People shouldn’t have to live like this, nor children shouldn’t have to experience this kind of trauma in 2022. 75 years ago most of the world said never again. Since then how many in the world have suffered such travesty and children and babies never saw a life because of the depravity of the few who thirst to kill.
We live in a very unstable world, economically, societally, and spiritually. We have many prophets – those of doom and gloom, who disrespect everything including humanity itself, and who propose that they have the perfect answer for life itself as if there was but one answer. Sadly, these prophets influence the vocal minority through their boisterous noise, belligerent behavior, and intolerance of everything human.
There are others, more stable, compassionate, and open to the real questions and challenges facing humanity. They know that the answer to life and living lies in addressing the real problems that lie ahead, like climate change, rampant disease and economic resources concentrated in the hands of the few who now dominate the world.
They recognize that the spiritual beliefs of the past have been diminished by the advances that humanity has made in many aspects of life, allowing some to live longer, live more affluently and more actively. At the same time, a large part of humanity has not arrived at this sphere of development and are still without.
As such, humanity sits at a precipice of whom to follow, not the first time in human history; and perhaps not for the last time. As we sit and ponder a world in turmoil, distrust, and disbelief, it is time to reflect, not on the small issues that are being touted by so many false prophets as simple answers, but on the greater issues of life itself and what it really means.
We are once again witnessing throughout the world the natural tendency for people, when faced with the vagaries of life, deciding to attack and fight, usually spurred on by those “who know” the answers. In their minds the answer is always “it is someone else’s fault” so they must be destroyed. So, their simple answer is war.
It is said war changes everything, leaving behind the sadness, and grief for all the wasted lives and the rubble of destroyed civilizations. We only need contemplate the damage that was created by WWII – to the world, its civilizations, and to humanity itself.
We are witnessing this in many countries at this moment. We are watching it daily in Ukraine, where Russia’s Putin is trying to annihilate the entire Ukrainian population and decimate the country in which they live.
There are always in our midst, psychopaths who convince the minority that they are all powerful, and who attempt to take over our world. Much of the world appears to be going headlong in the same direction, with the resultant turmoil and destruction.
But this is a time to reflect on the positives of the last great war, where good overcame evil at great cost in death and destruction. It gave our generation an opportunity to rebuild most of our civilization with a focus on caring and sharing.
So just for a moment, let us reflect on the blessings that we received growing up in a world and society that provided us a lifestyle and livelihood, unprecedented in human history. We do not have to agree on everything that happens around us. Nor do we need to destroy the governments, the structures, and institutions around the civilizations that we helped build, just because we do not like some things that are happening.
Most importantly, we do not have to bow down and glorify those who would steal our minds and hearts to achieve their ambitions for themselves. Hitler convinced or coerced most German citizens that he knew what was best for everyone. All he knew and wanted was to control the world to satisfy his own psychotic needs.
Most free countries are facing the same choice today. People themselves know what is best for them, and if nothing else, we have proven that democracy, even with its inbuilt flaws, works better than any autocracy driven by one who thinks he/she knows best for all. That has been demonstrated in the developed countries, where those of us who have been so fortunate to live know this deep in our hearts.
The biggest challenge we face in the world today, above all others, and as impossible as it appears, is how to reclaim what is left of our humanity. We live in a world where many feel the simple solution is just to destroy each other. This is the solution again being promulgated by those who claim, that “they know the answer.”
People are starving and dying, countries are being destroyed, and societies are being decimated because there are those who feel aggrieved and think that war is the answer. Others believe there is a need to control to ensure that people follow the dictates of a religion, a political belief, or to follow someone with a psychotic need to have it all.
The reality is that humans have at least two options built into their psyche. They have the capability for hatred, violence and evil, yet the ability for compassion, care, and love. They also have a phenomenal capacity to choose how they want to live their lives; that despite what is said, written and preached by many leaders. People have the freedom of choice to create or destroy.
Sadly, historically many have chosen to be led by those who seek only control for their psychotic needs. They understand that the easiest way to control people is through fear, a means used since humanity has been on this planet. It is the easiest way to bring out the worst in people. Over history this has been repeated time after time at immense human suffering, societal disaster, and tragic consequences.
History, as well, has given witness to eras and ages of humanity collectively demonstrating their ability and power to change life for the better. People coming together for the good have constrained disasters, repelled plagues, stopped warring factions, while building better societies where all can live life more comfortably, and without massive suffering.
Life is once again providing humanity a choice. An option to destroy all that was built after the last great war, or an opportunity to ensure that the next generations do not have to live through and recover from such disasters. This, because we cannot agree on our governments, politics, or religions. Many are so disillusioned that they support those who would control and destroy because they want it all.
The imminent human challenge facing everyone on this planet at this moment is a simple but complex choice – do we want to create a world of care, compassion, and love, or do we want to impose upon humanity a society based on hatred violence and evil.
There is no savior about to arrive, as many would have you believe; there is no god who will appear out of the mist, nor is there any one leader who knows the answer. The answer lies within each, and every one of us, deep in our hearts – a place of fear for some – and everyone has role to play and a choice to make.
It is not beyond our reach or above our intellect. It is within our grasp, if only we believe in the sanctity of human life, the inbuilt capabilities of each human being, no matter their status, education, or skills. These are learned, whereas our intellect is inbuilt, and it has been proven that anyone can learn and do anything given time, support, and encouragement.
When people disengage, become insular and despondent, only dreadful things happen, fear rises, and conflicts begin.
History has shown that when people connect and come together for the good of all, wonderful things can happen. Humanity is about the greater good, respect, concern, and doing the right thing for all; it is not about what satisfies an individual or the few.
It has been demonstrated that with care, compassion, and love the world can blossom for everyone and the insoluble problems we face can be turned into blessings. Life can and must be worth living, not only for the privileged, but for all those without, if we only we care and share.
Written by William Pardy
November26th, 2022
