It seems that, once again, we have allowed ourselves to be distracted by the issues. Turning the world around us over and over, inspecting it, the powers that be easily shake out a few distractions each day to take attention off the one true course that could lead us out of the jaws of catastrophe and into the next age of abundance and peace. Eternal love means caring for those in the Sudan who are experiencing some of the worst flooding in recorded history. It means sitting down with our children and letting them know how important it is that we look into their eyes each night and reinforce our love for them through meaningful conversation. Yes, it even means quitting the jobs that eat our lives up if we cannot impress upon our employers that family time comes first, no matter what.
Essentially, we bounce from topic to topic like an ADD culture, one by one the shiny baubles of "news" sting together our days. We have had our attention jerked so often that, like deer in headlights, we are unable to function. OUR DISTRACTABILITY IS THE ONE THING THAT OUR OPPRESSORS CAN COUNT ON. Therefore, they do not to answer any questions that arise with adaptation or functional solutions, the problems that seem inevitable are just pushed further and further off, preferably until after the next election.
It seems not to matter whether "the powers that be" are gentrifying China's largest and most historic cities, or formerly beautiful neighborhoods in the Midwest, both are results, not causes of problems. By the time we understand that multi-billion dollar firms are the only ones that make money from the suffering of others, the displacement of intact communities, the loss of architectural diversity and the filling of landfills with perfectly good structures, it is just another box canyon to run into trying to find a hidden solution. As we take on issues, piecemeal, it is like pushing on a water balloon. The thing we sought to stamp out or limit often moves to another part of our lives. The drug war has increased drug use, or at least the worst aspects of it. No child left behind has caused more and more schools to fail because they are teaching to the test rather than actually educating students. We "save" one species or another only to find that the same conditions that led to their endangerment (pollution and habitat loss) still exist and there are no places left to return these species to the wilds. Even the acts of trying to offer social services and food and housing assistance, rather than reducing the effects of poverty only seem to exacerbate them.
Why?
This is easy, once you begin to take stock of the reality that exists outside the media circus that passes as social and political discourse. Those who make their living telling us what is up have never once said that a lack of love and affection has led generations of leaders, in business, politics, banking, insurance, education, transit, energy, etc. to have lost their ability to love unconditionally. In fact, many public servants are explicitly instructed to never show emotion or affection for their "recipients". Love, which is the answer to all these ills and more is never on the table because too many misogynists have had access to our halls of power for far too long. The good old boys club operates and has seemingly nearly always operated with one prime directive, "Screw the other guy before he screws you." I have even heard this parroted back from the well-meaning adults who thought they were helping to usher me to success.
"Love one another" made absolutely no sense to the rich and powerful as well as any of the people who thought that one day they would like to be a little more rich or a little more powerful. Love has the power to vanquish many of our "ills" because the nature of love is to transform both the lover and the lovee. This one revolutionary change in our perspective can change the dynamics of whole situations, it can inspire change where there was no hope for change even one moment before. The power of this simple force of nature has the power to vanquish nearly anything and in time, it can change everything profoundly. whether we look into prison overcrowding or the high incarceration rate, love will provide answers. If we try to tackle drug addiction or criminality, love has answers. If we try to get hold of the graft and corruption of our political leaders, loving the people who have sold us out for money or power might be the only way to save them from themselves.
In my experience, when I have shifted my perspective to one of love, great things happen. when I concern myself with solving problems, very little ever changes. It seems that, like working on an old house, every time you dig in to try to solve a problem, the issues grow and the damage inevitably extends beyond the extent to which we projected. Trying to fix age old problems requires the perspective of a different age. We are entering the Age of Aquarius, the era during which we will need to follow the water bearers. Finding our way in the new environment will require us to be in a state of oneness with the world around us that can only be described as love. We can only transform the planet one heart at a time.Love in Action
Essentially, we bounce from topic to topic like an ADD culture, one by one the shiny baubles of "news" sting together our days. We have had our attention jerked so often that, like deer in headlights, we are unable to function. OUR DISTRACTABILITY IS THE ONE THING THAT OUR OPPRESSORS CAN COUNT ON. Therefore, they do not to answer any questions that arise with adaptation or functional solutions, the problems that seem inevitable are just pushed further and further off, preferably until after the next election.
It seems not to matter whether "the powers that be" are gentrifying China's largest and most historic cities, or formerly beautiful neighborhoods in the Midwest, both are results, not causes of problems. By the time we understand that multi-billion dollar firms are the only ones that make money from the suffering of others, the displacement of intact communities, the loss of architectural diversity and the filling of landfills with perfectly good structures, it is just another box canyon to run into trying to find a hidden solution. As we take on issues, piecemeal, it is like pushing on a water balloon. The thing we sought to stamp out or limit often moves to another part of our lives. The drug war has increased drug use, or at least the worst aspects of it. No child left behind has caused more and more schools to fail because they are teaching to the test rather than actually educating students. We "save" one species or another only to find that the same conditions that led to their endangerment (pollution and habitat loss) still exist and there are no places left to return these species to the wilds. Even the acts of trying to offer social services and food and housing assistance, rather than reducing the effects of poverty only seem to exacerbate them.
Why?
This is easy, once you begin to take stock of the reality that exists outside the media circus that passes as social and political discourse. Those who make their living telling us what is up have never once said that a lack of love and affection has led generations of leaders, in business, politics, banking, insurance, education, transit, energy, etc. to have lost their ability to love unconditionally. In fact, many public servants are explicitly instructed to never show emotion or affection for their "recipients". Love, which is the answer to all these ills and more is never on the table because too many misogynists have had access to our halls of power for far too long. The good old boys club operates and has seemingly nearly always operated with one prime directive, "Screw the other guy before he screws you." I have even heard this parroted back from the well-meaning adults who thought they were helping to usher me to success.
"Love one another" made absolutely no sense to the rich and powerful as well as any of the people who thought that one day they would like to be a little more rich or a little more powerful. Love has the power to vanquish many of our "ills" because the nature of love is to transform both the lover and the lovee. This one revolutionary change in our perspective can change the dynamics of whole situations, it can inspire change where there was no hope for change even one moment before. The power of this simple force of nature has the power to vanquish nearly anything and in time, it can change everything profoundly. whether we look into prison overcrowding or the high incarceration rate, love will provide answers. If we try to tackle drug addiction or criminality, love has answers. If we try to get hold of the graft and corruption of our political leaders, loving the people who have sold us out for money or power might be the only way to save them from themselves.
In my experience, when I have shifted my perspective to one of love, great things happen. when I concern myself with solving problems, very little ever changes. It seems that, like working on an old house, every time you dig in to try to solve a problem, the issues grow and the damage inevitably extends beyond the extent to which we projected. Trying to fix age old problems requires the perspective of a different age. We are entering the Age of Aquarius, the era during which we will need to follow the water bearers. Finding our way in the new environment will require us to be in a state of oneness with the world around us that can only be described as love. We can only transform the planet one heart at a time.Love in Action
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