I have a dream . . .

Were you able to listen to any part of Global Oneness Day?

If so, I'm sure your reaction was the same as mine . . . a sense of deep gratitude.
Spanning a period of thirteen hours, and featuring the views of over forty participants, it was a truly memorable event.

You may remember that Chloe accused me last week of being addicted to the 'News' bulletins.  She was perfectly right . . . I plead guilty.

However, as one of Tuesday's speakers pointed out, there's very little that's new in the 'News', the correct definition should probably be the 'Olds'.  This is because, in the belief that 'if it bleeds it leads', the media usually focuses on what's breaking down.  It provides us with accounts of all that's tragic, alarming and fearful . . .  items that paralyse our minds, and strip us of hope for the future.

Global Oneness Day produced scientists, academics, spiritual teachers, diplomats and peace workers all of whom told a different story.  This was the new 'News'.

And what did I learn?
From the scientists I learned that we are currently well into the process of the sixth mass extinction.
An extinction which, unlike all previous occasions, has come about not through natural causes, but by our own behaviour.
This was confirmed by the BBC News yesterday.

But it seems that, in addition to the elephants, the hedgehogs and all the other species, there are also dinosaurs facing extinction, dinosaurs that we have created.

These dinosaurs are the large institutions . . .  political, financial and industrial . . .  institutions who have outlived their beneficial aspects and are no longer functioning for the good of the whole. 
The scientists cautioned us not to be alarmed, this, we were assured, is no more than a stage in the constant evolution of the universe.

From the academics I learned the value of appreciating the broader picture.
As James O'Dea pointed out, who could argue against our common unity when we share our DNA with cockroaches and bananas?

And, extending this to the universal viewpoint, who could fail to warm to Ervin Laszlo's description of the universe.
It is, he said,  'an informed, self-organising pattern of vibrations held together by a cosmic mind.'
Doesn't that definition carry your soaring spirit way beyond Brexit and the American Presidential elections?

All the diplomats and peace workers were united in their wish for change, counselling that this should come from unity, not friction.  Change, they told us, won't come about by alienation, or by fighting existing conditions.   It will only be achieved by uniting to make the old ways obsolete.

As for the spiritual teachers, whilst an acknowledgement of our divine source underpinned the contribution of every speaker, there were several who saw this era as being a time of profound change in human consciousness.  One spoke movingly of the support and guidance offered by the angels.
And who could disagree with Steve Bhaerman's encouragement to 'leave the static of the head for the ecstatic of the heart'?


So . . . with Global Oneness Day over for another year, what part is there left for us to play?

Clearly we need to unite, we need to hope . . . hope, we were told, is active not passive, or, as Matthew Fox put it, 'a verb with its sleeves rolled up'.
We also need to acknowledge the link between joy and consciousness, love and creation.
Above all we need to recognise the theme under-pinning every discussion . . .  our intrinsic oneness.

A time of mass extinction this may be, but it's also undoubtedly a time of new birth.
Birth pangs can be painful, so it might help to remember something.
Martin Luther King didn't say, "I have a complaint," what he said was, "I have a dream!"

Cats to the Rescue!

Hello, it's Chloe here . . . have you a moment to spare? I've a real treat for you, and I'll put it online quickly whilst my Mum is out.

Talking of my Mum, I really can't understand why she does it, but she regularly listens to something she calls 'The News'.

No self-respecting cat would ever depress themselves by listening to 'The News'.  It's invariably gloomy, usually alarmist, and it's always about humans and their stupidity  . . .  I've yet to overhear a single item about an intelligent animal.

But wouldn't you agree that, over the past few months,  this 'News' has been getting steadily worse?
Either humans are getting more stupid, or they're pushing each other into more and more stupid situations.  And a right mess they're making of things.

I worry about humans, and this seems a good moment for an intelligent cat to put a paw in. 
Humans need to be told that their behaviour really doesn't need to be like that.

A video on Facebook will show you just what I mean.

In this video two sensible cats demonstrate how to behave when milk is in short supply.  You don't fight, you don't yell at each other, you don't act like a stupid human.  You bargain a little . . . and share a little . . . and, true, there's a moment when voices are raised just an iota, but it's hard not to pick up bad habits when you live in close proximity with humans.

After you've watched this video, may I suggest that you ask yourself a question?
If that milk had been an ice-cream, and if those two cats had been excitable small humans . . .  well, I've known lots of small humans and I'd bet my last whisker that they'd behave very differently to those sensible cats!

To see the video click here.
Now, the next time you listen to 'The News' ask yourself this question . .. although human society may be going to the dogs, how about getting it back on track with the help of wise and civilised cats?

Just thought I'd mention it . . .

Something to share . . .

Something struck me the other day.  I realised that, when I hear something interesting, or make a surprising discovery, my immediate impulse is to share it with you.
You may well have noticed how frequently I start these letters with the words, 'May I share something . . . ?'

Why, I wondered to myself, do I have this need to share?   Do we all have it?  If so, why this need to reach out and communicate?

And there's more to it than that.  Who in my mind, am I communicating with?
The contact feels intimate, not remote . . . almost like a bee returning to the hive, or a drop of water returning to the ocean.

If you remember, we spoke the other week about The Wood Wide Web, the communication network below the ground that links all trees in a common understanding.
This would seem to be the human equivalent . .  . a network, independent of the internet, that subtly connects us all in ways beyond our understanding.
I'm sure you've known such occasions . . .  a friend comes into your mind and then, seconds later, that same person phones you.  Inexplicable . . . but strangely satisfying.

These thoughts were triggered by an email I received this week.  It was sent to remind me of Global Oneness Day, an event which takes place on October 24th.

Did you know of Global Oneness Day?
It was launched in 2010 with the support of over a hundred and fifty countries, and the backing of the U.N.
Over the past six years it has grown steadily in scope and influence.

As the organisers say on their website:

"Today Oneness is expressed through many diverse streams - religions, philosophies, ancient/indigenous traditions, and science.  These streams are overflowing their banks, commingling, and converging to form a single stream, a universal Oneness movement.
Global Oneness Day is our day to celebrate unity in our diversity . . . "


If those words have encouraged you to learn more, and to discover the names of the fifty speakers who'll be taking part in this year's online celebrations, click here.

In an increasingly troubled and fragmented world, a world where we lean towards self-interest rather than service, caution rather than compassion,  the message of Global Oneness Day is ever more relevant.

I hope to participate on October 24th . . . will you join me?