I woke up to this song, “Break the Cycle” by You and Me and the following lyrics inspired me to write this blog in the middle of the night. I quote, “Tell me the words you long to hear and I’ll sing them loud and clear. Let me heal the wounds you’ve held on to all these years. Break the cycle, break the chain, because love is louder than all of your pain”. I envisioned my arms literally stretching around the world, hugging it, to send all of my love, energy, and light to those that are suffering. Frequently, I pray, that those around the world, hurting in whatever way, feel relief. Usually I imagine the relief to manifest as something typically considered minute to most, like a sunset or a flower. Sometimes I pray that relief take the form as a reason to laugh or smile; anything to forget the turmoil even for a moment. These people that are suffering have many different faces in my mind….children starving, women being kidnapped and sold into the sex slave market, Syria, the world’s homeless, people that are sick in any way. The list goes on. I pray for all of them to my all-encompassing universal God-head that simply speaks most clearly to me through Catholicism as an Italian. I pray for everyone encountering pain. I pray that they experience moments of relief because I am wise enough to know that suffering is not always in our control, and even when it is in our control, letting go is difficult.
“Break the cycle, break the chain, because love is louder than all of your pain”…I want to step outside, amplify my voice for the world to hear, and sing this song to all those that are suffering. Illness is a form of suffering that at times is out of our control, unless the doctors identify the appropriate treatment to achieve an optimal prognosis. Oppression, in all its forms, is a form of suffering that people collectively have control over when we bind together to dismantle its power. Oppression is a chain that we can break together by sharing our love for one another. First we must acknowledge its multi-faceted existence. Capitalism inspires competition, causing oppression to secure wealth, power, and prestige. Serfdom, slavery, colonialism/Post-colonialism, and eugenics- throughout the ages has asserted that wealthy men in power (many who are white, but not all) and own property are superior to everyone else. This has and continues to breed hurt, hostility, and the near extinction of some races. Alexander the Great, Napoleon, English settlers to America, Hilter, and Donald Trump are a few examples that come to mind. In many cases it is all about the greed, the power, the prestige, but not always. “Break the cycle, break the chain, because love is louder than all of your pain”. I started writing a blog and wanted to finish chapter one of my dissertation earlier today, but I lacked the typical joy that envelops me when I think of, or better yet, feel social work. I chose to stop writing because my profession is joyous and beautiful. Social work reminds all those involved, clients and service providers alike, that love is louder than pain. Unlike other professions, we profess and embody beautiful core values, like social justice, integrity, the dignity and worth of individuals, and so on. We devote ourselves to the enhancement of societal well-being. We love society and most especially those that are suffering because of society. Social workers, no matter how hard we might try, simply cannot eliminate man-made causes of suffering. It requires a larger community founded on the notions of love, justice, equality, dignity, worth, and respect of all individuals. We need all of you in all the fields to speak up against what is wrong and give back to those in need. We must work together to mitigate suffering. We must strive towards love of all. “Tell me the words you long to hear and I’ll sing them loud and clear. Let me heal the wounds you’ve held on to all these years. Break the cycle, break the chain, because love is louder than all of your pain. Break the cycle, break the chain, because love is louder than all of your pain”. Metaphorically I stretch my arms around the world each day, praying for relief. I came to think that if each of us started holding each others' arms that we could actually collectively hug the world. Love would resonate and be heard loudly everywhere throughout the world.
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