Maybe this will be my last post regarding the Occupy movement. It all depends on what else happens. Two events have influenced my thinking since the last time I wrote something. The first event was participating in an “Occupy” simulation game with our youth group. Each person was assigned a character and there were 3 main groups – the occupiers, the government workers, and the 1 percent. Within each group, there were different characters. As we played out the scenario and heard from each group, an interesting thing happened. The youth who were acting as if they were part of a specific group found themselves surprised by what they were feeling and saying. It happened to some extent in each group, but it happened primarily in the group that represented the 1%. What they had been hearing at home and at school and in the media was that the 1% were to blame. When they “became” the 1% for the exercise, they had an entirely different perspective and began to understand how unhelpful it is to blame the 1% for a whole host of problems. The second event that influenced my thinking was an article in the Huffington Post titled “This Thanksgiving, Occupy Yourself” by Dylan Ratigan. He writes eloquently about how the Thanksgiving holiday was originally declared by Abraham Lincoln as an attempt to unify the nation and in the spirit of that unity, Dylan is going to look at himself and his own dark side that can create suffering when it goes unchecked. He claims that the concept of a villain is the real villain. He encourages all of us to look at ourselves, our shadow sides, our dark sides, those places in us that constantly threaten to undo us rather than to look at other people to blame.
After all is said and done, I am having a difficult time with the concepts of the 99% and the 1%. While I understand how it came about and the desire to unify the masses, I think it is missing the boat. At the heart of any and all conflict, if it is to be resolved, is that each part of the conflict honestly asks, “What is my part in this, how did I contribute to what is happening?” One of the aspects of our political scene which disturbs me the most is that we don’t have any adults who are willing to own their parts in what happens. We are creating an entire culture around “passing the buck” and not taking responsibility for our actions. Likewise, with the Occupy movement, aside from the article by Ratigan, I have heard very little encouragement for each person to ask how they contributed to our economic meltdown. Am I any better than the 1% when I wanted to buy a house I couldn’t afford? When I look at my part in what is happening globally, I see it. I, too, am part of the problem. If I am honest with myself and if I am willing to see my shadow side, I will always be able to see how I am contributing to a variety of problems, both in my family and in society.
So now what? Once we have been able to see how we, too, have contributed to a problem what comes next? We have to honestly ask whether we are willing to change our behavior in order to be a part of a solution. Am I willing to rent a house instead of owning a house? Am I willing to live within my means instead of borrowing money? Am I willing to pay more money for gas and groceries and clothing so that workers here in the United States can make products again?
The practice of owning our part in any conflict is one that we can put to use constantly in so many different relationships. If spouses were more willing to do that rather than blame the other, imagine how many more marriages would last. The same has to be true for friendships, working relationships, living in community and, of course, national and international relationships. As we approach our Christmas season, I cannot help but think about the Christ who was referred to as the Prince of Peace. He didn’t get that name because he was nice or tried to please everyone. It seems to me the true Peacemakers are those who see and acknowledge their parts in all that happens rather than blaming everyone else. May we each be living peacemakers.