Ukraine’s Compassion
Ukraine has entered the world’s consciousness in a big way.
And while I am aware of the war the Ukrainian people must endure, I absolutely admire their compassion!
Images and video of the Ukranian invasion are all over the internet. And perhaps for the first time, we are seeing the reality of what war actually means.
These scenes are not unique. They have likely been played out in wars throughout history.
The difference now is that technology is so prevalent as to document the true nature of war without the limitation of camera crews and edits of the press. We see the events filtered only by the limitation of camera-phones. And that is a very surreal experience.
Why surreal? Because the whole of human emotion is juxtaposed onto the back drop of war. And the thing that stands out most to me is the humanity of the Ukranian people.
Granted, they are fighting for their country. And Ukraine does have its own military. However the people are pitching into the war effort in the best way that they know how.
They are fighting the invasion with the kind of grit and tenacity that I do not know even exists within myself.
And yet, amidst this fighting, the Ukrainian people are very careful to appreciate that the invaders are human beings as well.
They are shown love in a time that people can be easily consumed with hatred.
Imagine breaking bread and sharing drink with your enemy. Could you do it? Most of us would pass on this imaginative exercise. Or else we would imagine using it to conquer our enemies in turn.
But to genuinely appreciate the life of another human being inherently destroys not enemies, but pretenses.
Egotistical constructs of the mind simply evaporate. And what are we left with? A shared human experience.
An experience that has brought us together because of the circumstances.
A tank might bring a soldier to cross paths with a civilian. However that is but one way to meet.
The same two people may have met touring a foreign land, or a museum, or at a gathering.
The circumstances differ; and with each circumstance, our perspective changes. Each circumstance elicits a judgement of bad or good.
However we need not be limited to the lens of our judgments of a given situation. After all, Mother Teresa found joy in the unlikeliest of places.
Remain Centered
Remaining centered is different from being the center of attention.
Ukraine and its people are currently the center of attention for various reasons. But while they have become prevalent on the world stage, let us not be blinded by the events surrounding the Ukranian people and instead see what is within their hearts.
It is true that what their hearts express can be seen through various media outlets. But all these various forms of expression center around one common human experience; that of compassion.
Compassion for their country, compassion for their neighbors, compassion for their families, compassion for their would-be invaders.
The Ukranian people are strong not because they now have a strong social media presence. They are strong from within themselves.
They demonstrate the power not necessarily of their weapons, but of their hearts.
They have a burning desire to end this unjust war preferably in peace.
Rounds of official peace talks have been underway. And peace talks on the street seem to have been ongoing as well. I have heard through media outlets that the Ukranian people have even offered invading soldiers refuge if they are willing to lay down their weapons.
Imagine if war can end in peace. Wouldn’t that be an epic win for all of humanity!
Compassion for Ukranian People
There has also been considerable compassion demonstrated towards the Ukranian people. As of this writing, about 2 million Ukranians fled into neighboring countries; becoming refugees in the last 2 weeks.
These countries have opened their hearts and offered a place to stay despite the chaos that has resulted.
This is a logistical nightmare for any country to suddenly absorb a massive amount of people. Such an event has implications to their economy, places a strain on resources, and creates anxiety of a new people in a new land.
However despite these “reasonable” considerations, it is a truly awesome sight to see people opening their hearts and by extension their borders to accept as many people as possible.
Conclusion
There are 2 main aspects that we must learn and appreciate from this situation.
- Can we accept a stranger into our home?
- Can we accept an enemy into our home?
These questions basically ask not of our literal homes, but the home of our hearts. Can we accept a stranger into our hearts? Can we accept an enemy into our hearts?
These are two very hard questions most of us work hard to avoid. We have grown up with phrases like “stranger-danger” or how to stand up to an aggressor.
Both are certainly important and valuable pieces of wisdom which should not be easily dismissed.
However we can either react instinctively, or respond intuitively.
When we look within our hearts and see the world from a place of compassion, we can respond in a holistic way. We do not react out of fear of the unknown or anger for the supposed.
We can accept the present moment for what it is. Acknowledge our choice in the circumstance. And respond with the heart which drives all behavior.
