Human Connection
Human connection is a beautiful thing.
Today, video was released of the cafe shooting in Paris last Friday. The grainy black and white photo shows a diner retreating from her place at a sidewalk table into the cafe. She has been shot in the wrist. She runs between empty tables in the dark restaurant and goes to duck behind the bar where a waitress is crouched. In the last fraction of a second of the footage the waitress extends an arm and the wounded woman enters the comfort of her embrace.
Aside from the video of the child who becomes convinced that flowers and candles protect us from bullets, this is one of the most powerful images I’ve seen in the wake of this horrible event.
After 9/11 I saw a few of these videos emerge, and we’ve certainly heard stories of inspiration in the fourteen years since. There seems to be far more, now. Part of that is the advancement of technology. Part of that is our awareness and hunger for these stories. And part of it may be that human beings are just better at connecting.
In spiritual esoterics, a field of thought and belief in which I am interested, it is taught that a document exists, for lack of a better term, which is known as the Akashik Record. This record holds information about many things unknown to humans, and among them are the purpose of events that have taken place, the original plan that was in place prior to an event and how the plan changed based on events, and etc. For example, I heard an Akashik Record reading once that said that Jesus was sent to open the heart chakra of the human race. This makes sense, especially when you look at the state of human history before Christ, and how exponentially quickly it has evolved since his time on earth. The heart chakra is an energy center in our chest that stores our ability to respond with loving kindness in the face of another’s suffering: compassion. The Akashik Record also show that Lady Diana, of all people, was sent to open the heart chakra of the British people. Let that sink in for a moment.
It’s our heart chakra that allow us to seek connection with others…it’s the place where we truly meet another person. We connect with people via other energy centers with different outcomes, and neither is better or worse than another. Meeting with others at our lower energy centers might be simply sexual relationships, or rudimentary connections with people on line, or even relationships that are more related to transactional matters, or matters of survival vs. fear. Connecting with others at our higher energy centers are where we meet with spiritual teachers–pastors, gurus, yoga teachers. I think of a therapist/client relationship as being a meeting of the throat chakras, where we store our need and ability to speak truth.
But a heart-centered relationship is where it’s at for us as humans. We love heart centered encounters. These happen between dear friends. Between parent and child, throughout the lifespan. Grief and loss sit in our heart centers and wait patiently to be reopened and healed by that next love encounter. For example, when we lose a loved on, that pain lands in our heart chakra, and how do other humans respond? They hug us. They physically place their heart chakra against ours to heal it.
When the waitress in the cafe reached out to the customer, maybe she recognized her from moments earlier when the world was not upside down. Maybe she brought her an entree minutes before, or a late night snack, or a cocktail. Perhaps they exchanged smiles–or not. Perhaps the waitress was still in service mode in that moment, seeking to serve the customer. Or perhaps she was huddled alone imagining everyone else was dead, and was relieved to see a fellow human, and amazed that anyone was alive. Regardless, after the shots were fired, and their life stories were forever altered, their lives were merged through a life saving moment of seeking shelter together.
Have you noticed? In the last few years, it’s not just Amnesty International that is telling untold stories. We’re all hearing and talking about human trafficking, female genital mutilation, child abuse, domestic violence, gun violence, drug addiction, depression, insidious institutional racism, and more. It’s out there. In the open.
In the five days since this dreadful event caught the attention of the world, I have heard conversations highlighting the plight of humanity worldwide. I have heard a call for greater compassion to refugees. I have witnessed forgiveness. I have seen people’s hearts open to each other in ways I never anticipated. I’ve seen awareness grow around our inability to tolerate the mistreatment of people anywhere at any time. Hearts are opening to each other. Compassion is growing. People are calling for love in the face of insanity. A love of life in the face of death.
Human connection is a beautiful thing–and it’s growing.