The Simplicity of Peace

Mankind is really barely on the first rung of the ladder; we have not yet solved even such primitive problems as world hunger. The accomplishments of mankind, in fact, thus far are most impressive for having been achieved – almost blindly – through trial and error. While this random search for solutions has resulted in a maze of baffling complexity, true answers always have the hallmark of simplicity. The basic flaw of the universe is economy. The universe does not waste a single quark; all serves a purposes and fits into a balance – there are no extraneous events. – Power vs Force by David R. Hawkins

Perhaps never before in history has the human species been at such a turning point. If we continue forward along our current trajectory, the environment, economy, government, and socio-political systems upon which civilization depends are sure to collapse.
Another “never before” is the pace at which corporate power is taking full control of government decision-making and opting to charge full steam ahead with business as usual in regards to fossil fuel exploitation and consumption. Our situation is urgent. As former NASA chief scientist Waleed Abdalati told me in a recent interview, “We’re effectively taking a sledgehammer to the climate system.” – Truthout Editorial by Dahr Jamail

We have tried political, economic, and military solutions – all to no avail. Perhaps it’s time we tried a spiritual solution. – Neale Donald Walsch

When most people hear the word “spiritual” they think religion and religion, many believe, is at the root of the world’ troubles. They have witnessed, and often rightly so, the divisive impact that religion has had on the human race. Therefore, I invite you to suspend your belief system for a moment while encouraging you to consider spirituality not in a religious sense, but simply as our connection as human beings with all things in this world. For example, we as individuals, are one very small contributing aspect to the entirety of the global collective conscience – a small part of the whole.

So a drunk who has lost everything – the love of his family, his job, and his home – stumbles into a 12 Step meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. He has arrived at what Dahr Jamail refers to as a turning point. He is powerless and has lost all hope. He has, as Walsch suggests, attempted to resolve his numerous and complex problems by every means possible without success, and in his last desperate moments he finds himself in a church basement seeking a spiritual solution. He has nowhere left to turn – there is no escape.

Our friend is introduced to 12 simple spiritual steps and, in time and as Hawkins suggests, he comes to believe that the “true” answers to his problems are really quite simple. He begins to see the ever increasing insanity of his past was created largely by his own selfish actions and, left to his own devices, he was powerless to change it. Our friend slowly comes to see is that all of his attempts to control his life, and the lives of others, created the chaos which fueled his drinking.

The 12 Steps are a recipe for change. And millions of people from around the world, regardless of political, religious, or economic standing have come together in a vast network numbering in the millions to embrace a simple manner of living capable of solving practically every single problem we will ever have – once we are willing to let go of our ego driven and self-centered need to control those around us.

As corporate leaders, whose only goal is profit, continue to invest heavily in controlling our governments, while using our military for their own selfish ends, can you not see how their addiction to greed and power have brought us to this turning point? Can you not see the chaos in our world is created by a few who will never get enough of whatever it is they think they need and whose addiction to greed and profit is destroying our world? Can you not see that the war machine will continue to kill millions and we will destroy our environment as long as the addiction to power is the motivating force?

Can you not see that addiction, left unchecked, ultimately kills the host?

Are you desperate enough to consider a spiritual solution yet? Or can we continue as we have?

For millions of people around the world the 12 Steps have proven themselves capable of solving every problem they will ever have. Will they work for peace? I don’t know – what else have you got?