ONE WORLD THINKING

What world are we connected to?

We all live on the same globe and yet there is a multiplicity of worlds.

The world of rich celebrities and football stars is a universe away from the poor single mother struggling to survive. The closed minded worlds of political or religious fundamentalists shut out anyone who does not agree with them. The world of global finance and trans-global corporations are light years away from the millions struggling to survive in countries torn apart by poverty, war and disease. Everywhere there is disconnection. Global corporations and industries are disconnected from the reality of life for billions across the planet. Self obsessed personalities and global forces driving human progress and consumerism have disconnected humanity from the very world we live on.

According to Genesis humans were originally caretakers of the Earth, connected to the whole of biodiversity; all sharing the same Spirit of Life.

We are also all connected by virtue of our status as passengers on spaceship Earth. Our planet is like a huge spaceship carrying us on our journey around the galaxy. It will take our Solar System another 200 million years before we return to where we are now. Where we are now is that we have become exploiters of the Earth instead of caretakers. This is an unsustainable situation.

How long can we survive?

At our current rate of deforestation in a hundred years all the rainforests will be gone. Along with billions of plants and insects which are part of that ecosystem. Consequently the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere will rise and oxygen will decrease. There will come a natural tipping point beyond which the air we breathe – will no longer be the air we now breathe.

Climate scientist James Lovelock warned of this 40 years ago but world leaders did nothing. Why?

Perhaps this was because Lovelock’s views did not fit in with the acceptable materialistic paradigm of the day: global industrial expansion and consumerism.

Consequently as a collective species we are now mostly exploiters of the planet instead of caretakers of the Earth. Collectively we have become fragmented and disconnected from each other and from the world we live on.

But this is not the way most ordinary individuals want it to be.

Today hundreds of thousands of individuals all across the globe are committed and active in conserving and caring for the Earth. Often in the darkest times the human spirit shines the brightest. Unfortunately the political and industrial systems driving human progress are still mostly detrimental to humanity, to this planet and to all life forms within Earth’s biosphere.

This is an unsustainable situation.

The problem is we are the inheritors of thousands of years of wrong priorities led from the top. The strong and powerful have always exploited weaker peoples and profit and self interest have always formed the basis for empires. In spite of flashes of altruism and innovation by individuals; short term thinking, indifference and greed have been the hallmark of those at the top driving human expansion across the planet. Albert Einstein put it this way:

“Genius has its limitations but human stupidity knows no boundaries.”

Somehow the vast majority of humanity now needs to collectively agree to stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution.

People are now more aware that there are problems but there are also solutions.

When disaster strikes people usually work together to save lives and find solutions. This comes from an innate sense of compassion and connectedness. But the disaster of wrong priorities we now face as a species is not like an earthquake or volcano; it is much less obvious, for it is part of the daily fabric of modern life.

Once it is recognised people can change this by doing is whatever is possible at every level.

Whether we believe in God or in the Big Bang the base reality is we all share the same Spirit of Life with every creature on this planet.

It is our home, it is their home.

Native Americans have a saying: “Hey oh witchi tai tai oh witchi tai oh” – ‘Everything is (in) Everything’.

The fact is -in the biosphere of planet Earth everything is connected. What affects one affects all. Never more than today do we need a paradigm shift that can cross all faith and cultural boundaries and speak in a language that both faith and reason can understand and relate to.

What can do this?

It has to be something that is beyond both religion and politics: something which can unite people in a global vision that is meaningful: metaphysically, scientifically, politically and environmentally.

The answer is effectively all around us – every time you turn around 180 degrees you are in the centre of a circle – and so is everyone else. The sphere of the Earth when seen from space explicitly shows us that it is one world, inclusive of every life-form and creature upon it. One world of biodiversity: our home and spaceship through the cosmos.

As a species we need to disconnect from any political or religious concept or any business practice that does not respect the whole sphere of life on Earth.

We need to step beyond the controlling systems of both religion and politics, lost in their own petty divisions, and unite as free people respecting diversity because the fundamental truth of our existence is we all share One Spirit of Life. Once we do that we can truly become One World Thinkers.

When space walking in orbit around the Earth Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart had the life changing realisation that he was part of a massive shift in human perspectives. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Once we have seen our planet as it truly is, a bright blue orb hanging in the vastness of pace, we can no longer see ourselves as we once did. There is then a difference in the relationship between you and your planet, between you and everyone else. Because they are not everyone else – they are you and me.

Seeing Earth as it really is brings home the fact that we are all one race on one planet. We are all equally part of one world.

That first unique image of our small blue world seen from space was an invitation to reconnect with Oneness: One World – One Spirit of Life – One Creator. If the human race really took this on board it would be a world changing view.