Parisien Antoine Leiris’s Facebook post to those responsible for his wife’s death during the Paris attacks on November 13, 2015, went viral. Why?
Our true nature is divine love. Each being knows within their heart and soul, consciously or unconsciously, that Love is the most powerful force there is. Fear (the true opponent of love), hatred, and anger may give the illusion of being mightier, but that is what they are – illusions.
Humans search for truth and the awareness of who they are and how they fit in the universe. When acts of anger and hatred occur, people scramble to find some shred of light, hope or love to reassure them that the true power is still present.
This is why we latch onto the words, sentiment and actions of those who remember the truth of who we are, like Antoine. Here is the text of his post. Read it now. Come back and read it tomorrow; in a month; when you are saddened by loss; or are feeling empty and doubting that any light exists anywhere. Remember who you are.
“You will not have my hatred
On Friday evening you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hatred.
I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to know, you are dead souls. If this god for whom you kill blindly made us in his image, every bullet in the body of my wife is a wound in his heart.
So no, I will not give you the satisfaction of hating you. You want it, but to respond to hatred with anger would be to give in to the same ignorance that made you what you are.
You would like me to be scared, for me to look at my fellow citizens with a suspicious eye, for me to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You have lost. The player still plays.
I saw her this morning. At last, after nights and days of waiting. She was as beautiful as when she left on Friday evening, as beautiful as when I fell head over heels in love with her more than 12 years ago.
Of course I am devastated with grief, I grant you this small victory, but it will be short-lived.
I know she will be with us every day and we will find each other in heaven with free souls which you will never have.
Us two, my son and I, we will be stronger than every army in the world. I cannot waste any more time on you as I must go back to [my son] who has just woken from his sleep.
He is only just 17 months old, he is going to eat his snack just like every other day, then we are going to play like every other day and all his life this little boy will be happy and free.
Because you will never have his hatred either.”
Read this again tomorrow; in a month; when you are saddened by loss; or are feeling empty and doubting that any light exists anywhere. Remember who you are and shine that light always. Everywhere. No exceptions, no time-outs.
Love is….