In the aftermath of yet another terrible school shooting, the same debates about guns have resurfaced. I’ve seen Jedi from across the world jump into the debate on social media, and just like the last time…these social media discussions will go nowhere. Well, they could, but if we look over historical data of where they have gotten us previously- we know what will happen...unless something changes.
For some of you, the guns are fine where they are, and you’re not looking to do anything with them. For others, the guns must go, or at least be regulated more. For all of you, there is a glaring problem- the other side isn’t budging on their prospective. It’s a sad truth that this tends to be the case every time a human-deployed public crisis occurs- whether it is about basic civil rights or event that inflicts mass injuries/fatalities. We know that we cannot change the opposition’s mind, yet we try to reason with them giving our personal logic and understanding of the situation.
When something like this happens, we see the Christian Community sending thoughts and prayers, they discuss with their congregations Biblically based theories on why these things are happening, and if they are in the community directly impacted by the crisis they will open their doors to help victims where they can. But what about the Jedi? What guidance is given to us?
1) First thing’s first- going on the internet and venting or arguing with the opposition clearly isn’t doing any good. We have to admit to ourselves that the only thing we are accomplishing when we take our arguments to social media is venting. If you looked at social media, you might have thought that votes would go in vastly different directions, only to be let down when the polls closed. This is mostly because we surround ourselves with people that think similarly to us, so the dissenters are more in the background than they are in the foreground.
2) The Jedi Path is synchronistic, for some it IS their religion, and for others it is a philosophy or a part of their way of life. If you have a religion already, then your faith can offer you a means of spiritually asking for help to get a way you want. And it can provide you with answers as to why things do not go your way if the universe decides to go a different direction than how you believe it should.
3) At three, however, is where we start to get into what the Jedi Path has to offer as insight. As with most things in our path, it begins with meditation. Not the kind that focuses on clearing your mind, but rather the contemplative kind. The kind that focuses on this simple, yet complex question:
“What can I do?”
Prior to three, we are coping with our world view. We need the opportunity to vent to see where our heads are in everything. We might need to reach out to a higher power and admit that this is not something that will be easy to accomplish. But in 3, we as Jedi face an even more difficult truth: Whether or not it’s part of our journey to tackle the crisis before us, or if we need to place our trust in those that are more capable and passionate about how things turn out than we are.
Now, don’t take this to mean that you stop at this stage if you find this isn’t part of your journey. Maybe you have just enough passion that you can look over your finances and contribute something to a reputable organization which values align with your own. You might find that you can set up a reminder every month to post a link on your social media for people to donate to such an organization and then make an effort to say nothing, regardless of the comments that come afterwards.
Finally, we come to
4) Stand by your convictions. This may be the most difficult piece in the puzzle. We will all fall in it, I know I do. And I know I will. But it’s worth noting that this is something we should aspire to. Whatever we discover in 3 reveals a great deal about what our personal role in society is, and how we can best use our personal Prowesses and Values to impact the world around us.
Where ever the next crisis strikes, may we each find the guidance we need.