Thursday, November 29, 2012

On Jerusalem and Rainbows


A few days ago, I watched the Spanish book trailer of Coelho’s latest book called “Manuscript found in Accra”. I had no idea what the book was about, and so was very surprised to learn that the story takes place in Jerusalem, in 1097, on the eve of the Crusades entering a city whose major religions had hitherto been living in peace. While awaiting the imminent invasion, the people gather to ask a wise man to speak about various themes: life, love, fear, death. It reminded me a great deal of Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet”. They also discuss what makes up the soul of the city, and decide to hide it until the conflict is over and peace is restored to the land.

Jerusalem, and that entire region, had been on my mind lately, of course, because of recent events there. Although in my heart I know that the path to peace is inner, I was having a difficult time holding on to that. I couldn’t find clarity. I couldn’t calm my emotions. Even after watching a spectacular TED presentation on how to stop violence without becoming violent, I couldn’t find centre.
At the same time, for the past week, I had been reading with my daughter (as part of her homework) about Jerusalem and the Crusades. We were specifically reading about the year 1099, when the Crusades captured Jerusalem.
Clearly, these were not mere coincidences. There was something there for me to consider; so I decided to go for a walk to see if I could gain some clarity.
The day was clear, the sun was brilliant and the air brisk; so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the trace of a rainbow around the sun. Now, I love rainbows. They are magnificent creations and, to me, represent the highest symbol of divinity and grace. Whenever I see one, I feel as if the heavens are saying hello, reminding me of their presence not only in my life, but in all life.
I thanked that little rainbow for appearing, and tucked it away as encouragement from the heavens to feel hopeful. I continued on my walk, enjoying the day, and as I looked up once again, I could not believe what I saw. In that clear blue sky was what I can only describe as a smiling rainbow, or the bottom arc of a rainbow. I was beyond incredulous and stopped to look at it for the longest time. Even when I thought I lost it a few times during that walk, whenever I turned a corner or looked through some trees, there it was again, a little fainter, but still fully visible. I took some pictures with my phone, but can’t seem to download them. The picture above comes from the Internet, but is what I saw.
That rainbow was with me for over half an hour. As I walked back home, contemplating its significance, I stopped to pick up a discarded piece of paper along the path and couldn’t contain my amazement. I brought it home, the final traces of that rainbow saying its final goodbye as I got to my front door.
Here’s the paper at my feet:


It was a Rainbow Mine firecracker wrapper, made by the Mystical Distribution company! Clearly the heavens and the rainbows were speaking to me that day, trying to bring me the clarity I sought. And so, as I sat to meditate later that night, these are the words that emerged. I’ve only done minor editing.

There is no outer. There is no other. There is naught but the inner: the rebellion within; the massacre within; the bloodshed within as the forces within you try to unite. The ground on which their reunification must take place is on the land of the Christ, in the realm and kingdom of the Christ light (or Buddha or Krishna light…here, I refer to that universal Divine light that transcends all dogma and religion, whose essence is Love). It is upon this light that all parties, all divisions, must merge into. What you are seeing in the outer planes is the inner revolution; the resistance to the consciousness that is overtaking your soul and the soul of the planet. The soul of Jerusalem is in the hands and hearts of its people living together. That is the soul that is uniting, and that is resisting. All you can – and MUST – do is keep the terrain, the land of the Christ in your heart, pure. Keep it sacred, untouched by these passing currents. Take into your heart the suffering and pain that you feel from all sides, and TRANSMUTE IT. Bring it back to balance, to harmony, like the beautiful music that you have been hearing of late; the music made by Palestinians and Israelis coming together to create harmony. It is happening.

Embrace within your own heart the Palestinian and the Israeli, the aggressor and the victim. Both archetypes are within you, and are playing themselves out for you in this aching drama. Bring them into you; and as vehemently as they struggle, you shine equally as brilliantly. They are closer than ever, even though they seem so far apart. Hold the light steady. Keep the terrain clean. Do not abandon them now. Radiate the love that you are, and allow the anger, the fear, the antimony to dissolve. That is your only role. Keep gazing within. Keep the warrior’s heart clean and strong. Prepare the land for unification; for only in the land of light will darkness naturally, and of its own volition, dissolve.
Blessed be.

Perhaps Coelho is right. The soul of Jerusalem does reside in the heart of each and every one of its inhabitants; in their hopes, in their dreams, in their highest of intentions and tiniest of acts. But it also resides within us too. We each carry a piece of Jerusalem, and it is up to each and every one of us to heal our piece: that part within us that is in conflict, the bully and victim within us, that which is silent within us and that which clamours to be heard…and all those fragments that refuse to bow to the Light, to the Love, that is our essence. Only by healing those shattered pieces within our hearts may we be able to offer that all-important peace to the whole.
And so I thank you, inner conflict, for revealing yourself to me in this way. Without you, without this external drama, I wouldn’t be at this place now, grappling to find wisdom and meaning. Thank you Israelis and Palestinians for taking on this terrible role, so that we may see the conflict and division in our own hearts. I am preparing your land in the meadows and valleys of my heart, where you may finally rest and find strength and wisdom in the glory of the Light that you too are. Thank you, thank you and thank you.

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