On recent days
The images coming out of both Israel and Gaza in recent days are an agony.
The stories that continue to come out of Ukraine are an agony.
The hateful divides in our supposedly civilised western society are an agony.
Yet I can’t seem to shed a single tear.
In truth, I don’t even know why I’m writing this. As I type these words, the world’s largest aircraft carrier – the USS Gerald R. Ford – is heading towards Israel, over a hundred hostages are still missing, Palestinians are dying by the minute under Israel’s wrathful response to Hamas’s acts of terror, and of course Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah continue to wait patiently on the sidelines for any excuse to engage militarily with Israel. This is all playing out against a backdrop of the Yemen humanitarian crisis, the deadly Sudanese conflict, and famines ravaging the innocent citizens living under North Korea’s tyrannical dictatorship. The list of crises grows by the day, but still I can’t shed a tear.
Am I that desensitised to the seemingly endless litany of human sufferings with which we’re barraged every day?
Conflict is baked into history, but there’s been a sense of escalation for a while now. A realigning of powers. A setting up of a whole new game of chess, one with stakes far greater than ever before. Is the US about to enter into yet another proxy war, this time with Iran? As for Putin, he was given the birthday present to end all birthday presents on Saturday (yes, Hamas really did stage their despicably vile attack on the warlord’s birthday) as any reason for international attention and aid to divert from the battlegrounds of Ukraine is good news for him. Precedents have been set, and Taiwan may very well be the next nation in crisis to grace tomorrow’s front pages. The uncertainty and tension is rising, shrieking like a boiled kettle.
Despite the lack of tears, I’ve felt a profound, almost numbing sorrow since the events that unfolded in Israel during the weekend, bolstered only by the ruthless, indiscriminate bombing of Gaza in the following days. If I’m to be brutally honest, I think what’s affected me most has been the celebrations, the rallying cries in support of the efforts of the unconscionably evil and cowardly Hamas. Here, at home. In my case, Scotland, but also across Europe, in the States, and Australia – so called ‘civilised’ societies. It seems lost on so many people that it’s possible to condemn the barbaric crimes committed by Hamas, while still recognising the tragic conditions under which the Palestinians live. Anyone capable of gleefully rejoicing at such hell bestowed upon another innocent soul is of a different species to me.
This article isn’t designed to lay out my political orientations (I’ve been feeling increasingly lost in that regard, frequently unable to neatly align with a side as everyone else seems so eager to) no, this article is designed merely to express the devastation I’m feeling for the individuals enduring such inconceivable tortures on both sides, as well as my disbelief at the cheering on of such suffering. Such suffering.
Are we in the process of toppling the first domino in a chain that leads deeper into despair than any of us can foresee? Did we topple that domino long ago, with humanity now careening uncontrollably towards some fate that may come to define our entire existence on this planet?
What was once a flick through the day’s morning newspaper is now a permanent and highly addictive little square of light in our pockets, almost intravenously supplying us not only with every conceivable development of these unfolding tragedies, but also video footage of the bombs falling, the bodies dropping, and the tears of those whose loved ones have been killed in the name of...what?
War. Always war.
I’m torn between discarding my devices for a few days – getting out into nature, attempting to disconnect from the chaos – and following developments as closely as possible. I feel grotesque in my good fortune, gluttonous on sheer circumstance. Whether or not I should take a break from the news: that’s all I have to worry about. With so many innocent people enduring the worst of humanity, there’s a rankness to the meagreness of my personal concerns.
Ten minutes ago, once the impulse to write this piece had hit me, and while the agonies of today’s developments continued to spiral around my head like some deathly storm, I headed to my study to see what words I could coax.
Then I saw her.
Stretched out on the wooden flooring of my hallway, sprawled like a silly little buffoon, tummy in the air, was my cat, gazing at me in her typically comical and endearing way.
Finally a tear emerged.
The buffoon in question
I guess Nellie served as a reminder. I love her. I love my family. I love my girlfriend, her family, my friends. Estimates place the number of people living in conflict-affected areas globally at two billion – that’s one quarter of humanity. They all have that same love for those they cherish, yet for them the tears are running as freely as the blood spilling all around them.
No one can tell you what to scrawl on your placard, nor at whom to scream your condemnation. You have to wade through the swamps of mis- and disinformation yourself. It’s up to you to objectively scrutinise every detail coming to us from the ground, as well as the historical context of what’s happening. Step out of your tribal leanings, rise above your biases, and evaluate the situation with honesty and compassion.
I have no answer to any of the horrors that have played out in recent days, nor to those that continue to unfold all around the world. I have no insight, no moral to garner, but I can offer you a reminder, just as Nellie reminded me.
Love is everything.
As you read these words, the sirens are sounding, the children are dying, the blood is flowing, and the people are cheering. The new game of chess is set up, and the future is more uncertain than it’s ever been.
We live in the blink of an eye. You only just arrived in this life, and you’ll depart just as soon. We don’t get long, and while we’re here our greatest curse is to bear witness to the fathomless cruelty of humanity.
We also get to love.
While everyone else is drowning in contempt, go tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. It’ll only take a minute, and there’s countless souls out there right now who’d give anything for that simple privilege.
The world might be torn apart by hate, but through compassion, empathy, and an open mind, you can resist the division.
Go tell someone you love them.
Trust me.
-GG
“What’s the point of the war? Why, oh why can’t people live together peacefully? Why all this destruction?”
–Anne Frank
If you’d like to donate to help those affected by recent events, consider the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). They go to great lengths to ensure that donations are used properly and not for political or military purposes. Please give generously.
Cover image uses pictures from Nicolas Raymond on Flickr (Israel flag, Palestinian flag).
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