Today marks the one month anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack, which left five dead and several others injured.
It seems like every time we switch on the news these days there is another terrorist incident to report on. Just two weeks after the Westminster attack, a similar incident took place in Stockholm and before that were the attacks in Berlin and in Nice.
Hearing about these incidences so frequently tends to give an impression of our world as a deeply troubled place. Understandably, it fills us with fear and anxiety as we go about our daily lives because we don’t know when the next attack will take place.
Living in a heightened state of anxiety is one way we can go about our lives in the aftermath of these attacks. Another way – and one that I would suggest trying – is to look for the light in all of these incidences. That may sounds odd… how could we possibly find anything but darkness in these attacks?
Let’s take the Westminster attack as an example. If we would be willing to acknowledge it, there were plenty of examples of light amid the darkness.
Take for instance, Melissa Cochran, the widow of American tourist Kurt Cochran saying she feels ‘no ill will’ towards Khalil Masood, the man responsible for killing her husband.
The efforts of MP Tobias Ellwood, who many referred to as a hero for his efforts to save PC Keith Palmer.
The interfaith ‘Service of Hope’ at Westminster Abbey, which defied the narrative of fear and hate by bringing all communities together.
The uplifting messages written across various London underground stations the day after the attack (as seen in the photo above).
And of course, the beautiful flowers and heartfelt messages that were placed in Parliament Square by people who had never met the victims.
This list could go on. The point I’m trying to make is that if we look for darkness in this world, we will surely find it. This is what the mainstream media typically chooses to focuses on.
If, on the other hand, we allowed ourselves to see things differently, we would find light even the worst situations. We just need to be willing to look for it.
Inspired Politics 