To the Editor:
I appreciate the space The Post-Standard devotes to spiritual pieces in its CNY Inspirations. It’s understandable that the secular press is not given to printing much more of a spiritual nature since that is not its mission. And I suppose it should be circumspect about allowing readers like me to proffer spiritual opinions in letters to the editor. But it was a guest piece in the Opinion section, “An old Jewish woman, spilled tea and my Palestinian parents’ wisdom” (Dec. 3, 2023), that is the kind of inspirational writing we could use more of in these exceptionally dismal times.
That piece by Palestinian Ghassan Bisharat about growing up in the shadow of parents who demonstrated exceptional compassion, contained deep spiritual lessons that can be found in all religious traditions. I am thinking particularly of the scenario he relates about his mother’s incomprehensible kindness toward the Israeli soldiers who had just evicted them from their village. She, in her profound wisdom, saw her persecutors as having interests no different from her own because she knew them as equally beloved children of God.
There is a lot of fearful news everywhere we look. But exposure to excessive amounts of fear is counterproductive for our psycho-spiritual well-being and any movement forward as a viable species. I don’t advocate putting our heads in the sand. But I suggest we would greatly benefit from more journalism that inspires us to dig for that gracious love deep within our hearts, even from our nonreligious press.
Richard Patrick
Syracuse
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