Words of hope from Loreena McKennitt... and Gandhi

In the liner notes to her latest album, An Ancient Muse, Loreena McKennitt -- the Canadian neo-Celtic and world fusion singer with the amazingly ethereal voice, comments that this latest "musical document" includes "ruminations on the universal human themes of life and love, conquest and death; of home, identity, and the emigrations of people and the resulting evolution of culture." She continues,

Our paths may differ but our quests are shared: our desire to love and be loved, our thirst for liberty and our need to be appreciated as unique individuals within the collectivity of our society... Ever-mindful of the weight of history behind us that allows us to draw lessons from its ancient voice, I have not wavered in my conviction that we are a culmination of our shared histories and that there should be more to bind us together than to tear us apart. Nor have I ceased to hope that in striving toward harmonious, integrated diversity, we will be guided by collective beliefs that will be life affirming at their core.

I share both that conviction and that hope. Sadly, however, it appears that those of us who do so are a distinct minority in today's world.

These views certainly are not shared by the Islamofascists of al-Qaeda and its ilk. Alas, they are also apparently not shared by plenty of people here at home, either. While remaining mindful of the need to defend ourselves against those dedicated to our destruction, we must ensure that we present a credible philosophical and spiritual alternative to hatred, violence, and domination... not just present the same basic dish in a slightly different flavor.

But through it all, I am reminded of the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said,

When I despair, I remember that, all through history, the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and, for a time, they may seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Think of it: always.

May it always remain so.