The revolution must happen. Beyond a necessity, it’s a duty. A duty to ourselves. To this thing inside we call humanity. But the real revolution is not about marching masses and angry flags.
The real revolution starts within. The first dictators we need to overthrow are our own intolerance, our own prejudice and our own fear. Fear of others, fear of everything different, fear of change, fear of what we don’t know, of what we don’t understand, fear of losing our tiny comfort.
Tiny comfort of willing slaves.
Who else but a willing slave only strives for crumbs, and forgets his God-given right to sit at the table and enjoy the feast?
Look at your life. Look at all our lives. Don’t they come down to increasing a number on a bank sheet? A number that will enable us to acquire objects. Objects to wear, to drive, to beautify our homes. Objects for show, for display. To prove how important we are. How successful. How much legitimacy we have for love and respect.
What are we but willing slaves?
I am told that’s the way the system works. I’m told that I must accept it. Live with it. Sink or swim. But I can’t help but asking: who created this system? Who raised it, pampered it? And who continues to feed it every day?
Us, no one else but us.
If the problem is us, so is the solution. It’s therefore up to us to change it, to improve it. But how can we improve anything if we stay the same? How can we speak of justice if we are unjust? Of tolerance if we are intolerant? Of compassion and generosity if we are selfish and greedy?
If you can’t hold a brush, you can’t possibly paint the Mona Lisa.
The real revolution starts within. When we rise up and defeat our real jailer, the most unjust of masters, the most terrible of tyrants: ourself. Only then, we will find the strength to truly change what needs to be changed in the world. Without angry flags, without hatred and without violence.
© Claude El Khal, 2020