Humainologie creative dialogue Tuesday November 8 at Parkdale United Church
- Arthur Clark
- Nov 7, 2022
- 3 min read
“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” - John F. Kennedy
"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - Mother Teresa
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Those three quotes provide three basic things to keep in mind.
First, this is a matter of human survival, not just about little me. Accordingly, we can think of our contribution to the peace effort in the way that my father’s generation had thought of their contribution to the war effort (World War II, in that case). No, this is not optional; it is the responsibility of every one of us.
Second, this is not about some little identity group - Russians or Ukrainians or Americans or Canadians or Republicans or Democrats or Nazis or communists or Christians or Muslims or Jews or Blacks or Whites or whatever – it is about all of us human beings. War happens because of inept and dangerous human patterns of behavior. If we want peace, then we have to change those dysfunctional patterns of human behavior. And that means we have to stop blaming somebody else – Putin or communists or whatever.
The point is made rather well in Matthew 7:5, as follows: “You hypocrite! First, remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see more clearly to remove the speck that is in the eye of your brother.”
Third, again: This is the responsibility of every one of us. The big picture consists of pixels. We are the pixels. The big picture is constantly in flux. A year from now it can be brighter (closer to world peace) or darker (closer to world war). Which direction it moves depends on what the pixels decide to do and how they act to make the change they want to see. By finding peace within yourself and by having a healing effect on others, you can bring the world a little closer to peace each day.
I’ve already made my contribution to the 1,000 voices of light. It occurred to me that I could expand on that by developing a TEDx talk on the topic of “5 hindrances to world peace,” including in my presentation ways to transcend those hindrances and one or two related projects I have initiated.
You are already familiar with that TEDx talk on 5 hindrances to self mastery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-079YIasck
and my TEDx would use that as a prototype for a presentation about how to be the change I want to see in the world. I’ll tell you more about that when I have carried the idea a little further.
The topic for tomorrow, Tuesday November 8, is Building A Culture of Peace in Our Communities. It's at Parkdale United Church, 2919 8th Avenue NW, starting at 7:00 PM. You can join by Zoom: Topic: Humainologie Dialogue Session - Presented by Anya and Chetna
Time: Nov 8, 2022 07:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Passcode: 12345
“Choosing to value people and relationships over objects is extraordinarily difficult because we are immersed in a culture of acquisition and envy. Watching television makes it worse, especially for children, who are drawn into believing that owning something will make them happy. We cannot fill the emptiness inside with more stuff. Only connectedness to others, to the Earth, and to our own spirit can make us full.
It helps to make a start – today, right now – together.” - Mary Wynne Ashford, Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror, and War, Solution 1, “Be the Change.”
Just imagine!
Arthur
Comments