The moral injury is global

An excerpt from Gently Fierce: Poems of Faith, Rage & Holy Imagination.

it used to be
that people heard
of wars and violence
through story
rumor
song
long after
the fact

then printing presses
sped up the process 
by months or weeks
but filtered through
monarchs
churches
the elite

then radio brought
stories within days
but curated newsreels
were often shown 
after liberation

then television
showed terrible images
within a day or two

now?

we see videos of
bombings and violence
within minutes
unedited
uncensored

as
they
happen

never before
in human history
have so many civilians
been witnesses to 
the frontline in real time

the moral injury
is global
because the suffering
is undeniable
and close

billions watch
the same atrocity
unfold
together

deep breath 

our bodies know
this is unsustainable
it’s all too much
the collective trauma
is real

and

the wild gift 
inside this pain
is the truth is harder to bury

survivors and victims
can speak for themselves

global solidarity is real
we’re no longer 
isolated moral communities
we are a global conscience

suffering breaks our hearts
and empathy enlarges hearts
invites generosity 
support
courage
love

witnessing horror
together makes us ask

what kind of humans
will we be in this time?

real time access 
means we get to 
witness the courage and love
just as quickly as the cruelty

some days i wish we
didn’t hear the news
until months after the fact
but then so much pain
would be buried even deeper

may we be truth-tellers
may we care for our nervous systems
may we be the compassion we ache for
in this season