the space between us

yesterday i took a fifteen minute nap and when i woke up, the world had changed. bin laden was dead, obama had addressed the nation and the idea of an end to a ten year war hung in the air.

facebook and twitter had blown up with the announcement and then the subsequent opinions. patriotism. expressions of god blessing america and the encouragement of death, destruction and violence in the name of revenge or justice or something like that.

and there were equally passionate ideas on the other side, stating their disgust of said opinions, declarations of a desire for peace, of a need to mourn all death.

then i texted my brother ryan, who was a soldier in iraq and his opinions on the news were what i really cared about. he said he identified with this: "do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles." proverbs 24:17.

i was overcome by sadness. the debates on the internet themselves represented the two opposing sides of war to me. the rash, the harsh comments, the glorification of death, the sadistic and bleak outlook on war and human life sat heavy on my shoulders.

i poured myself a glass of white zinfandel and sank into the couch listening to joni mitchell's ladies of the canyon and the second sides to both rubber soul and sgt. pepper and was reminded of the importance of artists through times like these and that having enough people to step forward and continue the art of creation with the energies of love and peace might be the one tiny hope we have sometimes.

with our love, we can save the world