Around three decades ago I traveled from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to
join a protest against the war in Vietnam. My housing had been pre-arranged;
the group I was traveling with would be staying with a family of Quakers. The
weather that weekend in November tested our resolve: bone-chilling
temperatures and a strong wind out of the north. Nonetheless, we marched,
we sang, half a million strong we came together confidently in common cause.
Late on the final day of that weekend, my brother-in-law, Johnny, and I found
ourselves with a group of militant activists at the Justice Department. I was
caught up in the excitement of the moment-until the D.C. police started
discharging tear gas canisters into the crowd. We beat a hasty retreat, doing
our best, but failing, to avoid the asphyxiating gases around us. Later, as I sat
excitedly recounting the tale of the confrontation, I noticed a troubled glance
from the elderly man whose hospitality we were enjoying, not disapproving,
but gravely concerned. Years later I would remember that expression as I read
the words of Marianne Williamson: “I am of a generation, which thought that
we could bring peace to the world, and we didn't think it mattered if we
ourselves were angry. What we learned is that an angry generation cannot
bring peace.”

Sometimes I’m certain that the Apocalypse is upon us. My chicken hawk
president and our compliant Congress are shipping other folks’ kids (but
certainly not their own) to Iraq to kill for peace. The airwaves are awash with
politicians who claim they care about you and me, but most only seem
interested in advancing their political careers. Elected officials dole out billions
in corporate welfare while company officers make out like bandits and ship jobs
overseas. The Patriot Act, passed after 9/11, is supposed to protect us from
terrorists, yet many fear it leads us down the slippery slope toward fascism.
The Asian Brown Cloud, a thick haze of pollution two miles thick and seven
times the size of India, is hovering over southern Asia, and the lives of millions
are threatened. Eight hundred million people around the world go to bed
hungry each night, and 24,000 die. Seventy-eight million acres of rainforest

are destroyed annually, and 50,000 plant and animal species become extinct.
The United States spends over a billion dollars every day on the military while
one of every five children in the U.S. lives in poverty. Similar to the Titanic, our
planet is rapidly approaching its “iceberg,” our physical limits to growth, yet
our elected leaders seem content to merely rearrange the chairs on the deck.
What then can we do to keep a level head and a loving heart in the midst of all
this madness? How can we hope to bring about a more compassionate, just
and sustainable world?

For sometimes the temptation is great to turn away, to proclaim there is
nothing that one person can do, to become cynical, to go into denial about the
need to do anything, to go back to sleep. But once we have awakened, is
unconsciousness ever really an option?

I believe that each of us comes into the world utterly whole, inherently worthy,
entirely blameless. And I believe that each of us, as we mature and become
more conscious, deeply longs to make a positive difference in the world. Now,
we may lose sight of that along the way. One may come to believe that the
road to fulfillment is through the accumulation of lots of stuff-a fancy car, a
bigger house, or tailored clothing. Or one may think that finding the perfect
romantic partner will bring contentment (it might help). Or a great job and
status in the community may appear to be the Holy Grail. But even if we
achieve these things (or other similar goals), all too frequently there is still a
sense that something is not complete, some element of life is missing.
Consciously or unconsciously, each of us helps to create the world we live in-
day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment. Every thought in our minds,
every word we speak, every action we take makes a difference in our world. So
then, the question is not “How can I make a difference?” The question is “What
kind of difference do I choose to make?” If you choose to act out of love-
smiling at the baby in the grocery cart in the long checkout line or contributing
money, food, or clothing to folks in need-you help to create one kind of world.
If you choose to react out of fear-snarling at the person in the slow-moving
car in front of you or clinging to all of your material wealth for dear life-you
help to create another kind of world.
Many of us look around today and see a world in disarray. Many of us believe
that our leaders have failed us. But the truth is, my friends, that the situation
around us is our creation. If you want to discover what you really want, look at
what you’ve got. The situation in our homes, in our community, in the U.S., in
the world, is our responsibility. And if you want something different, it is
essential that you think, say and do what is necessary to create that change.
No one else can do this for you.

All around us are opportunities to make a difference. Life constantly sends
forth a barrage of wake-up calls--the hungry child, the neighbor with cancer,
the polluted air, the dying Fraser firs, airplanes crashing into the World Trade
Center, the Iraqi family terrified at the onslaught of American troops.
We ignore life’s wake-up calls at our own peril. Like the drunk who’s in denial,
we may refuse to come to grips with reality. Like the pretense of a loveless
marriage, we may be unwilling to confront the truth. But if we do not
acknowledge the gift in even the most horrific event, discern its meaning for us
and adjust the course we are on, one thing is certain: When the Universe
wants to get our attention again, to awaken us as individuals and a culture, we
can count on the next wake-up call being even bigger than the one that came
before it.

Cynicism, denial and hopelessness are merely forms of victimhood, placing the
blame somewhere else for that which ails us. Let me suggest another way:
radical responsibility. Rather than blaming others, this path requires us to ask
ourselves at every challenge, “How did I help create this situation and what
can I do to resolve it?” Sometimes this is not easy, especially when we are
certain that someone else is at fault. But doing so puts us, not others, in
charge of our lives.

We are all here for a purpose. We each have a mission to fulfill-to discover
our unique gifts and share them with those around us. You likely have a vision
for a better world, and when you fully live your purpose you help to create that
world. Some may call you an idealist or a dreamer; wear that title with pride.
This is a time to surround yourself with those who nurture you, who
understand and respect your hopes and dreams. This is a time to be with those
who support you to walk your talk, to live your true values, not those so-called
values advanced by our would-be leaders, public relations firms and the
mainstream media.

Remember that everything happens for a reason. Yet even so, you are not
relieved of your duty to do what can be done to alleviate the pain and agony of
others. And you have a responsibility to deal with your own distress. For while
you cannot control what Life sends your way, you have complete control over
how you will respond to it. You can create suffering for yourself by sitting
around wishing things were other than they are; or you can do all that you can
do and feel the satisfaction of the results that you produce.
Pay attention to what’s going on in your community and in the world. Don’t try
to hide from or close yourself off to the horrors that are taking place. When
you see the starving children with bloated bellies, feel the hurt, feel the
anguish, feel the anger. And use your feelings as a call to action.

Quiet the chatter in your mind through meditation, prayer, contemplation or a
hike in the woods. Then listen. Each of us has a gift to offer the world, and we
become aware of how we might offer that gift when we get in touch with our
inner self. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write a letter to your local
newspaper, but your mind’s internal editor constantly heads you off at the
pass. Ignore your editor and write it anyway.

To make a difference in the world, become, as Gandhi says, the change you
want to see. If you want a peaceful world, explore inwardly and find that
peaceful part of yourself. Then rather than taking your anger and resentment
out on your coworker for something he did or didn’t do, find a way to forgive .
. . him and yourself.

Since we are all in this together, there really is no “enemy.” We all want to
love and be loved. Any action that is not loving, any action that is fear-based-
abusive language, intolerant behavior, a violent act-is a cry for love, whether
it’s coming from George W. Bush, from Saddam Hussein, from you or from me.
Service to others can present the next step on our spiritual or psychological
path. If, for example, you offer a basket of food to a destitute family in a
condescending manner, your gift might feed the flesh, but not the spirit-theirs
or yours. And if you become conscious of this you get an opportunity to
understand the importance of humility and how your well-being is inextricably
intertwined with those whom you might serve.

We do make a difference-individually and as a group. In fact, every loving
thought, every prayer, every compassionate action has a significant effect on
the world in which we live and the fabric of our existence. We might be moved
to handle our own demons-the judgments, anger and negative beliefs that do
not serve us. We might be moved to listen to and hold a friend who is hurting.
We might be moved to serve a meal at the local homeless shelter or build a
house with Habitat for Humanity. We might be moved to put our freedom on
the line by participating in civil disobedience to stop an unjust war. We might
be moved to gather in thousands, millions to say, “No more!”
Through the convergence of social movements-peace, civil rights, women’s
rights, gay liberation, environmental and others-and personal consciousness
movements-Gestalt therapy, bodywork, experiential workshops, meditation,
et cetera-a new subculture has emerged 50 million strong. With a deep sense
of the sacred in nature, a commitment to spiritual and psychological growth
and a willingness to support ecological sustainability, members of this
subculture desire to live their lives congruent with their deepest values and
beliefs.

Despite the fact that this entire social phenomenon has gone unnoticed by the
mainstream media, we are in the midst of an epic shift in American culture.
And while some may become dispirited at its pace or with the violence and
turmoil surrounding it, the transformation of our cultural paradigm is unfolding
just as it should. This groundswell of compassion, sustainability and justice
cannot be contained. And now is the time for those who are willing to step
forward in its support.

I’d like to close now by asking you to imagine that you have no concept of
childbirth. Imagine that you have walked into a room in which a mother is in
the midst of labor-with all the attendant wailing, straining and gnashing of
teeth. What would you think? What would your first reaction be?
Today we are participating in the birth of a new cultural paradigm. Our world is
in labor. And being a part of this chaotic and confusing process can sometimes
be scary, sometimes awe-inspiring. But have no doubt that an irreversible
trend is at hand-a movement toward greater love and respect for one
another, for all living things, for the entire earth. And, as always, we have a
choice: We can let fear get the best of us and surrender to despair; or we can
acknowledge ourselves for the role we play in this creation and enjoy the ride.