Beyond the Sunset – There Is A New Sunrise
It seems appropriate and indeed quite fitting, in the Christian world, that New Years follows Christmas.
The twentieth century, with its many momentous crises, chasing each other from year 1900 all the way to year 2000 has at last succumbed to the inevitable march of time and has become history. The 21st century has now replaced that old outworn 20th century. The human race is now entering what we call the third millennium.
Two millennia ago a great Teacher and Wayshower appeared among us to teach His brothers and sisters how to live and grow to maturity as worthy members of the greatest of all creations, the Human Race. He tried to show us by word and by deed that the most desirable way to live was the way of “Co-operation”. This, He said, is the way of “Caring and Sharing” among ourselves in our neighborhoods of Industry and Social Activity. This enunciation gave rise to that now overworked word “Salvation”.
I recall to mind the first line of a little verse I once remember reading. “We are here and all born little just because we are here to grow”. This seems to say that we each have an ongoing urge for growth and freedom. This seems to be echoed in the infant’s first exultant cry of life and freedom on leaving the confining security of its mother’s life-giving body into a world of many life-giving challenges.
This Teacher, this Master Mind, declared to the world that it is inadvisable to put “New Wine into Old Wine Skins”, if we expect this “New Wine” to serve the purpose for which it was made.
On this note of optimism, let us now begin our activity in this new century.
In my imagination, I visualize our expectantly waiting world taking the form of numerous Autonomous Societies, Neighborhoods or Communities. Here the people would live peacefully among themselves following the rule of the all-encompassing law of “Caring and Sharing”. Here party politics would be unthinkable as well as unnecessary. This principle of “caring and sharing” would be found to be too good to be kept among them and so would be shared with each and every other neighborhood. This would form a Global Network of Communication and Activity, governed by an all-embracing Charter or Constitution of operating rules or principles without the need for any biological figurehead as a ruler.
I see People governing people and their environment, guided by their People-created and people-sanctioned Charter. This Charter could be likened to “The Word”.
Under this Charter and guided by it, I visualize a special Global Committee or Council, consisting of responsible, qualified men and women representing each of the various ethnic cultures, communicating via the appropriate communication media. This Council’s field of activity would deal with global concerns, with human and natural resources as well as research and development. Working under and responsible to this Committee would be Regional Councils dealing with each of the Geographical and Ecological areas.
These Regional Councils would routinely receive reports from the constituent Neighborhoods in regard to Industrial and Natural resources.
Each of the Neighborhoods, wherever situated in whatever geographical or ecological region, would be responsible for the production and the distribution of the necessary goods and services (food, clothing, housing health, educational) as well as all other services needed for the health and sustenance of each individual in his or her home neighborhood.
The Regional and Global Communication Industrial Authority would, as well as the regular responsibility of maintaining and researching the various communication systems, issue periodic bulletins to remind each person of his and her responsibility in this new “Care and Share” society.
In this new tomorrow, each person would have his or her personal “Share Card”. This little “Card” is the person’s ID card as well as this person’s special kind of “credit card” which would be used in lieu of money in any form for the purchase of needful Goods and Services.
I visualize the day when a new world order (New Wine Skins) can be created.
With the co-operative good will and consent of the people; the precepts of science combined with the machinations of technology, this world of Humanity along with their habitat (the environment) could evolve from the present chaos and uncertainty that has marked the 20th century, into a state of comparative Order and Peace.
Thus in the fulfillment of time, this world of Humanity, co-existing sustainably with Nature, could be rescued from the present, apparent, downward spiral to its further chaos and destruction.
“Beyond the Sunset, I see a new Sunrise!”
Timothy Haystubble (Grass Roots Philosopher)
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