We are staring two crises in the face: one is physical, the other is political; both are spiritual. Spiritual dis-ease in the Earth and the political psyche. There are lessons in both.
In a recent article written in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, a doctor and an Indigenous knowledge keeper share that, “COVID-19 is not a disease; it is a symptom of an exhausted planet.”
The authors assert that, “The real cure for COVID-19 is renewing our fractured relationship with the planet.”
The article goes on to say, “No one created the problems that threaten to overwhelm us from malice. Not the plagues, nor climate change, nor extinctions. They have occurred as side effects of a system whose rapid growth is both encouraged at all costs, and blind to natural limits.”
There are two big messages in this article:
- The wisdom and sacred teachings of Indigenous people across the world can help us heal the Earth.
- We must “decouple the idea of a good and meaningful life from ever-increasing material consumption.”
In terms of the political crisis, what would MLK say? I know he wouldn’t recommend hate on hate. Here are some of his timeless words:
I don’t know how we are going to get out of the pickle we’re in, but I do know the path must include wisdom, respect, love, peace and communication.
May we each be part of the solution,
Barbara Fagan-Smith
CEO, ROI Communication
Chief Catalyst, Living ROI
