Recently, I witnessed people rejoicing in the death of a young father.
Equally as shocking was that a violent and disturbing video of his murder was shared and reshared online and witnessed by millions — including children.
To me, this notion is abhorrent. I cannot align myself with any ideology that seeks to justify the death of another human being. Whoever it is, whatever the circumstances, celebrating loss of life is wrong. It hurts my soul.
I don’t consider myself right or left. I hold a balanced view. I don’t agree with everything others think or feel, but that has never stopped me from being kind, respectful, or empathic. I know early on whether someone’s views differ from mine, and I don’t feel the need to change them. Our experiences are unique, and they shape our perceptions and beliefs. When I listen, I learn, and I come to understand their perspective. I may not agree with their view but I can respect their right to hold it.
Likewise, others do not have to agree with my views. Everyone is free to step away, and I will respect their right to do so. In the same way, I will exercise my right to speak my truth in a thoughtful manner.
It is also important to say this: not everyone who disagrees with an ideology is “far right” or “far left”.
Politicians and the media often use this label to dismiss those who simply see the world differently. But disagreement itself is not extremism. Many people disagree with each other on countless issues. To reduce every difference to “far right” or “far left” is a distortion that silences voices, shuts down dialogue, and prevents the possibility of repair. We cannot go on like this. It is destructive to humanity.
I have also been shocked by the number of people — and the positions they hold — who think it is acceptable to justify a person’s death. This shows just how desensitised people have become. But desensitisation is a trauma response. If we have any hope of saving ourselves, we need enough people to snap out of that disconnect in order to prevent disaster.
What troubles me most is how disconnection and dissociation have stripped us of empathy. When we cut ourselves off from our own emotions, we lose the capacity to feel for others. We are not meant to live as “heads on sticks” — separate from our bodies. Yet that is how so many exist: in their heads, disconnected, numbed.
Trauma lives in the body. We cannot outthink it. Healing requires bottom-up intervention, but instead people are offered medication that keeps them in a state of suspended animation, not healing, just surviving – or CBT online – that treats thoughts as the root cause but doesn’t address the trauma. Life is not only think > feel > act. It is also – feel > think > feel > act. CBT has its place, but it should not be the only alternative available.
What we are witnessing now is generational complex trauma unfolding in real time. Disconnected people believe that the feelings activated inside of them are caused by something or someone outside of them. Their egos and lack of understanding keeps them from asking: what is my part in this suffering? Why are these feelings here inside me? What are the messages I’m receiving? They react not to the present, but to the past carried within them. Disconnection breeds anger and rage, misalignment of self, and an unwillingness to take responsibility because responsibility is painful.
Instead, blame is projected outward. We see it everywhere — the culture of entitlement, the demand for free services without taking responsibility for self, the instant cancelling rather than rupture and repair, the shameless rejoicing in harm. Neural pathways shaped by trauma make it feel natural, but it is not humane.
Social media, and now AI, mirror and magnify this cycle. Dysregulation spreads through our governments, our services, our communities. It is global.
And yet, there is a solution.
Love, compassion, and empathy can save humanity and it begins with regulation, connection, and self-awareness.
The world — and my shoulders — are big enough to carry a wide range of opinions. But we must draw the line before reaching violence or celebrating murder.
Lord, hear our prayer.