Change within

Before I begin the true center of this rant, you, dear reader, and I need to come to a rapprochement, an accord of common ground.  And that is this:  what we call 'God' or 'Higher Power' is a working theory, a hypothesis in progress, an unfinished thought.  A blogger posting on Facebook last week posed the question:  Did you know there are approximately 7.1 billion religions in the world?  We all have our own idea about a supreme being, a Force, an intelligence, or scientific rationale behind this mysterious world we live in.  None of us has THE answer; no one has a monopoly on truth. 

That being said, can we please do away with all the quarreling, bickering, and pointing of the finger at God and religions for what is wrong with politics, laws regarding privacy and civil rights, and the human race in general?  God and religions are not responsible; people are.  People, with our fears, our need for answers and certainty, our big questions and small use of infinite imagination, in our ignorance, we are accomplishing nothing by striking out at one another and assigning blame.  If we leave one community, because of its narrow views and hurtful ways, for another, more promising community, it really is just geography.  There will always be people with whom we will not connect, who will be difficult to get along with, who will do stupid, painful stuff for who knows what reason.

Sometimes it seems it's just easier to identify one group by one label so they can be summed up by one opinion and then avoided.  Take these for example:  Christian.  Muslim.  Feminist.  Liberal.  Conservative.  Terrorist.  Democrat.  Republican.  Within each of these groups and others there are layers of interpretation and perspective.  And yet we have formed knee-jerk reactions to each of these, depending on our own viewpoint and experience, shutting down our curiosity, inate intelligence, and ability to understand.  Our world moves so fast now we don't take the time to stop, stand back, and really look at the bigger picture.



We all like to think that we're like the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, that we've been slaving away while that younger brat got to live like a rock star, while 'those people' got to call the shots, get the goodies, live on the taxpayer's teat, get off scott-free.  We forget that that sinful, starving brother was willing to come home to be a servant, and it was the father who was truly 'prodigal' (yes, I actually want you to click on the link and look it up, because you may only think you know what it means).

All of us are that younger brother, the problem child, the one who just can't get their act together. Because whatever we think is wrong with the world begins in the mirror.  Michael Jackson got it right, straight from Gandhi: Become the change you wish to see in the world.  Jesus: The kingdom of God is within you.  There has always been hate and evil in the world but it has never been able to bury love and fearlessness.  Throughout human history we have been given a choice: by which authority will we live?  The choice is being given again.  It's time to remember who we are.  One people.  One planet.  One future.