Turning Hope into Strategic Activism
By John R. Audette
Worse, cynicism and scepticism abound like never before due to a serious lack of visionary leadership firmly rooted in unwavering integrity and abidingly dedicated to serving the greater good of all things. A confused public is awash with angst. Most folks are befuddled and bewildered. They do not know who’s who or what’s what. There are no more heroes to be found. Cacophony, polarization, alienation, civil unrest, war, and sporadic social violence such as repeated mass killings in America, are the manifested by-products of this intensifying moral erosion.
Mere hope will not be enough to turn things around in a positive direction to assure an optimal future for earth and all its inhabitants. Rather, creative strategic activism is needed for personal, institutional, and global transformation. It must also be spiritual in nature if we are to succeed in reversing course toward co-creation of a magnificent tomorrow. A catalyst From all indications, humanity is now poised at a critical crossroads, teetering on the edge of a dark dystopian future. Poor choices continue to be made by political, financial, and religious leaders which do not appear to be helping matters. Rather, they evidence a persistent slide into further dysfunction, corruption, malfeasance and looming collapse, sweeping the planet like a dreadful epidemic.
is needed to ignite a global spiritual awakening, one that effectively transforms human nature and the nature of social, economic, and political systems.
Why must it be spiritually based? Clearly, the foundation from which all things spring is shaped by how we define reality; how we see ourselves; how we view life’s meaning and purpose; how we form our values and determine our priorities. These are all determinants of our behaviour, our relationship to one another and to our planet, as well as all living things thereupon. There are only two ways to define reality: spiritual or material. These two viewpoints are the only two choices we have to interpret reality.
The spiritual model holds that there are meaningful transcendent consequences to all that we think, feel, say, and do during our short lifetime here on earth. The materialist orientation, conversely, concludes that there are no such consequences. The latter viewpoint maintains that this lifetime is all there is for any one given individual. It promotes stubborn egocentrism and an attitude of “every man for himself” and “get while the getting is good”; short-term thinking because there is nothing but nothingness after this earthly lifetime comes to a sudden inevitable end. It is precisely this kind of logic that allows ego to rule and reign supreme. It is the primary root cause of all that ails humanity.
The spiritual point of view fosters an attitude of “all for one and one for all” because its proponents believe that all things in the universe are one; that all of creation is one vast interrelated, interconnected, interdependent whole; and that what one does to all other living things one ultimately does to oneself. This, simply stated, is the non-dualistic model of reality which holds that the same Creator who made me also made you, thus making us next of kin or family in effect. This point of view is the antithesis of egocentrism because it places all creation on equal footing. It compels us to love all things as we love ourselves for all things are integral related parts of the same whole.
It is also predicated on the conviction that consciousness survives bodily death and in some manner is accountable for the sum total impact of all earthly actions. It recognizes a Creator, the Source from which all things come and to which all things return. Whether we call it First Cause, Ground of All Being, or God, it is seen as granting providential free will to all of creation, bestowing unconditional love toward all things with a non-judgmental and non-discriminatory disposition.
Borrowing from the wisdom of Lao Tzu, Confucius, and the Buddha, we cannot possibly “get right in our action” until we “get right in our thinking.” But this process first requires that we “get right in our perception of reality through pensive objective observation,” so that we can ultimately “get right in our knowledge.” And so, the challenge here now before us is to acquire reliable knowledge that will enable us to confidently adopt an accurate interpretation of reality to “get right in our action.”
Fortunately for us, and none too soon, we now have the tools, means and resources at our disposal for this cornerstone purpose. They are to be found in the scientific study of spiritually transformative experiences across a wide spectrum of fascinating phenomena. This can provide us with a much-needed empirical foundation to decisively retire materialism and choose a spiritual interpretation of reality, promptly, before we destroy ourselves from persistent flawed thinking and erroneous world views.
Materialism has been the dominant paradigm since Darwin, Newton, and Descartes. But what kind of world has been left in its wake? To be sure, one cannot take issue with an impressive steady stream of amazing technological advances brought about by materialist science. The higher quality of life some now enjoy as a result of many new inventive modern conveniences is not subject to argument or denial. Yet, to survey the current human condition and the beleaguered state of our planet and many species of life thereupon, would lead most reasonable people to weep uncontrollably and inconsolably.
Einstein was right about a great many things, including his observation that advances in technology without equivalent advances in human consciousness is indeed a recipe for certain disaster of potentially epic proportion, which is what we struggle with today in the soul-less world created by the materialist paradigm. Thus, what is needed most right now is a global spiritual awakening, one that is not predicated on faith or belief in dogma, but rather on evidence gleaned from the scientific study of spiritually transformative experiences across a wide spectrum of fascinating phenomena.
Such an effort, adequately and expeditiously funded, can lead us into the “promised land,” to “the truth that will set us all free,” to an optimal future for earth and all its inhabitants. Today, we are indeed frightened because we are not enlightened. But, if through the efforts of frontier science in this regard, we can become effectively enlightened, then we will no longer be frightened, for love will rule the day, not ego and not limited flawed thinking. The future will be bright indeed…it will be ours to see…to co-create, having fully retired materialism, nihilism, dualism, and egocentrism.
We need not wait for further insights from frontier science, for time is not on our side. We already know a great deal about ‘Spiritually Transformative Experiences’ (STEs) from previous scientific efforts. What we have learned so far can be nicely summed up in the song “Mind Games” by John Lennon. He was spot on in his observation that “love is the answer.” But this is the same ancient wisdom we have heard time and again from all the great avatars, mystics, saints, sages, and gurus. Yes, love is the answer, agape love. Love is the way. It is the only remedy or cure-all for the many challenges we now face. It is the most powerful force in the entire cosmos.
What would be most helpful here is a practical method to replace hope and platitudes with strategic activism that will bring real solutions in real time to real people. Such a strategy is offered in a recent book I wrote called “Loved by the Light,” now available at Amazon.com. It is called “God for a Day,” a structured formal exercise designed to immediately bring more love, light, compassion, goodness, kindness and giving into our desperately troubled world…a world which currently suffers from an appalling lack of these qualities (see AffirmingGod.com for more information). It could spark the global spiritual revolution needed to swing the pendulum in a positive new direction.
At eternea.org, one can also discover the “Seven Statements” and the “Fifteen Elaborations on the Seven Statements,” which offer fertile ground upon which to begin erecting a long overdue convergence between science, religion, and spirituality. The principles they espouse could form a bridge which can lead to a land where creationism, intelligent design and evolution are all seen as vital structural pillars in an integrated holistic model of the universe, not as competing and conflicting belief systems.
Haven’t we waited long enough to fashion a world that works equally well for everyone and everything, not just for a fortunate few? Haven’t we suffered long enough from a horrifying human condition that is of our own making…a prison we built ourselves which no longer serves our highest and best interests? Do we not now deserve to co-create an ideal future, one that surpasses our greatest dreams for a brighter tomorrow?
If so, then the journey begins with you and me choosing to be “God for Day” every day as selfless purveyors of divine love, kindness, compassion, and goodness, dispensed unconditionally to all we meet. In the end, when we all eventually pass on to meet our Maker, this is indeed all that matters ultimately…the selfless love we give…not for reward, recognition, or reciprocity, but solely because we understand that this is the true definition of enlightenment, to love all others as God loves us.
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