One of The Roanoke Tribune’s regular front page footers stated, “Civilization is the life-long process of learning to be kind.” However, with the current new trend of “social distancing,’ coupled with the constant explosion of modern science and technology, the practices often seen to become contradictory! As it takes a great deal of practice to acquire and perfect any new policy, being constantly trained most recently to distance ourselves from one another becomes increasingly confusing. Although far too many personal and business contacts unfortunately fall far short of the mark when it comes to kindness or professional courtesy (once considered part of the training for owners and employees of large and small businesses alike,) the current “new kid on the block, “social distancing” has become a new pill to swallow.
One of our Presidents often spoke of “a kinder, gentler society”– while waging war on other parts of the world for which continuously changing reasons are still being offered. It was former President Bill Clinton who made the classic statement that “America must lead other nations by example, not by force.”
Also in his Independence Day address of 1852, Frederick Douglass eloquently stated: “There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”
It should be obvious by now that this revered nation is still heading–whether full or half speed–in wrong directions.
Couple this with the absence of parental loving care in the homes of today’s modern society, the absence of (former parental compulsory) spiritual training and the proliferation of loosely monitored television, videos and other “entertainment” features within every home and motor vehicle that perpetually promote sex, violence, vulgarity and disrespect and you have the prescription for the poisonous venom of materialism that is contaminating the whole of society. By so doing we abandon our children and youth with the misconception that to succeed in today’s world you must be super tough, sexy, weird, or win on some get rich quick TV show–all entertaining but not exactly models of true civilization– “the lifelong process of learning to be kind.”
In the midst of today’s hype, kindness, gentleness and humility are perceived to be attributes and virtues to die with, not to live by. Unfortunately we are allowing too many mirrors of the heart and soul to be tilted the wrong way–including our own. We all know that a mirror will reflect (and often magnify) whatever it is turned toward. If turned toward the soil it will reflect dirt and the transitory existence of every finite thing associated with it. If turned in the opposite direction it will reflect the sky–the solar system and magnify its incomparable warmth, brilliance and all associated with its unique infinite individuality–the kind of warmth and brilliance produced only through Love—“—“God so Loved the world…” How often do we repeat the Baha’i passage that states: “In the world of existence there is no force greater than the Magnet of Love!” Consider also that a magnet draws only like substance.
During this special season of graduations, pride and love, may we tilt our inner mirrors toward the Sun of Reality that we may reflect and become living examples of its warmth and brilliance, imperative in the inevitable emergence of a kinder, gentler society–while the timing and process of which still remain within our reach.
