What are you willing to sacrifice?

I’ve been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately.

It’s at the heart of the three main religions.

Most of us are familiar with Abraham being asked to sacrifice his beloved son as the ultimate test. Muslims and Jews share this narrative as the core of their faith.

Christians take this exact same theme but put it on steroids.

For them them the narrative is that it’s God who not only was willing to sacrifice his beloved son…but also sacrifice himself.

I think it’s fair enough to say that in our human experience, sacrifice is how we measure someone’s commitment.

In modern day terms it’s not as easy to find examples of this.

Those of us who have been pregnant and birthed a baby can share about the physical, emotional and psychological sacrifice that is involved. Although one could argue that it doesn’t count because we also gain something in return.

There are families that sacrifice their culture and identity by fleeing a country. But again, there is a reward on the horizon.

“What are you willing to sacrifice?” has been sitting uncomfortably in my brain like a pebble in a shoe all week.

In the context of a genocide, I’d like to think that I’m willing to sacrifice A LOT.

But am I really?

There are cold early mornings hanging a banner on a bridge.

There are relationships with family and friends that will never be reconciled.

There is my small business that is at a complete standstill.

There are many many hours I could be spending with my children that are instead spent on zoom, or meetings, or rallies, or films, or actions, or social media, or or or or…

But in a context of a genocide, these “sacrifices” don’t hold much currency.

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I think back to 18 year old me.

I was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for “my country”.

At the time, I very much conflated “my country” with “God”.

So whatever I was sacrificing to Israel, I thought I was sacrificing to God.

I know that sounds dramatic.

But I wasn’t just saying yes to a two year conscription to the Israeli army.

I had said yes to another “path” which I am eternally grateful never eventuated.

But in the interview process I had said yes to killing and being killed as part of my “service” aka sacrifice.

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Nothing I ever do in the context of a genocide will match that.

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So back to the present. Who is sacrificing what right now?

My mind goes to the Australians on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea.

Anny, who has been on countless banner drops with me. And who was one of the few people who put their hand up to helping me make it. Both her parents were in the Holocaust. They both spent four years in Siberian labour camps. She has recently become a grandmother.

There is Violet. Whose husband was giving me more personal updates when I saw him at two different events during the week. One a vigil and one a fundraiser. What he shared made me even more in awe of Violet’s sacrifice.

Then there’s the mother and daughter Juliet and Isla, who I don’t personally know but have many friends that do.

And Gemma who is the same age as my kids.

Bianca, Sam, Zack, Neve, Surya and Helen I don’t have close connections with, but are very loved in the online community I’m part of.

I say they are on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea, but that is of course wishful thinking. They are most likely somewhere in Israel right now being “processed”. If they are lucky they will be sent back immediately to Australia.

What these humanitarians have sacrificed in order to draw attention to the Palestinian plight is tremendous. They are putting their body and possibly life at risk.

We hardly ever see this level of commitment anywhere in modern day Australia.

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My intention with this article is to put a “pebble in your shoe”.

I want you to start thinking about sacrifice. And if there are ways that you can “level up”.

We are so lucky to have endless non-violent options.

I’d love to know what comes to mind for you on how you can “sacrifice” more.

It might be taking on a more active role in a group that you have been in the periphery of. Giving someone else a chance to have a breather. Or it might be hosting a film screening with a group of friends who have not engaged with the genocide. Offering to have a chat afterwards can make people feel more comfortable to watch it. A very easy way to sacrifice time is of course phone calls, emails and letters to our politicians. They do notice how many of their constituents care about different causes. Not everyone has the privilege of committing to a financial donation on a regular basis. But even something as small as $5 if done by enough people, can transform the effectiveness of a group that is trying to help in Gaza.

Again, please share any suggestions you might have.

I honestly believe that if all of us increased our “sacrifice” even by 10%, we will see a shift happen.