As I find myself once again in the Middle East during Ramadan, the difference this time is that I arrive to what for now is to become “home”. It has been wonderful to reunite with loved ones and to see once again my relatively new friends. But not all has been easy, life has tested me and invited me to live in higher love. Read below.
During Ramadan it is a tradition to butcher sheep and offer the sheep to people that are hungry and also to those held in esteem. The intention is one of gratitude, love, and honoring God’s mercy. (In the scriptures, not only the islamic ones, when Abraham was willing to give up his son Isaac, instead of sacrificing the son, God sacrificed a sheep). I can not say for certain that this is where the butchering of the sheep during Ramadan arises from, but since it is meant in such high honor, I am simply assuming that there must be some relationship. Thus far, those that I have asked simply refer to it as “it is tradition during this time of year”. My assumption is simply my own interpretation.
I have always had a hard time with this tradition, I personally do not agree with killing animals as a tradition, and even less with ordering an animal to be killed as a gift for another. To me that falls into the category of “lost in translation” if you know what I mean. I believe in random acts of kindness on a continuous basis, and helping others regularly as well as living in a state of continous communion with the divine. Honoring God by honoring life. If you eat meat, eat what you need, the basic, what is necessary, be humble and give heartfelt thanks to the animal that gave its life for you. Be aware of what is. I also do believe that intention overrides action, and when intentions are pure, and our actions are not of the highest consciousness, our lessons will be gentle and guide us lovingly to a higher consciousness.
I had been advised that a friend was intending to send a lamb to welcome me. I immediately sent him word that I was disturbed by that and that if he truly wanted to welcome me to instead spare the life of a lamb. Fair trade? Well, apparently he did not understand my message or how much I meant it. On Monday morning a man was sent to our house with a 7 kg bag of fresh lamb meat that included body parts chopped up and the head. At the moment of realization of what that bag truly was, tears began to flow, I could not make a distinction between a person and the animal, it was just a life. I screamed when I saw its head and eyes and I cried throughout the day and night. I was offended, hurt and angry. I felt truly miserable. I could not believe the insensitivity of the man that sent it, and I personally told him that evening that I did not appreciate it, that I was hurt and disturbed. He apologized many times, he said it had been a misunderstanding, that I was not supposed to receive the whole lamb, but his apology did not make me feel any better. I could just come up with “it is what it is”. That was my only reply.
The words must have flowed from spirit for the true meaning of ‘it is what it is” carries no judgement, and a lack of judgement was far from my state of consciousness. Yet, “it is what is” means that I can not change it, yet I can seek to understand it or simply let it be. The intention was good, was meant to honor me, the action, in my book, less than honoring, on the contrary, primitive. Whether the lamb was intentionally sent to me or not, it came. I got it.
I can not fathom the idea of greed that accompanies giving a small family that can afford food an excess of 15 pounds of meat, a whole animal. It is an act of greediness to me, but that thought puts me right back into judgement. I can let it be and donate the meat to others that may be well served, and turn this sadness into lightness within me. I can choose to be empowered and put a smile on a hungry man’s face or simmer with anger and continue to be appalled. If I am to bring light to the earth, the answer is simple, my chosen alignment is clear. For my own inner peace, I need to make empowering choices that will balance the hurt within. I can not change what is, but I can change what I do with it. I feel gratitude in my heart for this and compassion for all of us humans.
And with that said I simply recall Ghandi’s words ” Be the change that you want to see in this world” Today I wish for peace with all of life and with all my fellow humans. I choose Peace. I am Peace. And so it is. Blessings!