Ever since the recent pandemic, many people have grown concerned over the delays in supply chains, the price of gas, and the availability of food. Some have already taken steps towards becoming self-sufficient and moving off grid. It hasn’t hit too hard yet, but I believe that the day is not far off, when many people will no longer be able to afford to heat their houses. Water, too, is becoming scarce due to prolonged drought in the south and west regions of the country. Lake Powell, which is the source of water for several states, has receded to only one quarter of its former level.
The resulting fear and panic, in a dire situation, will test our spiritual strength. Will we repeat mistakes of the past, turning our hearts against one another? Will riots and war break out, spelling doom for the human race? Or, will enough of us rise up with the courage to make a better world? Will we reform our world based on harmony and balance, rather than on greed and hatred?
Most of us have grown up with much that we have taken for granted. We turn on lights with the flip of a switch. We take hot showers every day. If we are cold, we push the thermostat a little higher and if we are too hot, we employ air conditioning and drink ice cold drinks that are always at our fingertips. What would we do if these modern conveniences suddenly disappeared? Imagine, if Alexa ignored our commands, or Hey, Google! could no longer help us. How would we react if our electronic devices became unresponsive?
If we maintain proper perspective, we know that the human race has survived for millenia, without all of our modern conveniences. We understand that we are part of Nature and the means for our survival has already been provided. We can run away, find our own little piece of property, and create a self-sustaining way of life. But, the truth is, we are not islands. We need each other. We may be able to live on our own for a short time, but it will take great courage to lead all of us to a more sustainable way of living on our planet.
The tortoise, too, has survived. It has its shell to provide safety, but eventually it must poke out its small head to find food and find a mate. The times that lie ahead cannot be escaped from. We must confront the problems that we are facing. We must confront them together.
