How Can We Be Informed, Engaged, and At Peace?
November 28, 2004
Hank Stone
hstone@rochester.rr.com
I attended a showing of the video The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the
Collapse of the American Dream (www.endofsuburbia.com). The video did a good job of pointing out
serious problems on the horizon for our country and the world. One viewer said she found the message
depressing, and hard to watch.
We are brought up to think in terms of superheroes, who routinely save the world before the show is over. But we know we ourselves aren’t in this category, so being presented with world-scale problems can make us feel worried, or overwhelmed, and can encourage us to change the channel.
There is, however, a middle option. Here are five perspectives that can help us be informed, engaged, but still be at peace: 1) Things are supposed to work, 2) It’s not your fault when they don’t, 3) We are supposed to help, 4) It doesn’t hurt to look, and 5) Saving the world is a part-time job.
Things are supposed to work
I believe in “G-d,” a Creative Principle that called the Universe into being, and that operates in it now. We humans are inadequate to understand the nature and motives of G-d, but my faith is that He/She/It is vastly grander than we ourselves. Since even we can be gracious and forgiving on a good day, I imagine that G-d, infinitely more gracious, is not vindictive, and favors the good. (How else can we explain the magnificent world we are given to enjoy?)
This benevolent G-d has made our lives part of a giant and potentially joyful “song.“ Everything our human society needs is supplied in abundance, and superabundance. The sun shines down reliably. The rain falls, and the plants grow. If we sing the song well, we have food and exercise and rest and joy—everything we need to be happy individually and collectively.
But some adjustments are required. If we are having wars, or famines, or injustice, it is likely to be because we have overpopulated the planet, or tolerated excessive greed, or taken up violence.
I believe our wants are meant to be supplied. But if so, problems in the world are a signal that we are not doing what we should with what we have been given. Problems are not a failure of G-d, but an opportunity to improve our “singing.”
When big problems affect the world, it’s very unlikely to be because of something you did, or failed to do.
In biblical times, the Earth was the whole Universe. God had created it, and defined how to live. There was good, bad, justice, sin, and redemption. The job of humans was to be good, but the planet itself was under implied warranty from God.
With the invention of the telescope, the known universe expanded to the size of the Milky Way galaxy, 100 million light-years across. And science now says our galaxy is just one of 100 billion!
The Universe is incomprehensibly vast, and old. No actions we can take or thoughts we can think will materially alter its path. The Universe is not about us, and it is hubris to imagine that it needs action from us for its story to unfold properly.
The Universe can get along without us, but we have nowhere else to live. We are stuck here. The choice we have is to align ourselves with its rules, or to oppose them.
What are the Principles of the Universe as they relate to us? Wise people in every culture seem to agree that we are to love one another as ourselves, and practice virtue. We are called upon to do good. But sometimes our religious stories are too small to hold the good we are supposed to do.
In my view, for things to work right, everyone must have at least their basic human needs met—physical security, healthy food, clean water, shelter, education, freedoms, representation in government, justice, health care, meaningful work, and a hopeful future.
We who generally have these basics for ourselves, need to contribute to a successful future for humankind. We humans face oil scarcity, global warming, nuclear threats, militarism, social injustice, and population out of balance with resources.
As global citizens, making positive changes in the world around us, we align ourselves with Universal principles and invest our lives with meaning.
Like doctors, we global citizens need to look squarely at problems to do our job. It’s not the doctor’s fault the patient is sick, but he must examine the wound to find the root of the problem. Like general practitioners, we may rely on specialists to fix particular things, but the general health of the society is our business.
We only get to live in the “now.” We can’t change the past, and the future doesn’t yet exist except as a range of possibilities. When it is “now,” we can’t change the way things are (though we can potentially change the future). Looked at in that way, whatever we observe “now” is not made worse or improved by being observed. So there’s no downside to observing the good, the bad, or the ugly of the present moment. And, by observing what’s going on, we can potentially change the future for the better.
Looking at problems is not a bad thing, but a diagnostic tool. We need not punish ourselves (with negative feelings) for doing it. We are not being morbidly preoccupied with the negative. The doctor is not focused on gore, but on helping the patient return to health.
Of course, if we are in the habit of denying that there are unpleasant facts, it can be a shock when we first open our eyes to things that are wrong. But sometimes looking at the problem is unavoidable. Ignorance may be bliss, and denial may be commonplace, but neither is a responsible way to prepare for the future.
Even Superman is Clark
Americans have the model of the Minuteman, a full-time farmer or tradesperson, but prepared to drop everything to protect the country’s future.
In these times the “land of the free and the home of the brave” has more need of global patriots and systems thinkers than of soldiers. While our planetary life-support systems are under threat, with questions of the end of oil, global warming, terrorism, and the global war, we dare not leave the solutions to those who have brought us the problems.
We eat, drink, sleep, work, play, and love our families. But now and then, we take time to look around with the clearest possible vision, to be sure our long-term interests are addressed. This is not an excuse to worry or get angry. Like a mother checking in on her sleeping baby, this is ordinary global hygiene, so you won’t have to worry. If there is nothing you should be doing, fine. If there is something that properly falls to you to do, do it. Then relax.
Like changing the oil, it is responsible maintenance, and can save a lot of trouble down the road.
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