflects the belief that all others should follow in that superior example.

It is not, and it never will be.

I think the worst part of it all is that these people will follow their beliefs to the bitter end, even when their beliefs and the policies they support allow for the very same horrific events to happen to them.

Simply because they did not believe that it would happen to them.

Even then, instead of admitting to their own impertinence, their own malice, their own mistakes, they will carry on with their misguided faith and point their fingers in another direction.

And it will always point away from them.

If you want to talk about faith, we certainly can. I consider myself a Christian, and I was raised Greek Orthodox. I would consider my religion unproblematic, though all organized religion is not without its flaws. I do not identify with the Evangelical, Christian Nationalism that we are seeing rise in the U.S.

However in the world there is plenty of discussion regarding one’s faith in God, and this is across multiple religions.

I’m going to use “we” as a general statement for a moment, but please note that it can be applied very pointedly instead. I can only speak towards Christianity but this is not a unique situation to Christianity alone.

We theorize what God would want, and what we must do to be “true” Christians. We read the texts that have been repeatedly translated and are routinely misinterpreted and decide that it is also in God’s best interest that we encourage that faith onto others, often without invitation. However in the persistent effort to prove our faith to God, we have forgotten that by existing, God has already shown faith in us, and it is his faith in us that we have failed.

Now I’m going to move the conversation away from that because I won’t claim to be religiously eloquent either. I have my beliefs, you have yours, and I have no interest in converting anyone to anything and quite frankly God isn’t the point of this chapter.

How do we deal with it though? How do we function in a world that is functioning against us?

Zooming Out feels like such a trivial thing to say at this moment. At a time where we have never been so polarized, so divisive in thought and action. Where our personal lives might be suffering equally, and beyond our voice, our choice, and our wallet, there is little more to do.

I am going to share a podcast episode I listened to recently, from the “Psychology of Our 20’s Podcast” with Jemma Sbeg. I have found such interest and understanding for many topics through her podcast, and the episode I am sharing is about political anxiety.

I highly recommend that you give it a listen and check out the other topics on her page.

(I listen to this on Apple podcasts, but you can listen to it anywhere you chose)

I fear that we are far from finding peace and relief but hope that we are always in the pursuit of it. At the very least so we can show up in a world that needs us to. So we can show up for ourselves and for those that we love.

Let’s Zoom Out and focus on what is our business.