The expression food for thought rings with a subtle truth. Our thoughts are indeed, the raw material that creates the body of our affairs. Our lives become a mirror of what we think. Are we feeding our brain with “junk food”? Are we filling it with thoughts of violence, malice, anger, revenge, and jealousy?
Do we participate in the race consciousness of war? Do we idolize and glorify the battles of a time that no longer exists? Our world is permeated with people who do just that. The memory of war is kept alive by memorials that have been erected for “fallen soldiers”. Battles are re-enacted to keep the remembrance of bloodshed alive. Movies are made to replicate the bloody battles of the past. Games are created so that those playing them can pretend they are fighting imaginary galactic wars. War has become a fantasy in the minds of younger generations, while it is a reality in other parts of the world. Our thoughts, our recreational diversions, and our lives, have become impregnated with violence. Even our celebrations on New Year and Independence Day, are fraught with fireworks, mimicking the deafening explosions of war bombs. A large number of people enjoy this activity, oblivious to the death and terror it poses for other living things like birds and other wildlife – and even our pets.
Fifty years ago, many people brought about a peace movement. We gave the peace sign to other drivers on the road. Today, we are given “the finger” and become the target of someone’s road rage. Isn’t it time to change the diet of our thoughts? Can we begin feeding our minds with love and peace and refuse to participate in perpetual violence? Can we do this before it is too late?
