What happens to a person that makes them want to kill people?...strangers...in large numbers...or even one other person? What is the wound that makes life so unbearable that killing seems like a good idea? What is it that seeds such deep anger, that killing seems like a good way to express it? How do we manage to disenfranchise someone to the point where killing seems like a good way to gain the attention we so crave? We must all take responsibility. Because we are all one. Because the one who acts out, however heinously, is still us.
What happened in the movie theater in Colorado is a wake up call for all of us. We all need to deal with our violent tendencies, and some of us have that under a greater level of control than others. But, most of us act out our violence, we just do it in non physically-homicidal ways. But, that doesn't make it any more acceptable. Violence is violence. Our mind wants to give it a hierarchy. Oh, that is worse than that...that is more violent than that...well, I didn't kill anyone. Really?
We all are practiced at killing each other's spirits. And, by wounding someone to the level that we're all capable of doing, we create the seeds of homicide. Sometimes that acting out takes the shape of murder of another, sometimes that acting out takes the shape of suicide, and sometimes that acting out takes the shape of abuse toward others on any and all levels. It all starts somewhere. Violence--to another or to ourselves--doesn't come out of a void.
We tend to judge or persecute the other for the things we're not able to see and/or accept within ourselves. Which is why it's necessary to pay attention and take responsibility. When we're mean to someone, or judge them, or hurt them, where does that come from within ourselves? What is the judgment? Turn it around and look at how we judge ourselves for the same thing. What is it about ourselves that we don't like, don't accept, don't love? If we're mean to someone or hurt them, where does the impulse come from? Why are we lashing out? What is it that the other person triggered in us that pushed us to that place? If we really take responsibility for the creation of our world, these are things we need to look at.
When something happens, if we blame another or feel at the mercy of circumstances and see ourselves as a victim, we won't be able to learn from the experience. But, instead of blaming the other or seeing ourselves as out of control and victimized, we're able to see how what appears in our world is a reflection of what's going on inside, we'll be able to move into awareness and ultimately acceptance. With acceptance, comes gratitude and love. And, as we love all the parts of ourselves without judgment, we're able to love our worldly reflection as well.
Being able to take responsibility for things doesn't mean that it takes the responsibility away from the perpetrators of crimes, or that they shouldn't experience the consequences of what they've done, but it does start to heal things at the level of cause. And, as we heal things at the level of cause, our lives and the lives of all those around us change as well. As each of us heals and learns to love ourselves, that vibration goes out into the collective and lifts the whole of creation. As each of us becomes more aware we lift the awareness of everyone else. It can't be any other way because we're all connected.
What's hard to realize is that those who do the worst harm are the ones who are the most desperate for love. The darkness is what needs the light. Even though we might not want the worst criminal to be our best friend, and it probably wouldn't be the best decision to hang out with them, we can still hold them in love. We can shine a light that might remind them of the light within themselves. And, love can only lift us up.
So, as things happen in our world, if it's in your experience, either as a participant or an observer, it's part of you, and you're creating it, and it's yours to take responsibility for no matter what. There's only one of us here. Many aspects of the one, but One none the less. The same Life that lives you lives me and lives in, as and through all of creation. There is no separation. What we see is what we are, that's how the hologram works. That's a lot to accept, but it makes all the difference.
Right now, violence is up for all of us because of the actions of one person. Let's deal with it at the level of cause, let's take responsibility for our own violence so that it doesn't need to project itself into our physical experience. Let's learn from our collective experience and lift each other up.
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