Is there power in the middle?

We are at the Ides of March, which is in the middle of the month. We are subject to the whims of its weather. We go from spring to glimpses of summer, with gusty wind for good measure. Historically, it wasn’t a great day for Julius Caesar, who was assassinated in the Senate on this day in 44 BCE.

Henceforth, the date has become synonymous with betrayal and political upheaval.

Today, I am reflecting on being in the middle. My question is whether the middle can be a place of learning and growth, as well as a place of power and conflict.

I was taught to read paper maps by my dad at an early age. The place on maps that holds my interest today is far from my New Jersey childhood home. It is a middle place in what is called the Middle East: the Strait of Hormuz. You most likely are aware of it, if you watch the news. It is a horseshoe-shaped bend of a channel that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It borders Iran and Oman and is a little over 30 miles wide.

The shipping channel is only 2 miles wide for ships going in either direction. That area has to be deep enough to float the enormous tankers that pass through the strait on their way to and from the rest of the world with oil and many other petroleum-based products. This geography makes for an economic and political choking point. The strait is considered to be in international waters, but Iran’s substantial navy is exerting control and blocking the waterway. Control of the strait has the world’s attention.

I asked myself, “What is the Middle East in the middle of?” The various peoples of the region don’t call it that. I didn’t like the answer I found. The term to designate this geographic area started at the turn of the 20th century in London, as that imperial power charted its course of conquest to its crown jewel, India. India and further east was labeled the Far East and the Gulf area became the Middle East, in terms of its distance to London. Areas closer to London were the Near East. You get the picture. The area was carved with borders by British businessmen sitting around a table, without respect for culture, language, religion or geography. After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the term gained wider use and is still in use today, even by most media outlets. What could possibly go wrong?

Language to designate this geography was blasted by Egyptian writer and activist, Nawal El Saadawi, who calls for a decolonization of language. Language reflects categories of thinking. These terms make sense if you view the British Empire as the center and starting point. They are inherently racist and culturally inept. As with most colonization, the economic basis for exploitation is coated with many other layers of meaning which need to be stripped away.

The power of the middle as a place of conflict is on full display in this situation.

What other possibilities are there? I served in a middle management position of denominational leadership, ironically in the middle of my career. I lamented to a colleague with more managerial experience that I felt squeezed by priorities above and below me. He positively framed the power of the middle for me. He said I could feel squeezed or I could choose to see my position as a conduit of information and influence. His advice gave me a new outlook. I recently asked another experienced organizational consultant for her take on the meaning of the power of the middle. She said it is having a feeling of agency ... you can do something or suggest something that influences a situation.

In terms of being in the middle in the “Middle East,” we have allowed helplessness and hopelessness to creep in. I am reminded of one of Timothy Snyder’s principles in his book, “OnTyranny,” which is: “… never obey in advance.”

I share with you the wise closing words from the mediation by Rev. Cameron Trimble, “Seeing Patterns, Making Sense” from her blog, “Piloting Faith,” published on March 13:

“Faith traditions remind us that another way of being human remains possible, one grounded not in domination or fear, but in dignity, humility, and shared responsibility. In moments like this, we begin not by fixing the whole system. We begin by remembering who we are.

… People who refuse to normalize cruelty.

… People who mourn every life lost.

… People who believe that peace must be built not through domination, but through justice and relationship.

"The world may feel chaotic. Clarity is the first step toward courage. And courage is the one thing we must never lose.”

In an interview on the podcast, "Ways to Change the World,” Turkish author and journalist Ece Temelkuran said, “We think that somebody ought to do something. No! It’s us. It will be enough if we believe in each other.”

People in the middle step toward courage. Remember who you are. Believe in each other.