It was a trying time. The system in which we had lived for so long, was toppling. Slowly but surely, everything that had been neatly stacked into rows and columns of undeniable truths, was falling apart.
The people at the top were resisting, of course. Who wouldn’t want their golden throne to remain standing, if it’s the only thing between yourself and the guillotine? Figuratively speaking, of course. No one would actually be lynched. At least not in public.
But they would lose everything they had. Their way of life. Their grasp of power. Everything they knew to be sure.
So of course they tried to hold the tower together.
But not by any overt means of reason, oh no.
That would not have worked. After all – the base of their wealth was not borne by any wooden or stone structure.
The reason they could be so rich, and powerful, and unshakeable in the first place, was because of who was carrying them: the people at the bottom.
The lowlifes. The forgotten. The hopeful and just. The ones who trusted in the good of man. The ones praying for better times. The ones caring for the sick and the lonely, the old and the young, the broken and the unseen.
The ones with the big hearts.
Oh, those on top thought it would last forever. You see, those who feel deeply and love dearly, will do everything in their power to help those in need.
Even if that means agreeing with a system that is, at its core, abusive… because at least it gives momentary relief to those who need it most. For that, the sensitive will close their eyes and hearts to the despair they cannot fix. They must, if they want to continue moving and not become catatonic with overwhelming sadness.
But not anymore.
It was a trying time for everyone, because healing sometimes means you have to open up a wound to let the infected tissue out. That means it becomes visible. That means you can smell the disease, and you can no longer deny it. You have to cut out the rot, in order to let the wound heal properly.
It was time to cut out the rot. Seeing that, looking it in the eye, admitting where you’ve contributed, and not letting guilt or shame stop you. Standing up in spite of it, because you dare to say “No more. We want to be better. We want to heal.” And letting go of everything and everyone that does not contribute to that healing… even if it’s scary.
Of course there was resistance. Those who benefitted from the broken system mounted their own offence, in hidden and dangerous ways. They felt threatened, and even though they always placed themselves above nature, in their hearts they quivered like a fearful animal. A cornered creature will lash out when it thinks there is no other way.
Fear is a powerful motivator in and of itself. Benefiting off it is a sure deal for those crafty enough. So of course, those of us who only cared for opportunity, took it where they could. But even they had to make their choice at some point.
Some of us knew. Some of us had been working for years. Finding love, finding connection, finding ways to deal with fear other than to let it consume them. They showed us the path, inviting but never forcing, letting everyone take their own steps. Growing stronger along the way.
So when the big hearts and deep feelers finally came together and rose, they were in masses. An unstoppable force of love, hope and trust – and belief in a better way.