I read an interview with writer Barry Lopez in the December 2019 issue of The Sun magazine. Mr. Lopez suggests that we have reached a time when the concept of the lone hero is no longer relevant in our expanding human society. He uses a flock of starlings as an example. They move in flocks as one, each coordinating its movements with those closest to it. There is no leader. We have so many examples in nature of species that live in harmony with the whole, rather than as egoic individuals with their own agenda. They understand that their survival depends on being part of the group because if they veer off alone, they are susceptible to predation. The sick or injured member is often shunned from the group because it puts the entire flock or herd at risk.
Heroism is an idea of which it is time to let go. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and all of the other super heroes cannot save us now. The human race, if it is to survive, must learn to work together as a whole. Our collective consciousness must rise above what we thought to be true. The answers that the world seeks, to our collective challenges, lie in another dimension which we can only assess from a deeper place. Those who are unwilling to loosen their iron grip on what they believe to be me, my, mine, must expect to suffer; while those who are willing to place their fellow humans, the entire earth, and other living things above their own needs, will lead the way to a more unified and peaceful world.
It is time for humans to mature, to let go of the toddler’s sense of self. Each of us has come into the world with specific talents and a specific purpose to fulfill for the good of all. Life has never been about our own personal wants and desires as the capitalist mentality would have us believe. We were given the gift of life and it is now time for the piper to be paid.
