Law of Three /(78) Russia, Ukraine and the Third Force (1)

 

 

LAW OF THREE (78)

RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AND THE 3RD FORCE (1)

Two things are clear, first, the enemy is not one side or the other. The enemy is not Russia. or China, or Communism, or Castro, or Krushchev, or capitalism, or imperialism. The enemy is both sides. The enemy is in all of us. The enemy is war itself, and the root of war is hatred and fear, selfishness, lust... We must avoid two extremes: seeing all good on our side and all evil on their side, or, on the contrary, dismissing both sides as totally evil..."

Thomas Merton (1962) "Christian action in World Crisis."

The Law of Three states that every phenomenon or event in creation requires the presence and joint action of three independent forces. No event can take place with the presence of two active and opposing forces alone. Two opposing forces cancel each other: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

(Newton's third law of motion.)

Life´s movements require the joint action of three absolute and equally active forces converging at each point in time.  In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine we can easily identify the presence and action of two irreconcilable forces. However,  no phenomenon can arise without the participation of a third, and equally active force, which brings the two "contraries" together    Thomas Merton states that what brings two irreconcilable forces together is hatred, fear, selfishness and lust.

Triadic configurations are neither good nor bad. They are maps that unable us to discern the three forces at play at any given moment. A triad configuration simply points at the direction toward which an action may lead us. The direction depends on the nature of the "reconciling or relating" third force. It is easy to see that a triad led by love will lead us in one direction and a triad led by hate or egoism into another.

Ordinary awareness is blind to the motivating force behind the curtains,  that governs the urge for power and control of both individuals and nations We often justify our actions by the moral need to take sides.  Paradoxically, a closer reflexion may show us that  both sides justify equally they actions claiming  to fight for the Good for Justice or for God.  This identical believers make wars inevitable.   

The only viable alternative to reactional behaviour - attraction and repulsion - is Love. A. Blake