Our world is broken. Not just cracked or breaking but broken. We see this in the increased shootings at places of worship. We see this when a man sworn to protect the public tases a child. We see this when someone shoots into a car, not knowing who is inside. We see this when a driver plows into a group of people because some of them are of a different nationality. We see this when a child dies in its crib inside a house because someone shoots at the house from outside.
This realization came while watching the Merrie Monarch celebration at the end of April. Watching the protocol, the respect paid to those representing the royal couple, hearing the chants, watching the hula performances honoring the land (aina), the ancestors, the gods and goddesses. And I realized that we have, as a people, walked away from our spiritual center. As our world is broken, we are broken. We have allowed people with no compassion, no heart, no soul, to rule us, to dictate to us, to lie to us, and we’ve stood back and done nothing.
Now, I’m not talking about one spirituality; there are many. But collectively I believe they come from one source, neither Christian nor Jew, Buddhist nor Hindu, Zoroastrian nor Islamic. Or any of the other spiritual practices around the world. We have let our spirituality be impacted by greed, by radicals who believe their way is the only way and everyone else should suffer for not believing in their way. We have even let these others tell us what we should and should not believe. And we listen.
The problem is there is no easy way to fix this. We have walked too far away from who we once were. Or have we? Have we the ability to look back and recover where we came from, what our ancestors taught us about living in this world? And again, I’m not talking about one race but the ancestors of our many races. Our combined humanity.
Can we repair what is so severely broken?
I don’t have the answer. It’s not that simple. But each of us in a way has part of the answer, part of the understanding that can begin the healing process.
If we would only reach inside and listen.
•••
Susan Campbell is a resident of Kalaheo.
this is excellent, and it directly centers on the problem….we have forgotten what is the best of us….may we all reach inside and ask what ultimately really counts….it is so right on, thank you
Great letter Susan! You are right. Our Society is broken. Perhaps the best example of this, and most dire warning a Nation can have, is when a Political Party in power surreptitiously strives to take effective control of our highest Law Enforcement Agencies, Tax Collecting Agency, News Media, Military (by a President firing 25 of the top Generals across all military departments in his first year of power because of the escuse they don’t want Gays in the military), and Public Education Systems, then (when they lose power) devising a plan to unseat a duly elected President as it’s done in third world countries. Our Society is broken and the only way it will heal is to punish those involved in the process of power addiction and greed. To “fix a Society” one must start at the top!
Dunning-Kruger Effect’s Poster Boy!
Susan, I don’t believe the United States or the World is broken. I do believe that we are heading in the direction of becoming broken as we, the United States continue to lose our belief in God. Both Gallup and Pew have been tracking a simple question, “Do you believe in God.” In 1944 it was 96%, 1968 was 98%, 1986 was 96%, 2010 was 92% and 2016 it was 89%. It’s a slow and declining number who believe in God. And, if we continue to “attack” God, the number who believe in God will be less and cause a broken United States. Have faith that the United States will always have citizens who believe in God remaining in the 90%+. God Bless America.
The difference in polling techniques in that industry between 1944 and 2019 is just as profoundly different as in the car industry for the same period!
Hard to follow this meandering message and not sure what the point might be. The author needs a good editor.
Are you advocating for the return of small pox, polio, and dysentery?