In the long shadows of politicians and businessmen gathering in the Middle East to shake hands and celebrate billions of dollars in government and non-governmental investments, 2.1 million people in Gaza are facing near-immediate, state-sponsored famine. When our view widens from the cameras fixed on the stately and lavish receptions, the stark contrast between opulence and poverty is on clear display. As global leaders prioritize their interests, a preventable catastrophe of human suffering is unfolding in real-time.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, May 13th, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, called upon global leaders to permit their humanitarian work to continue unhindered. For 10 weeks, no food, water, or medicine has been permitted to enter Gaza, with one in five civilians on the brink of starvation. Simultaneously, there is a growing campaign of “appalling violence … increasing in the West Bank, where the situation is the worst in decades,” according to Mr. Fletcher. The situation is dire as those in positions of influence and power look away and fail to intervene. Instead, the insanity of peace through violence—including weapons of war and “engineered starvation”—is abhorrent.

We don’t need to look across the world to see the pain, suffering, death, and decay of the impoverished, oppressed, or victims of unresolved conflict. American communities and city streets have markings of the disparity in social priorities in plain sight. State laws and local ordinances are displacing the homeless and impoverished further underground and into the shadows where housing is more difficult to attain, access to free or affordable resources is scarce, and the prison system is used to house individuals with mental health conditions. The dehumanization of those in need—typically of no fault of their own—is a systemic and tired story in human history.

There is another way. Hope and change are the radical pursuit of peace that defies the rationale of “survival instincts.” The guidelines for peaceful living are informed by law, order, and systems, but an enduring peace is cultivated by humility and compassion. Peace is accomplished through the transcendent forces of the universe that supersede logic and commonplace understanding. That force is represented by our sacrificial love and care for one another.

In a transactional world, success is measured by wealth, upward mobility, access, influence, and power over others. However, in a hopeful and holistic world, our shared success is measured by the durability of peace and mutuality. Grounded in love, our selfless choices harness the power of the universe to create lasting hope and change. In the ancient words of Jesus of Nazareth, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life…you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”[1] 

From widespread famine in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti, to the less-seen poverty in the United States, apathy and inaction are unacceptable. Ignorance is not permissible. The causes of these atrocities are well understood. The solutions are in the hands of those in positions of power and influence. But the heart and the will to create hope and change belong to all of us. Love for our neighbors, near and far, activates the upside-down and inside-out forces of the universe that will sustain the future of our shared existence.

What will we choose: selfish pursuits or selfless love? The power to change the course of history is in our hands and spirits.

[1] Mark 8:35-36