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 |  Look around. Let Nature nurture your Soul. I record images I sense and share them here. |
Half a century ago, the amazing courage of Rosa Parks, the visionary leadership of Martin Luther King, and the inspirational actions of the civil rights movement led politicians to write equality into the law and make real the promise of America for all her citizens. -David Cameron What happened to equality? How did we turn back the clock of time and commit the same horrible crimes that were a a social norm before Rosa and Martin's time? Your thoughts about what's happening across the United States. Ye are the flowers of one garden Have you ever weeded a garden? Not an easy task for someone like me who likes pretty weeds. Yes, I'm talking about you, Miss Daisy, Lord Dandelion and Sir Scarlet-Pimpernel. Sometimes we need to move you to make space for petulant Prince Petunia. We make way for those we find worthy and vanquish those we don't to the compost heap. We seldom pay attention to the fungus, mildew or rot unless we grow roses. And like the Little Prince, we know how thorny they can be when they act out. So... what do we do? We fertilize; we tear out beds; we buy fungicide, herbicide, insecticides. Anything that will kill. To change our way of planting, how we cultivate, make certain allies, is 'too time consuming', 'too difficult' or 'too expensive'. We don't consult Mizz. Bee, Master Worm or even understand that Tomatoes live well with Carrots; but Old Walnut will make Mistress Apple wither for sure. And yet, compared to Humanity, flowers get along quite well. Master Gardeners know this and with proper nurturing can fill the world with color and fragrance, and even Beauty, no matter how wild it may seem to others who prefer sterile green carpet some call lawns, hoseable painted concrete and plastic reproductions. Silk roses, no matter how lifelike, are still lifeless. Unfortunately, we lack the wisdom of knowing what's a weed and weed-out people too. Some are more worthy to marry, be a member of our family, our 'gang', our friends, neighbors, coworkers. Others aren't even welcome in our country, our societies or our churches. Some prefer plastic perfection to the messy real deal. And we don't even realize we have rot, blight, mold and mildew. Until Rose pricks our conscience. Is there hope for the Human Garden? Of course there is. Spiritual Leaders have pointed this out since the beginning of time. Humans however seem to be as hard headed as Brazil Nut or as deaf as Zinnia. And some just insist on being Saint Hollyhock, pretending they can rise above it all. But cut them off at the roots? We all die. Humans never seem to want to cultivate their own inner garden. We let mildew, mold and rot to take hold and infect others by spreading our virus with words or by painful touch. No one is totally immune from this disease. It has a name that can't be mentioned without people getting upset. No amount of money will eliminate it. No good intentions will cure it. No fancy laws will bring about the necessary change of heart. Until acknowledged and rooted out IT will persist. And what is it we are talking about? It's called Racism ... a well-known documented variety of human rot that devours the heart, destroys the community garden, threatens the existence of our species. It has friends of course: Xeno Phobia, National Ism, $$ Greed $$ and Just Plain Hatred among them. Such an unruly class of unholy synergism! But even our sweet elderly neighbor who cooks zucchini bread (... for everyone) and won't kill a spider is infected. And so are you. And that's the hard part. So are you. And that's why Rosa dear Rosa never lived to see it vanquished. It was always more than a seat on the bus. And we-all looked for cures while denying the disease. The disease is Racism and the cure is a spiritual awakening strengthening the heart, recognizing that We are One. This is one of a thousand exhortations found throughout Humanity's existence: “Ye are all fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden.” — Bahá’u’lláh A simple musical rendition: 984 |
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