THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
In our celebrity-obsessed world, the quest for recognition, influence, wealth, fame, and the praise of others drives all too many of us. Ultimately, this pride-filled drivenness leads us into conflict and destructiveness, as all of life becomes a game of winners and losers. The great narratives of different faiths are then placed in competition with each other for the ‘honour’ of being the ‘ultimate truth’. The priorities of nations are placed into conflict as politicians wrestle to find a place in the corridors of world power, while their people’s needs are used as bargaining chips or forgotten altogether. Values, integrity, and fidelity all end up being expendable as success, victory or popularity become the ends which justify any means. And, as this driven, competitive way of being spreads through the world, we all pay the price in increasing rates of divorce, heart (and other) disease, conflict, and inequality. But, of course, those who end up paying the most are those at the ‘bottom’ of the game – the innocent losers.
Into all of this a simple word of justice speaks – humility can heal our world. As we learn, individually, nationally, and globally, to live with simplicity, contentment, respect, and integrity – and expect the same from our leaders and our corporations – the game of winners of losers begins to shift to a playful, collaborative game of shared benefit. And then, our eyes are opened to the fullness of life that is found in the hidden, poor, and forgotten places – places that the rich and wealthy never see.
This call to a healing humility is the focus of our meditations this week.
To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.
