just a rant and random thoughts

I'm having trouble with little words. I think it's natural to think that big words would cause us plenty of trouble. Take ribonucleotide reductase or acetylsalicylic... those words should knock me over. No, the words that are causing consternation are and, or, we...

I've been a little disheartened lately. I have got to stop watching the news. I think I could handle an economic meltdown, or a health care crisis, or political bickering, or blatant corporate greed, or reckless zealotry, or incapacitating injustice accepted as right and embraced as the better path. The problem is that it is not "or". It is "and". All of this at once is a bit much to digest and make sense of.

What happened to Hope and Yes We Can? I have a feeling that the problem is the WE. It's like Tommy Lee Jones said to Will Smith in the first Men In Black movie - "A person is smart; people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it." Look at what we are doing - we are taking up sides and making "us and them", and making it easy to hate based on a perception of beliefs.

It seems that polarization fear are permeating everywhere, and I'm not used to that. People taking up sides and treating politics like religion... or turning religion to politics. Actually, I'm glad it is shocking to me. I suppose the alternative is that I become so used to it that I become numb.

As long as we "know" that we are right, that makes someone else wrong, and we have to do something about that, right? When you boil everything down to its root motivation, every thought and action is seated in either love or fear. When I look around me, I see a lot of fear and fearful actions as a result of it. We act harshly on what we "know" is right. It makes me think of Men in Black again - "1500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

I recently learned that even Buddhists have taken up sides and are at each others throats over petty ancient issues. How does that make any sense at all? I suppose that even the most peaceful among us can be coerced into oppressing another.

... but it does reinforce one thing. While we can follow the teachings of great philosophers and leaders, groups of followers over time will generally corrupt as they institutionalize. When I look at any organized religion, there seems to be a dark history and controversy within. But, that does not taint the original teaching and example of Buddha, Muhammad or Jesus. The things that a follower does in the name of ________ are likely not a reflection upon the initiator of the faith. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw "I like Jesus but I don't care much for his fans..."

I think that the great philosophers were able to transcend so many of the issues of this physical world that bog us down - fear, hate, greed, violence - but it is few of the followers that are able to reach anything near that level of transcendence. People filter and interpret in many ways just to justify themselves. So, that leaves the bulk of folks wallowing around down here trying to make the best of it as they react in fear/hate/greed rather than overcoming it.

Zealotry is on the rise, and people seem to be not just content, but excited to build walls and create borders to keep out people that "threaten" them. As we view this polarization, we have a choice to participate... or even how we participate. I think it's possible to be in the middle of the mess and gently coerce our frightened peers back from the fringes to something that's closer to what Buddha/Muhammad/Jesus intended. I'm not talking about holding up a giant "John 3:16" sign at a ball game, but a gentle nudge and peaceful example... and maybe a well placed question every now and then.

I will be happy when people stop beating plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears, and realize they could use that plowshare to feed the hungry stranger that has been waiting, lying at our feet.

So, we keep on keeping on. Love each other, especially those that are hard to love. Be assured that there is a good path to be found, and it is worth the search. In all, you and I must have a positive impact on those around us. That is imperative and a good thing.

I still have a lot to learn about this mess we live in the midst of, but, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I need to have the mind of the student and the awareness to know when the teacher arrives. That would be remarkable, I think. And, in the mean time I'm turning off the TV and putting on some Beatles or Cat Stevens. Maybe that can rekindle some hope that love will win over power.