We Are Connected - We Are Not Alone

[Joolz]

We Are Connected - We Are Not Alone
By Nance Greggs

As you read this, a homeless man in Detroit who is hungry for food is thinking about someone in Guantanamo who is hungry for justice, who is thinking about someone in Iraq who is hungry for news about a missing loved one, who is thinking about someone in Darfur who is hungry for food.

As you read this, somewhere a Muslim is kneeling to pray in Arabic, a rabbi is greeting the dawn with a prayer in Hebrew, a priest is celebrating the first Mass of the day – and they are all praying for the same thing: Peace.

As you read this, a girl in Egypt is strumming her guitar, as an old man in Newfoundland is adding the sound of his fiddle, as a boy in New Orleans is thumping out the bass line, as a chorus in South Africa is joining their voices to a song which will eventually be heard everywhere.

As you read this, a firefighter is risking his life to save others without knowing their politics, a doctor is in his twelfth hour of surgery trying to save a patient without knowing their religion, a teacher is working overtime to tutor a student without knowing the financial wherewithal of his family.

As you read this, an artist in France is working on a mural, which will inspire a sculptor in Italy, whose work will instill passion in a writer in Denmark, whose poetry will lead to an editorial in a newspaper in Greenland, which will touch the heart of a student in South America, who will write a book that is embraced by a filmmaker, who will produce a movie that will capture the imagination of the entire world.

As you read this, someone who spent their life promoting hatred is dying, and someone who will spend their life promoting understanding is being born.

As you read this, someone is abandoning their bigotry to make a new friend, someone is helping a newcomer feel welcome in a strange land, someone is consoling a stranger in their grief. As you read this, someone is sharing a story that will bring a smile to a face that has been sad for too long, someone is bringing the warmth of laughter to a child who has felt only the chill of hopelessness for too many years.

As you read this, someone is thinking about the abundance on their dinner table and how to share it, someone is dreaming about love and how to spread it, someone is pondering the concept of peaceful coexistence and how to instill it in the hearts and minds of those around them.

As you read this, a high school student in Germany is reading a message from someone in Mississippi promoting harmony between nations, and she is sending that message to a friend in Kuwait, who is sending that message to a friend in Iceland, who is sending that message to a friend in Australia – and each recipient in turn is sending that message to their friends, who in turn will send that message to their friends, until that message circumnavigates the planet.

As you read this, the voice of prayer is being raised in countless languages, the song of freedom is being sung in countries too numerous to count, the quest for justice is being pursued by millions of people around the world.

As you read this, a scientist in Sweden is looking through a microscope at what may be the key to a cure for cancer, and he’s thinking not of the money to be made, but the lives to be saved. As you read this, an astronomer in Russia is looking through a telescope, and she is thinking about how the exploration of the universe can be used for the good of all mankind, and not for the accommodation of weapons systems that will eventually destroy us all.

As you read this, someone is standing down when urged to do something unconscionable, someone is standing away from a group that advocates violence, someone is standing up for what they believe in.

As you read this, remember that those who live their lives in pursuit of wealth will always be poor, those who judge others based on the color of their skin will always be friendless, those who advocate violence will always live in fear.

As you read this, remember that those who twist religion to serve their own purpose will always be outnumbered by those who have true faith, those who obfuscate the doctrines of justice will always be outnumbered by those who uphold them, those who are blinded by prejudice will always be outnumbered by those who see the humanity in their global neighbors, those who live in the darkness created by ignoring the plight of others will always be outnumbered by those who live in the light of brotherhood.

We, the people who believe in the basic goodness of each other and what we can accomplish together, may be downtrodden. But in the end, we will prevail.

We are all connected; we are not alone. And our numbers are legion.

As you read this, keep that thought in your head, and that truth in your heart.

[Shirleypal]

Joolz thank you so much for posting this, thank you Nance Greggs, we tend to make life so complicated when it isn't, she speaks for all of us and valuable lessons are learned here, we are all connected, when someone takes the time to put it in writing and share with others it gives us pause, reminds me of the times when I have had some of those very same thoughts. There is more good in the World than bad and we have to hang on to that if we are to survive.