Hope in the midst of crises

Hope in the midst of crises –

Facing present challenges and moving into the future, it is important that we see each one of us as creative, spiritual beings, as co-creators and part of the solution to social and environmental crises, rather than simply part of the problem.

In the mainstream media we continually have hammered into us all the dreadful things that we as human beings have wrought, bringing destruction, poverty, extinction, death. Yes, we have that freedom – to succumb to a materialistic way of life that inevitably brings greed and, in its path, destruction. Yet, we also have the freedom to recognise in this a path we do NOT wish to take further and to work instead co-creatively together: in recognition of the spirit that works in all for harmony and regeneration, if we open our hearts to it. An enlightened love, not just for each other as humans but for the earth and all the wonders of life, is an essential ingredient in this.

This renewed creative thinking can be applied to what we see around us in the many environmental crises. The emphasis on the ‘climate crisis’ that seems to project doomsday scenarios which supposedly can only be solved by ‘world leaders’ coming together and taking action takes perhaps our attention not only away from pressing environmental problems in front of our nose (eg polluted soils, waters and air) but also takes attention away from — ourselves! We look to those higher up, putting blame on them if things are going wrong, and putting our hopes on them for making things right. But is this right?

“We look to those higher up, putting blame on them if things are going wrong, and putting our hopes on them for making things right.
But is this right?
In truth, WE — each and every one of us — are the world leaders, and WE are the solution.”

In truth, WE — each and every one of us — are the world leaders, and WE are the solution. There is a danger in the doomsday scenarios and the COP talks which we see to address them — complete with the mega-rich ‘leaders’, politicians and industry heads alike, flying in on personal jets in rather contradictory manner — in that solutions are taken away from us and put in the hands of those who have mostly created the problems in the first place. There is a bitter irony there, and one, if we don’t maintain our vigilance, could lead to a very centralised authoritarian control of the so-called solutions. Which if rooted in the same thinking, will only lead to further problems. We need to recognise that those so-called ‘world leaders’ are really our ‘servants’, not the other way around as it is usually experienced. That is, politicians are elected by us to represent us, not their own personal interests, and industry leaders (also represented at COP and whom we may be supporting by using their products) are there to serve their customers. They too often present themselves, and we let them be, as the ‘head’ determining things, whereas actually we — each one of us — need to be the conscious head, and the politicians and business leaders are the feet helping our interests and needs come into being.

There are so many positive grass roots initiatives taking place around the world which aren’t given enough attention but which have huge impact. These are efforts taking place by individuals coming together and taking responsibility, with a re-newed vision of the earth and world working in harmony, with human beings at the centre of a new co-creative approach. It is spiritually enlivening, and a bringer of light and hope.

Merely as one example of this is a creative essay entitled, Breathing with the Climate Crisis (click here to view and download), which we recommend reading. It is a coming together of youth groups and bio-dynamic agriculture, in a document presented to the last COP27 conference. Let’s hope the so called ‘world leaders’ were listening, as it was prepared by the real world leaders, which you and I and each one of us are!

A contribution by Richard Brinton