In The Name Of Millions

IN THE NAME OF MILLIONS

THE MISSION OF AYLAN KURDI, AGE 3

A spiritual hero, only three years old, has come forward with a mission to awaken humanity to the insane trajectory we are on.

His tiny body washed in from the sea and exquisitely placed in death lay poignantly still, face down at the shore line in the rhythmic lapping tide, both arms at his sides and his palms up as if waiting to receive an answer from all of us regarding his sacrifice. The little feet were still clad in shoes, so sweetly placed together in repose. The photograph Immediately went viral on world social media. it has been an image to strike to the core of human conscience crossing all divisions of nations, religion, status and cultures.

Aylan Kurdi, one of the thousands of refugees fleeing war and devastation in their countries, died at sea in a drastically overloaded boat with his father and mother trying to escape from Syria, where much of their remaining family was massacred by terrorists. His father, Abdullah, was desperately trying to save his two young sons from drowning in violent seas, and felt them going, releasing one to try to save the other. His wife, Zehin, whose delicate beauty is mindful of a Muslim Quan Yin, seeing her precious sons slip into the ocean, followed them into the turbulent waters and drowned as well. A passionately devoted mother crossing the threshold with her two sons in the primal waters of the sea as there was no safe home on this earth for them.

In a handful of childhood photos, Aylan, looks at us with innocent yet wisdom-filled eyes and in one picture, very formally dressed, he opens his small hands as if offering a proclamation of world blessing. In several others he is squinting, eyes closed, grinning perhaps somehow inwardly amazed at the magnitude of the impact he is about to make on the world. He wears a shirt with words to ponder.. ‘Mysterious space riders’.. In another he cocks his hand to his ear as though asking if we are hearing what is the sound of suffering around the world.

Aylan for the moment has brought together East and West, a nearly impossible feat. He has struck the common heart chord in humanity. The cry of ‘Humanity Washed Ashore.’ and “Humanity Failed,” has accompanied the event around the world.

Even the tabloids interrupted their vapid fare of celebrity scandals, cellulite, deranged and decadent behavior we so crave for entertainment, to feature the moment of real human confrontation with what we are doing.

With his death, Aylan speaks for millions who have so tragically died with a clarion call into the deaf distancing of our collective responsibility with the cruel phrase, ‘collateral damage’ given to the innocents, women and children who die and die everywhere in war. All those who die tragically resulting from the manipulations of those who are exploiting the world and its peoples. His death challenges the ever present war profiteers who, skunk like, radiate the unremovable stench of insatiable greed, the Koch’s, Haliburtons, Rothchilds, and others throughout history who profit on tragedy. His death challenges the many leaders and countries who colonized the world the way they did with rapacious use of power, cheap labor, and ransacking of local resources. It all now comes home to roost in Europe as the refugees from those mistreated colonies stream in. His death challenges the hideous customs of old cultures that cruelly degrade and destroy women and hold them, and thus their countries and economies, in poverty and servitude. His death challenges the corporate undermining of small family farming with industrial agriculture (instead of supporting families with local sustainable self sufficiency) and that leads to starvation, poverty and migration.

This is the 21st century, surely a time to take our honed sense of individual self consciousness and apply the zeal of battle to the transformation of our own inner demons so the world will stand a chance. Face up to the demons of fear, prejudice, greed, jealously, apathy, depression, chauvinism, nationalism and hatred. A time to abhor the parading of race hatred as a political tool, the antithesis of a moral stance (read Trump)

This is the Michaelmas time of the year. The archangel Micha-el, the angel of truth, courage, cosmopolitan awareness and spiritual courage, is honored in all major religions,Hebrew, Islamic and Christian. He battles the dragon, transforms the soul, and emerges victorious.

The message of Micha-el is that we must strive for greater spirituality, our highest humanity and he challenges us to line up our lives with the higher moral universe. He stands for finding world brother and sisterhood and strengthening our spiritual individuality so our moral conscience can begin to transcend all the barriers that would divide humanity from one another. Aylan has stepped into world leadership, for this moment in time, to accomplish just that.

Nancy Jewel Poer,

Michaelmas, 2015