I am writing this as an American with Jewish ancestry at a sacred ceremony in Nepal…
And I am surrounded by swastikas!
Americans seem to have a very selective short term memory of history.
The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used to symbolize good luck and bless ceremonies for thousands of years. It was even seen as a sign of good luck in the west until World War 2 when the Nazis used and misused it because it was such a powerful symbol.
And now when any Westerner sees a swastika it feels like we are being stabbed straight through the heart. I really can feel it!
I am grateful for this feeling.
It reminds me that we see history through such a small lens. And it’s time to widen our gaze and take off our glasses.
It reminds me that we have the power to stop the cycle of hatred in its tracks. When have been hurt, we can choose to use it to continue to create more hurt, or we can choose to heal it in ourselves, thus in the world. An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind. And don’t even get me started on Palestine. I’m pretty sure I learned that in preschool.
And it reminds me that racism is real and alive and well, and it hurts all of us… and maybe the way I feel when I see a swastika is the way many people feel when they see people like me… and their pain is my pain and is all of ours to heal.
It is also said that the swastika symbolizes the Hindu concept of samsara – the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death and rebirth.
So maybe the holocaust was a reminder of suffering and death and forgetfulness, and now it is time for rebirth and remembrance.
And we are going to need some serious good luck for that.
We can’t let the hatred consume the sacred
Let’s take our power back
And starve out the racists
And stop this vicious cycle in its tracks
#Take back our power