On one side of the building pressure is the growing Western (more so, American) philosophy of materialism. On the other hand there is the ancient, yet somehow forgotten, belief in the unity and love for all. This latter belief is found throughout the majority of mystic and religious cultures, though well hidden under the political aspirations of the major world religions. It seems that now, in this growing age of technology and apathy towards our fellow man, we are being forced to decide between the two ideologies. Should we choose to embrace the widespread attitude supported by American television and fear-media, we consequently sacrifice the underlying empathy latent in the human spirit. We would choose to ignore the suffering of our fellow man. We would succumb to the perverse idea of a “diversity” in which the color of one's skin, choice of religion or sexual identity is a means to belittle the affection inherently ingrained in us towards life and humanity itself.
Replacing the ideas of love and understanding are thoughts of racial bigotry, religious fundamentalism, homophobia, despair and apathy all closely tied to an emotion we are all vulnerable to: Fear. This is the sentiment of our culture. This is what is driving our destruction. Fear, fear of the unknown, fear of dying, fear of being alone, fear of being wrong, fear of being in love, fear of being afraid. We are driven by our fear of being poor, by our fear of being fat or ugly or unwanted, by the fear that our freedom is in danger. We measure our fear with a color scheme. We shoot and bomb our fear with white phosphorous and depleted uranium. We torture our fear, humiliate our fear, we gloat that our fear is superior to "their" fear and we kill so that we may stay snug in our bubble of fear. There is an alternative however; a world without fear. It is possible, but progress starts small. Let us start by exchanging the fear in ourselves with another emotion. Let's change fear to love. Instead of fearing the unknown let's love it for its mystery. Instead of fearing homosexuals, African-Americans, Latinos, Middle Easterners, Christians, Jews, Muslims, let's love them because they are human. Let's love them because of the fact that they, us, any of this that exists is intrinsically good. Let us love ourselves. Love your acne, your "love handles," your varicose veins, your grey hair and balding head.
There is no reason not to. The fact that you are breathing and able to read this is a miracle. It is this understanding that will reveal a true happiness that isn't dictated by irrational assumptions. This realization cannot be achieved by leading lives based on antediluvian beliefs. We cannot continue to limit our capacity for love because of religious bigotry and political propaganda. Change will come when we learn to think for ourselves; to question authority. When we stand up and shout our distaste with the angry ideologies being shoved down our throats. When we learn to express our love courageously, with a strong voice rather than a timid whisper. Progress requires change; our survival, as a whole and as individuals, is dependent on this change. So let us work towards this goal. Let us love one another unconditionally and spread this love to others. We are all one, one love, one unity, one undying breath and with this understanding we can conquer the evils of the world and live in relative peace.
It is leading a life in which a small upward curve on the lips of a stranger can brighten your day. Where the smile is the focus, not the color of the person smiling.
