Today I am sitting on a lovely porch on the slopes of Mount Shasta, California. Around me the trees are blowing in the breeze, the pines and firs are reaching for the sky, and this little town of McLoud rolls out from me like a dream. Why then do I feel this little twinge of unease about our times? Because when I do take time to look at the news coverage of recent events it seems to me as though we are dealing with the same issues we faced in the 60’s.
Can it be we are adopting a culture of “us and them” again? It does not matter who the “us” is, or who the “them” is, for us as a nation, for us as a planet to flourish, it is essential we remember that regardless of political stands, race, position or color of our skin, we would be well advised to remember we have much more in common than we have in differences. All major spiritual teachings remind us that we stem from one source. They remind us to love one another, to honor each other just as we would want to be honored.
We all live on the same tiny rock in space. No matter whose face we look into we can be confident that this face represents the same core needs as we do; to be loved, to feel safe, and to be seen as valuable. As the lure of defining ourselves as “us” and “them” is presented to us daily I would encourage each and every one of “us” to take a moment and truly see that the person before us is indeed worthy, even if we do not share the exact same viewpoints. Healing of our issues can only take place when we stand united.
