I am indebted to Larry Pearson and to David Cunningham who inspired
this conversation, and to Patricia "Patti" Zentara and to David
Cunningham who contributed material.
In HG (Herbert George) Wells' sci-fi classic The War
of the Worlds, it was viruses that saved us from being
inexorably
and inevitably overrun by alien invaders. In Well's saga, human beings
had developed immunity to viruses after our centuries on
Earth.
The alien invaders had none. After causing immense disruption, chaos,
and havoc, they were neutralized suddenly, totally, jaw-droppingly with
merciless, lethal effect, succumbing to that against which they had no
natural immunity. HG Wells postulated that we, having developed that
immunity over time, had earned our right to live here. And now we're in
a situation in which a new virus to which we're not (yet)
immune, dominates us aliens - or is at least altering our life as we
know it. And in the midst of these unprecedented times, I'm touched,
moved,
and inspired.
Say whut? What can possibly be touching,
moving,
and inspiring in a global pandemic, the likes of which hasn't been seen
in most of our lifetimes,
Laurence?
What can possibly be touching,
moving,
and inspiring during the dislocation, interruption, fear, uncertainty,
and
suffering
we are currently in the midst of, and are hearing?
Consider
this: we're all speaking with one
voice
now, given our very survival is at stake. Indeed the
conversation we're in now is
driven
by survival, yes? And what this reveals is what we've lost all
credibility in:
the whole world
can speak with one
voice
(the survival conversation we're in now, proves it). What
interests
me is this: what would it be like ie what could we accomplish if
the whole world
spoke with its one
voice,
not just in these times of imminent threat to our survival but simply
whenever we took responsibility for
our planet,
and spoke with one
voice
to deal with concerns like
hunger
and climate change? We can speak with one
voice
to manage a virus. It's the same ability to speak with one
voice
to manage anything concerning us collectively, yes?
especially that with which we're not dealing, yet will soon need to.
Apropos life on
Earth,
the idea that "we're all in this together" isn't new. What's new is
the world
is now speaking it with one
voice.
That's what's new: I can hear the
voice
of
the whole world,
the
voice
of humanity. If, just for a moment, you go beyond the fear and
trepidation of the content of what's being spoken (going beyond it
doesn't mean ignoring it or disrespecting it or downplaying its
urgency), you can hear something that's rarely if ever
heard:
the whole world
speaking it
in unison.
And that's what's new. This is our power. This is our humanity. This is
our divinity. Now that it's proven
the whole world
can speak with one
voice,
we can focus it on any urgent matters responsibly - and
not just on that which now threatens our survival, but on anything to
which we need to pay
attention
to ensure a sustainable future.
Transformation (and with it, freedom) results when
"the story about what's
happening"
is distinguished, then (like alcohol or nicotine) dropped. When we deal
directly with
"what's happening"
instead, that's life the way it is ie that's reality. When
the whole world
speaks with one
voice
dealing with life the way it is ie with reality, we're free, and
anything is achievable in our collective sustainable future. That
possibility touches,
moves,
and inspires me. Irregardless of how we got here, we're now here.
