By this sick culture we are taught to be afraid of disagreement, we are taught to be afraid of those who are different, ideas that are different, that which is unlike us. It has taken me......

[This is a wordy, but I think important, stream-of-consciousness that came out of some conversations I was blessed to have this morning with my companions.]

By this sick culture we are taught to be afraid of disagreement, we are taught to be afraid of those who are different, ideas that are different, that which is unlike us. It has taken me decades but at long last I  have learned to relish these, and to pretty well transcend the psychological pain that comes with doing so.

I fear not benefiting from these differences, not learning from them, not growing from them, fast enough. I suspected this is what I fear most of all. Why? Because I'm not nearly good enough to be the change in the world that I need to see. & I know I'm not smart enough to figure it out all by myself. And that nor is anyone else. There is a part that I must play but unless I can continue to find that in others which does not yet exist in me, and which is part of the solution that is needed, than I'm of no hope, but useless.

We must learn to relish our important differences.

What I am afraid of is the absence of courageous, compassionate, voracious search for the truth, often in potentially frightening dialogue, including courageously and compassionately and respectfully exploring the important differences between us that we might learn from each other and learn how to joyful fit with one another.

It is said that when two people are the same one of them is not needed. This is very true. I wish I had all the answers. I am so painfully aware that I do not. I am also painfully aware that no credit to me I have more than my share of the answers. But maybe, I hope, you have some of the answers that I lack and if I find the courage, if I find the wisdom to put my ego aside, and fearlessly engage with you to explore our differences, and if you are willing to do the same, maybe we can both become more useful to the future of creation. 

I find all hope in embracing a way of being that is opposite the fear of difference that our sick culture has so ingrained in us, and so values. Why? Not because I value all difference intrinsically. Donald Trump is very different than me and I don't value all of his differences, I hate many of them. I view them as cancer.

But everyone has, or had, the ability to pursue and learn the truth. Not my truth, Not Your Truth, but the objective truth that is out there according to the likes of Einstein and Jesus and Buddha and Gandhi , and that we can if we try very hard get closer to.

Gandhi said the truth is God. He said God is truth, and truth is God. There is no difference. Thereby he said that all hope is in people moving closer to the truth.

I believe that all hope is in this and only in finding a passion and courage to compassionately seek the truth in ourselves and others do we have a prayer of moving to a future worth living for the coming Generations.

In my experience doing this requires enormous courage and bearing the pain of our imperfect nervous systems that have been taught all sorts of reasons to fear being perceived as not having all the answers. Unless we fix this in ourselves real fast and develop a passion for pursuing the truth at near any personal cost, all hope has already been lost.

[Oh, people on the left, progressives, liberals, they pursue the truth in this way intrinsically? Yes, indeed they're certain they do. In case you suspect this might not be the case, you will find confirmation of that in a recent truthdig video of Chris Hedges speaking with the author of The recently published book, Postcards From the death of America, or something like that. I recommend it. It did not help my depression of the last week or so. Be warned.]