Another Lens

The day began early, with fog coming in off the water off the coast of Mukilteo in Washington.  The temp was cool at 57 degrees fahrenheit.  The reports say we may hit 71 - we'll see .  Today is Thursday.

The news is full of affirmations that humanity is in deep trouble.  We see that 81% of the global population has experienced climate change with heat levels going extremely beyond what is normal for this time of year.  In Argentina (it's winter now) temperatures exceeded 100 degrees fahrenheit for days in the past week.  The ocean waters have heated to the warmest they have ever been.  China is experiencing flooding that hasn't been seen at this level in over 140 years.  Death Valley reached 128 degrees this week.  It is not too hard to see where things are headed.

Bombings and armed conflict are one thing.  The damage done is readily available for all to see and feel.  Reports of gang violence, identifying dead bodies in barrels, and finding out about the breakdown of juvenile detention centers where youth are dying or overdosing – these are events where the damage to human life is immediately visible.  But things like the change in our climate offer another lens when looking at threats to human existence in general.  Are we using the right lens?

What is worth saving when it is clear that everything is crumbling?  Where does one put the energy that might be available to think beyond survival and individual security?  How might one contribute to shifting gears in the direction of providing light on what appears to be a very dark path into the future for the next generation?

The answers begin with taking stock of all that is happening and not turning away, but turning toward conditions that offer an invitation to engage life on behalf of our collective good.  There is no shortage of opportunities to connect, reconnect, and re-imagine a different set of possible outcomes for the days ahead.  Beginning with one's own self-reveiw:  how healthy, how creative, how secure are you in your capacity to help others?  If you are missing the clarity of knowing the answers to these questions, it may not be very useful to engage because there will be greater demands upon you, materially and spiritually.  One has to assess whether the level of determination and faith is as great as these times require.  This is where deep contemplation can lead you to the truth about yourself.

It isn't just volunteering time.  This is all out, no holds, unending demand to support building peace in the face of war that is breaking out everywhere.  The heat is up, literally and figuratively.  

So part of the trick at this level of engagement is to know when to seek respite;  to know where to go for inspiration;  to find ways that will uplift so that one can catch a glimpse of what may be at stake if there is no energy directed at disrupting the war that is being waged against all of humanity - not just a particular nation state.

We are in the midst of a giant peace-building task and we can make no mistake in seeing that every little bit of awareness, followed by action - helps.