The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5665)
In a world that often feels like we are pulling further and further away from one another, I am reminded of this saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings) that as human beings, we are like one body: When one of us is hurting or attacked, all of us are in pain. We are interconnected, and so, too, are our struggles for justice:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
— Martin Niemöller
The oppression of one community is the oppression of all of us, and we do not achieve or experience justice until all of us are free and all lives are valued equally.
It feels very easy to lose hope with the hate and violence that are so present in our world. I find myself sometimes wondering if lasting and systemic change can occur. But then I see that many people are standing up for truth, justice, and equity, building deep and meaningful relationships across communities—many more than those who bring intolerance and violence into our world. There is still a long road ahead, and on this journey I draw on the words of Dr. King, who tells us that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”