We live in a time when so many issues facing humanity are reaching a point of no return yet we are heading full speed toward this precipice while squabbling over political, social, and religious ideologies that will only seem insignificant in hindsight.
We are deluded into believing that if we only vote for the media’s latest Democratic or Republican darlings then all will be well. Anyone thinking outside the well defined political lines is ridiculed right or wrong. Regardless of whom we vote for we are a constitutional republic whose constitution is being decimated under the guise of protecting us from our fears. While we argued over private email servers or the size of our hands we were losing our country to corporate and foreign interests with the same players leading the way.
We drop everything parking ourselves in front of our TVs night after night. We become so obsessed that we fail to care that the food we are gorging on is not only lacking nutritionally but is often saturated with insecticides, steroids, antibiotics and artificial flavors. Our health has never been so poor as we are told what side effects come with the pill that is going to make everything better.
We judge others based on the color of their skin, forcing the beautiful diversity that exists into a category designed to make us feel safer or superior. Regardless of who this person really is or what they have done, we look for a superficial label to pin on having one for every shade under the sun, perpetuating an us against them mentality, dividing the 99% into insignificance.
We debate creationism over evolution while so much radioactive material is pouring into our environment that both sides are quickly becoming irrelevant. We have splintered our religions based on some Minute detail to the point that there are currently 38,000 forms of Christianity and 10,000 other religions worldwide. We hold onto to Dogma so steadfastly that we miss all commonality. Throughout history nothing inspires more fear based hatred than that misunderstood ritual to that unknown God and these massacres ignited by this hatred continues unabated today. I truly believe that if religion, whose primary aim is to guide people to become better human beings, can become so corrupt, we must be wary of any attempts to label or categorize ourselves. We must recognize that if we continue to see others as separate from ourselves, somehow less than, than we can all too easily justify violence and violence only begets violence.
I hope for a time when humanity can enlighten to the point where we can appreciate all of our differences and search for ways to unite as partners in the journey of life before the point is mute. I pray for the wisdom and clarity to see the Devine within and for the strength to resist the pull of the tide. I meditate to still my mind so that I have the opportunity to hear the Devine word and to recognize it among the din when it comes. I know that if I can overcome my ingrained habits and nurture reverence for all life, anything is possible.