I chose the title Above All Nations for this blog, because I was moved by, and wanted to replicate, the spirit behind the original compilation Above All Nations. I hoped that it would be possible, in these turbulent times, to record acts of kindness in current conflicts across the globe.
I have previously agonised over the title and changed nothing. However, I am increasingly of the opinion, especially when I see what googling "above all nations" trawls, that it is too sectarian a title. Just the sight of it, could alienate a lot of readers. Ordinarily, when I see titles with any jingoistic undercurrent, I click straight on Next Blog. There's no denying that, without the "is Humanity" tag, this blog falls into that category. So, for starters, there is a change which I'm going to run with for a couple of weeks: I've added "is Humanity" to the original string.
I've been exercising my mind over the past few days, torn between letting go of this blog, and trying to come up with a title that reflects my conviction that we need to give nationalism and other divisive forces the push. By night, I welcome 'brilliant' ideas that come to me half asleep, a brilliance which eludes me when I'm fully awake and have struggled to retrieve them. ("Noisy Households" was the last straw.)
What we have in common, has to be stronger yet softer, more enduring yet less rigid, than what drives us apart. It's the spirit of Us, rather than You and Them that needs to drive our actions towards others.
I'm passing the baton on this to you. Please comment, or email to aboveallnations at gmail (etc.)
