Seeing the stars in the darkness

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. How true! Looking for proof? The last few months have presented more than enough evidence to prove this point.

First, the Coronavirus outbreak seemingly encapsulated the world with its tight, fearful grip. And yet, stories of compassion, acts of kindness, heroic selfless performances by the nurses, doctors and first responders overshadowed the fear spread by the virus. And then, just when we turned around the corner and started to prepare for recovery, another event sparked a national unrest - the killing of George Floyd by a police officer.

Darkness seemed to spread its unruly arms even tighter around us. The world stood up for racial equality. People hit the streets to make their voices heard and defend their constitutional rights. Unfortunately, as you know, many protests turned violent. The scenes of rioting, looting and assault in some cases, became all too familiar. Social media got flooded by videos showing destruction, fires and violent behavior. How many of these have you seen? Do you worry about the future of our nation when you see everything that’s going on?

You might, if you are looking at the darkness. Now turn your eyes to the stars. How about the videos of brotherhood, unity and love that have been going around? Did you not see the one where a young black male is crying on the shoulder of a white police officer who has his arms around the guy? How about the video showing the protesters dancing with the law enforcement officers right here in Newport News during a protest? Pictures of protesters forming a line to protect the lives of people working in the very institution they are protesting against? Another group of protesters risked their own lives to stop rioters from damaging, looting and vandalizing the businesses in their community. The examples are countless. The main question is, are you seeing the darkness or the stars?

In his landmark book “Power Vs. Force” David Hawkins says: “Successful solutions are based on the powerful principle that resolution occurs by fostering the positive, not by attacking the negative.” You may rightfully ask, “But how can we not attack the negative when it is so awful and unjust?”

What you’re really saying is that you want everything to be fair and just. Don’t we all? But the method for reaching this can not be through hate. Quoting Dr. King again, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” And each of us has a responsibility to humanity to drive out hate by spreading love.

So, what can you do, and equally important, stop doing to help the cause and turn your eyes to the stars? Here are some examples of opposites to get you started:

• Stop spending too much time reading and watching the news. Start spending time educating yourself, increasing your awareness, your knowledge and skills.

• Stop watching videos that arouse your anger and rage. Start watching heartwarming videos, videos of compassion, unity, kindness and past success.

• Stop sharing posts that arouse negative feelings of anger and hate. Start sharing encouraging posts that will inspire others to make a difference.

• Stop talking to others about all the bad things you hear. Start telling people about all the good news you hear.

• Stop blaming. Start doing your part.

• Stop worrying. Start believing.

Remember, that stating and restating the negative only helps spreading it. Remember that love is infinitely more powerful than hate. Remember, that one loving person can counterbalance hundreds of negative people. Remember, that whether you see the darkness or the stars is your personal choice. Remember, that if you learn to see the stars YOU will become a star that other people look up to. Remember, that each time a new star is born it illuminates the night sky even brighter.