Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Swiftly Now, It Passes

The old year is on its way out.

This has generally been a bad year, for the earth and for people. A good year for greed and hubris. A hard year for the average person, the sick person, poor person, the creative person, the giving person, the person whose plans do not include taking wealth and power into the next world.

Pages have turned in the Book of Life, many of them. Most everyone I know has lost at least one family member, friend or loved one. I have lost several friends and mentors.

Despite the losses that there are to report in this annus horibbilis, there is great good to report and reflect on, and to give thanks for.

There is goodness among people of the world. At times goodness seems outweighed and blunted by greed, disregard and cruelty; but the one of the miracles of life is that good cannot die, no matter how bleak things can seem. There are good people who know what is right and who travel their life journey doing the good deeds that come naturally to them. The smile, the warm touch, the small act of kindness travels as far as any ray of light may go.

This is a blessing above all blessings. I feel blessed. I hope you do, also.

If there is anything I could wish for this coming year, it would be that humankind would begin to awaken from the pathetic neoteny that threatens our whole existence. Human always seem poised to evolve into true adult beings that have a greater respect for all life, but then fail to move beyond the self-interest that moves individuals and groups to deplorable actions against others, particularly with regard to money. As adults, we are children in most ways but wisdom; as ancient and modern prophets and sages have suggested, we need to grow up.

If there is anything I could wish for you in this coming year, it would be that you have good health, a stable job, good food and fresh water, a safe dwelling and a peaceful, caring community in which to live. May your smile lighten the darkness of others; may the work of your hands be useful, fulfilling and sustaining; may you give more than you receive; may you recycle, reuse, renew and remember, with honor, the earth in all that you do; may you help enable others to have the good things you enjoy; may your awareness and love of life join with that of others to create and ensure a life of peace and equity for all;

And may you find blessing on your Soul Journey.