t’s obvious we’ve made progress in science and technology, but our advance as a human race is questionable. Ways of thinking that put in place inconsistent and convoluted systems within our lives and communities; that limit expression and opportunity, giving advantage to some while withholding it from others, is not a sign of progress.

To hold on to systems of belief - social, political or religious - that promote an “ours is the only way” mind-set, disregarding or disrespecting the traditions and cultural values of others, that deepen a sense of isolation and separation, is not progressive.

To stand behind facades, under a guise of confidentiality as individuals, organizations or as a nation, intentionally withholding, or giving incomplete or inaccurate information to those dependent upon it in making important decisions, is not a sign of progress.

To seek profit through questionable policies or business practices that take advantage of those with limited resources, jeopardizing their ability to meet daily commitments and undermining their future security is not progressive (nor “profitable”).

To be sensitive, even indignant at the inhumane treatment of some animals, while ignoring billions of others, simply because they are food on our tables, is not a sign of progress.

To undermine the delicate balance of nature, exploiting earth’s limited resources, bringing comfort and opportunity to some while the majority have little or nothing, is not progressive.

To enrich entertainers or sports heroes at the expense of those who seek to strengthen the values society is based upon is not a sign of progress.

Few would challenge our standing among nations as a superpower. We are the richest, most powerful nation on earth, yet the poor and homeless continue to suffer, and we seem incapable, or unwilling to do anything about it. As a nation our contributions to the less fortunate nationally and worldwide are significant. Compared to our resources, however, we give little of what we could to relieve the desperation and poverty around us. Caught in the “bigger, better, more” syndrome, greed has superseded generosity, and getting and saving has become the measure of success rather than giving and sharing.

We spend millions – make that billions - on diets, health food fads, and on research to “find a cure,” and have a health care system second to none, yet our health issues are among the most critical on the planet and we die of diseases almost unheard of in less affluent parts of the world.

We have strict standards set by regulatory organizations that prohibit the use of unapproved drugs. If, however, the drugs are popular, and financially viable, such as alcohol and tobacco, their use, with some restrictions, is generally accepted and often encouraged in spite of the thousands of lives lost each year, children neglected and abused, or families destroyed.

We are a nation that prides itself on records and have recently moved into first place ahead of China and Russia with a new record. We now have the most citizens imprisoned of any country in the world. Given the apparent ineffectiveness of our rehabilitation programs, we are continuing our emphasis on control, and containment by expanding our judicial services and constructing more detention centers.

We are extremely concerned about our children and their future, yet we allow them to sit in front of computers, TV screens, watch movies and provide other forms of entertainment that expose them to influences and behaviors opposite our values, then wring our hands and shake our heads in disbelief when violence erupts in our schools and communities and the more vulnerable act out what they have learned.

We are concerned about global warming and yet, according to reliable sources, there are technologies available today, and have been for decades, that could completely transform our dependence on fossil fuels. Were it not for special interest groups and their economic agendas, and the conflicts that result from both, these advanced technologies could have been on the market years ago, providing us and our world with energy systems more efficient and less contaminating then anything we are presently using.

We are strong in our support of human rights and hold other nations accountable when those rights are abused. If asked, however, to help end the misery of someone whose condition has become unbearable through disease and suffering, we are told it’s against the law. It’s called a “criminal offense.” If, on the other hand, it meets our political or economic agendas, (or policies of “non-interference in internal affairs”), the taking or allowing of thousands of lives to be taken against their will through judicial or military action, even if it means some unfortunate “collateral damage,” is not only permitted, but encouraged. We call it “protecting our freedoms.”

We use force to control force, violence to fight violence, and terror against terrorists and seem surprised that our methods fuel discontent and madness instead of the peace and calm we seek. In the midst of the chaos and noise of battle, we honor our fallen heroes, while the “enemy” honors theirs. Dreams of a better world have fallen prey to our inconsistencies and illusions.

Our religious traditions hold places of honor in our hearts and in our society and so they should. When “truth” however, becomes disconnected, an end in itself and takes on an aura of superiority, disregarding the rights and liberties of others, some of the most hideous crimes against humanity, as history has proven, have been instigated and carried out by religious organizations. Even today much of the strife we see in war torn countries of the world is religiously motivated.

Concerns for our children, our children’s children and future generations are more apparent and more urgent now than ever before, however, these concerns are being undermined by patterns of behavior that continue to move us in directions that compromise their future. Many of our financial institutions are collapsing with our economy at home and abroad weaker than it’s been in decades. Standards of education that have for years made us leaders internationally are declining. Our health care system is becoming more difficult to maintain financially with millions unable to afford even the basics of health care coverage. The inequities between the “haves” and “have not’s” is becoming greater. Third world countries are doing more with less while more advanced countries are doing less with more. The affects of global warming is no longer the territory of misguided minds, but a reality. Terrorism, internal, external and imagined is taking away our freedoms. Intolerance of others views and ways of life, cultures and traditions is no longer the exception but the norm. The mechanisms of war are becoming more sophisticated and international conflicts more common.

The unrest and strife around us are not the results of some preordained or predetermined outcome, but of the illusion we have embraced and lived out … the imagined idea that we are separate from one another, separate from our environment and from the very source of life itself. Over the centuries and millennia this illusion of separation has become so dominant in human thinking that thoughts to the contrary appear abnormal.

To think we can have the advantage of an abundant life and optimum health, while others know nothing but illness and premature death, is an illusion. To suggest we can succeed while others have little choice beyond failure, is an illusion. To assume we can be safe and secure in our nation or community while others are constantly at risk is an illusion. To believe ourselves to be free when others are abused and enslaved is an illusion. To seek peace in our corner of the world, when the world at large is in turmoil and conflict is an illusion. To think we are separate from anything or anyone and can act irresponsibly or disregard the needs of others outside our cultural circles without it impacting our lives is an illusion.

Lost in a world of shadows and make-believe, we seem oblivious to the signs that point us towards peace and keep throwing over barrier after barrier meant to protect us. Slowly … systematically we are destroying the very support system that makes life on earth inhabitable. As if mesmerized by some sinister force, we continue dream-like on a journey to nowhere, moving ever closer to the edge of existence.

Visionaries from ancient times and indigenous peoples from traditions and cultures all over the world, many of whom are outside traditional circles, warn of coming events brought about by an obsession with the material, greed and disrespect for human life, and a disregard for our environment, that could be cataclysmic in nature, of a magnitude beyond our ability to anticipate much less prepare for. Soon, so they say, mother earth will discipline her unruly children.

Our civilization has now reached a crossroads. Wonderful possibilities and opportunities lie ahead for us and our children if we make the right choices, but if we continue moving in the direction we are now, life as it is on planet earth will be unsustainable.

Dreams of a better world are not enough. Now is the time to re-examine the traditions, political ideologies, religious persuasions and racial prejudices that separate us. Now is the time to replace our cultural and traditional differences with an appreciation for the richness of diversity, removing all barriers that separate, tearing down all walls that restrain and isolate. Now is the time to put our energies and resources into creating peace in place of war, of uplifting instead of tearing down, sharing instead of hoarding, contributing to life rather than exploiting it, cooperating rather than competing, giving advantage rather than taking it, serving rather than subduing or suppressing. Now is the time to experience and express higher levels of consciousness, a deeper understanding of life, and a renewed sense of the interconnectedness of all living things. Now is the time to give expression to the overwhelming desire of the human heart to know and experience unity, peace and oneness with all others.

Now is the time to create the grandest version of the greatest vision we’ve ever had. Now is the time to move beyond the boundaries that separate us, into a new experience … a new age … … a new world; a world of compassion and peace; a world that respects the rights of all peoples and gives equal opportunities to all … “One World … under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

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Daryl Meyers, Chaplain and Community Relations Director at Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton, Colorado. He has served in this position for twenty-eight years and he also presently the senior Councilman (ten years) for the City of Brighton.
He can be contacted via Email.