Vindicate (Insight #5)(10)
“I’m not going to argue religion with you,” I said as respectfully as I could to him.
“Yet, you want to argue with theirs , ” h e countered in his common wise tone.
“Donalt is not religion , ” I said shortly as the hatred I had for that ghost bellowed in me.
“To them he is , ” August said , taking my hand and forcing me to feel his calm emotion. “The people in this dimension all belie ve in one source of God. That was Donalt, and they have divided into different beliefs on what is to happen. To some , this is the dreadful end of days ; to others , this is a blissful beginning, and there are even those who are unaware that any of this is transpiring. We must tread carefully. Beliefs are precious, and i f you plan to fulfill your fate you must rise ab ove dualities. You cannot take sides.”
“Dualities?” I repeated .
August ’s eyes captured mine. “It is a lesson I have been striving to teac h Landen from his first breathe . Dualities. Seeing one side to be right and the other wrong.”
“But there is one wrong side , ” I argued.
“Is there?” he asked as a sparkle illuminated in his eyes. “Tell me , Willow. I f you were the princess of darkness…if ending light was your desire - your pur pose – what you needed for survival . Would you not see the ligh t as evil? Duality is taking sides , seeing one thing as correct and the other as wrong . A true r uler. Prophet . Source of change, would not see those. The y would find love for each side. Reason for each action. Forgiveness.”
If this was any other day I might have agreed with him. “I cannot forgive these actions. I cannot forgive the murder of innocents. Forgive anyone for taking someone’s energy – their purpose, and command ing them to follow obediently to conformity , ” I argued.
“Let me be clear , ” August said as he reached for my other hand to maintain the calm emotion he wanted me to feel. “Perceiving one to be innocent and one to be guilty is taking sides – embracing dualities. No one can take another’s energy ; it is giv en freely b y the source it is created from. No one ca n command another to conformity. A person has to cho o se to follow.”
He was so hard to argue with. “August. Do you not see what state this dimension is in? Do you not see how they have been reduced to nothing? Redemption is required.”
His solemn eyes fell into mine. “I do , ” h e said calmly. “But I see the same in every dimension.”
“No , not all of them , ” I mumbled .
“Are you referring to Infante or Chara ?” he asked .
“Both.”
“Conformity lives in both.” August replied gently. “Remember the home you were raised in. Were there not social stand a r d s that had to be met for acceptance? Were there not laws and rules that had to be followed, and if they were not , punishment was given ? I s that not what your dimension teaches it s children from birth ? A re the children not rewarded for following direction and punished for ignoring it?” He tilted his head. “Even in Chara , it exists…each day , people are brought to our world by the ones they love…they are expected to find their purpose …and rising to that expectation because they were told and not because they felt that desire is a form of conformity. Many times , the desire to reach their purpose blinds them. Even tho se born in Chara face that command. Some want to be travelers simply for the glory – for the gifts and protec tion they feel that role brings, and that desire is completely human. Sometimes it leads born members on several paths of discovery . There is not one single dimension that does not have some form of confo rmity - some grasp of dualities. Not yet.”
Ok, so he had a good point. But still. “Yes, but those are laws. Rules that have to be in place. They are meant to protect people. What would you suggest? That children do as they wish? That there are no laws ? That you can steal – murder and not expect punishment ? Why is it wrong for Chara to ask it s citizens to find their purpose ? What’s wrong with expecting everyone to find that joy?”
He grinned. Landen had told me more than once that August admired my tenacity when he came to debating philosophy. “I’m simply telling you that this world is the same. There are laws – conformity in place for the purpose of ‘protecting’ people – to guide them.”
“Their laws are wrong.” I said coldly.
“They are only wrong because of your perspective – where you cho o se to take sides says that they are.”
“Right , ” I said , letting his hands go. “Whatever. I give up. I don’t care what they do here. Wake them up , and we’ll go . We will let this world destroy themselves.” It was empty threat that I regretted as soon as I said it.
“Willow , ” h e said , reaching for my hands again. “Why must you strive for extremes? My lesson to you is that if you are going to bring peace to this dimension or any other…you are going t o have to find an understanding. You are going to have to find a balance. You cannot command for them to believe the way you believe.”
“Then what do I do? What is this all really about? What fate have I chosen? Why am I punished for it?”
“You rise. You rise above dualities. You understa nd where someone is coming from. You embrace their beliefs with respect and honor. You never push yo ur point of view upon them.” He lowered his head to chase my wondering glance. He knew he was getting through to me. “For any awaking in any soul must come from them. Be the example. Be the person your soul is leading you to be .”