Once upon a manifestation of infinite possibility, people always wore shirts.
Because people always wore shirts, everyone defined themselves by the color of the shirt they wore.
There were people dressed in every color shirt imaginable, spanning the spectrum of the sense of sight.
Eventually, those who wore white shirts (the “white shirters”) began to claim that their color shirt was more “pure” than the rest. They despised anyone who wore a different color shirt. This hatred bubbled up until the white shirters started attacking non-white shirters. The white shirters held the fearful belief that any other color shirt was a threat to the pureness of their white shirts.
In their first offensive, the white shirters formed a large group and marched towards the home of some blue shirters. In a frenzy of senseless malice, the white shirters started killing blue shirters left and right. The blue shirters, feeling terrorized, organized into their own group and retaliated. But they lost the battle.
Hearing the news, every color of shirters divided into their own tight-knit group. Each group armed themselves, ready for any outside attack.
The red shirters, however, decided on a more proactive strategy. Trying to beat the white shirters at their own game, they launched an attack on the white shirters. They also began to attack everyone else who wasn’t a red shirter. In doing this, they became the very force that they were fighting against and caused even more chaos.
Though damaged by the red shirters’ attack, the white shirters continued their campaign. Next, they attacked the green shirters.
Storming into the village of the green shirters, they came across an elder green shirter.
In a condescending tone, the white shirters collectively chanted, “We, the pure white shirters, have come to eliminate you pathetic green shirters.”
The elder, scanning the group of white shirters with a curiously tilted head, said, “I’m not a green shirter. It’s just the color of the shirt I’m wearing, not who I am.”
The white shirters were perplexed by this assertion. They couldn’t fathom the concept that a person’s identity does not lie within the color of their shirt.
“I see a green shirt! So you’re a green shirter!” Exclaimed one of the more rowdy white shirters, and the whole group erupted in angry agreement. In a fit of blind fury, they killed the elder green shirter.
The next village to pillage on the white shirters’ treacherous campaign was that of the black shirters.
One black shirter, knowing that the white shirters’ rampaging approach was imminent, had a sudden revelation…
As the white shirters arrived, the black shirter removed the black shirt. The shirtless individual then walked up to the herd of white shirters, who were frozen in stupefied surprise by the sight. Suspenseful silence permeated the air.
In fearful confusion, the head white shirter barked “What color shirter are you?”
With arms wide open, the individual cheerfully replied, “I’m not wearing a shirt.”
The white shirters couldn’t comprehend this. Both themselves and everyone they ever saw had worn a shirt their entire lives, and dutifully classified themselves by its color.
In a wave of realization, one brave white shirter removed their white shirt. The others gasped in horror as the individual walked up to the other. They greeted one another with a hesitant handshake that transformed into a wholehearted hug.
Seeing the two together, both shirtless, the group couldn’t help but realize that everyone shares the same essence underneath their shirts.
Gradually, more and more white shirters joined in and removed their shirts. Some resisted at first, but eventually the whole group was shirtless.
One individual, who had been a staunch white shirter his whole life, looked at the awe-inspiring scene and pondered to himself…
“How silly a concept, to believe that I am nothing but the color of my shirt. And how ridiculously stupid it is to kill others that I view as different based on such a silly belief.”
Seeing how they had caused so much harm and hardship by separating themselves, all of the various shirters eventually removed their shirts; their layer of false identity.
They realized how pointless it was to divide themselves into opposing groups. Now united as one, all vowed to cooperate with one another and co-create a more harmonious reality together.
The beginning…
