A little over a year ago, I was asked to share my personal story at an event for an organization called NewGround, which brings Muslims and Jews together to establish a new relationship. I was asked to share about my experience with being LGBT within the Jewish community. When I shared with some family members about speaking at the event, they made it clear that they did not support me because “Muslims kill gay people.” I became confused because of how incredibly supportive the Muslims were at the events planning meeting. Since these particular family members are usually very open-minded (more so then most), I was feeling very thrown off, and I wondered why they wouldn’t be there to support me if they were so concerned. They were letting their fear over my safety dehumanize and generalize all Muslims. I knew in my gut that the event would be wonderful, and so I moved forward.
When I first started to speak, I mentioned that I was a part of the LGBT community, and then I asked for us to pause so that I could acknowledge my vulnerability in the moment. It had been a big deal for me to be up there because I was still having a tough time with being open in general about my sexuality. The immediate response I received from the audience was incredibly supportive as they clapped and cheered me on. They reaffirmed to me the importance of being open-minded, and the power of stepping out of your comfort zone. As the audience embraced me, I felt a sense of community, and a sense of internal freedom.
Midway through my share, I asked the audience to see if they could find a part of themselves in my story regardless of their sexual orientation, or to ask themselves if I was “the other.” I was trying to set up a mirror for the audience to inspire some self-reflection. I know that for myself, the opportunity to speak was one of my most powerful mirrors.
Following the event, although I felt empowered, something inside felt out of tune. There had been a major blow up and misunderstanding with some family members, and my coping mechanism was to throw up a wall and “other” them. What had been out of tune was that I was not being congruent with the message I had given at the event. I knew that my integrity would be at stake if I did not take action, and amazingly enough I took that bold first step to let my guard down and make repair. I was able to recognize the incredible irony of how by taking the steps to create a new relationship with Muslims would end up bringing healing within my family. I knew that there was a powerful message taking place, and that I needed to continue to explore relationships with the various Muslim communities.
During school, I had been given a major assignment to interview someone that I had been taught to demonize. I decided to reach out and ask to interview one of the Muslim women, who had contacted me following the event to offer support and words of encouragement.
When the woman addressed the conflict between Israel and Palestine, she said, “I don’t remember anybody ever saying anything from a Quranic perspective that was demeaning about the Jews. If anything, it was making connections between the Jewish tradition, the Christian tradition and the Islamic tradition, and that we all come from Abraham. That there is this deep connection, and brotherhood and sisterhood amongst our traditions, and that we should respect that and we should hold that relationship dear, and this is coming from the line of thought and the same message of God.”
When we first met, I asked to sit tucked away in the corner so that any additional voices would not get picked up on my recording device. Half way through the interview, four priests sat next to our table, and I became a bit nervous that their voices would overpower ours. When I listened to the interview later on, I realized that the voices from all three faiths had been captured. Between my new Muslim friend, the four priests, and myself, our voices weaved around one another harmoniously.
At the end of a trip to visit my family, only a few hours before I was to head back to Los Angeles, I went to my favorite seawall in Tampa Bay to relax and reflect. The weather was gloomy, windy and rainy. Not the most ideal and serene space to be in, but it was perfect. There were pelicans struggling to fly as they battled the winds, but I noticed that when they would swoop down and skim the choppy waves, they would freely soar. Their freedom to glide was within the wind field just above the waves, which are created by the eddies in the lee of wave crests. I realized that a great metaphor was taking place. Similar to the pelicans continually trying to battle the wind, we have had an ongoing wrestle within. When we take the chance to swoop down and come face to face with the dark and choppy water, it is similar to us facing ourselves, challenging situations or tumultuous relationships (or all three at once). When someone has chosen to open their eyes, mind and heart, there is the potential to soar, as the shackles from belief systems based in fear, anger and mistrust are broken, and new beginnings are brought forth.
When I got back to LA, it was time and effort that really brought healing to my family situation. While spending time with them, we headed toward a wonderful birthday gathering at a park in Ventura County. All of our cars were lined up as we followed one another up the Pacific Coast Highway towards Ventura County. It was a beautiful day, and as we drove alongside the magnificent presence of the ocean, a flock of bird’s soaring one after the other began to travel parallel to our cars. The symbolism of our cars and the birds soaring in unison was a wonderful shift from the imagery of the birds swooping down in Tampa. The universe was reflecting an exquisite sight to bare witness to.
When I got home that day, I posted a photo online of the birds that were soaring parallel to our cars, and a friend was inspired to share the link from a BBC News: Middle East column. It was titled “Bird Watchers Find Heaven in ‘Superhighway’ Israel.” In the article, Dr. Yossi Leshem, director of Israel’s International Center for the Study of Bird Migration, relayed how above Israeli and Palestinian territories, is the second busiest bird migration route in the world, trailing behind Panama in Central America. Every autumn, over 500 million birds cross Israel’s airspace, heading south to warmer weather in Africa. “Politically, it’s a disaster, but for bird migration, it’s heaven.” The rising warm thermal air carries the birds as they effortlessly soar. Birds play major roles in some of the most important religious texts found within both Islam and Judaism. If you are open and in tune with nature, the extraordinary bird migration over Israeli and Palestinian territories presents possibilities for rich metaphors regarding Muslim and Jewish relations.
Demonizing occurs across the board, from the conflict between Muslims and Jews, to the demonizing towards the woman at your job that had gotten the promotion over you. In both cases someone is being dehumanized, but with just different circumstances and consequences.
When I got home that day, I posted a photo online of the birds that were soaring parallel to our cars, and a friend was inspired to share the link from a BBC News: Middle East column. It was titled “Bird Watchers Find Heaven in ‘Superhighway’ Israel.” In the article, Dr. Yossi Leshem, director of Israel’s International Center for the Study of Bird Migration, relayed how above Israeli and Palestinian territories, is the second busiest bird migration route in the world, trailing behind Panama in Central America. Every autumn, over 500 million birds cross Israel’s airspace, heading south to warmer weather in Africa. “Politically, it’s a disaster, but for bird migration, it’s heaven.” The rising warm thermal air carries the birds as they effortlessly soar. Birds play major roles in some of the most important religious texts found within both Islam and Judaism. If you are open and in tune with nature, the extraordinary bird migration over Israeli and Palestinian territories presents possibilities for rich metaphors regarding Muslim and Jewish relations.
Demonizing occurs across the board, from the conflict between Muslims and Jews, to the demonizing towards the woman at your job that had gotten the promotion over you. In both cases someone is being dehumanized, but with just different circumstances and consequences.
As I strive to live rooted in the authenticity and integrity of my soul, may I continue to open my eyes to how we are all wonderfully interconnected.
“We can each retreat to our shells and live within the surety of our faith, but God shows through more then answers… mystery paves the holiest ways; if you release a fearful heart.” ~ Lyrics from You Will See the Love, Spirit Sounds album
