"The salvation of the world depends on me." --A Course in Miracles
I am looking at what is going on today in the political landscape, and it reminds me that individual people can be powerful. In this case, I believe that a small number of people in Congress (80) which represent 18% of the US population, are causing the wheels of government to stop turning. It may seem on the surface that they are faithfully representing their demographics, but I see behind them a faction who is overjoyed at the chains that are being put on the government while they are allowed free-reign. I see that the common people are being told they are being served while instead they are being used as an excuse for the deeds of a faction that does not have their best interests at heart.
And I watch as common citizens repeat talking points they have heard from politicians and news organizations and social media feeds, but about which they have no understanding. They talk about laws they don't understand as if they knew, but they have not read the laws, nor do they intend to. And to be honest, bureaucracy has made it almost impossible to read the legal documents that directly affect our lives.
I am reminded of Orwell's Animal Farm, where the pigs take over by exploiting feelings of oppression of the other animals. At first, all animals are taught to read, and a list of commandments are made. The most important is the commandment that, "All animals are equal." But over time, the pigs start to take advantage of the others, making it less important that the other's know their rights, and finally, when no animals can read or remember what the commandments once said, they refine the most important one to read, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."
I worry that people in our society have forgotten why it's important to be educated and to stay invested in the smaller and larger communities. In the end, we all affect one another with our actions, even if we don't immediately understand why that is the case.
It took me a while to understand the power of the quote from A Course in Miracles. At first I thought that it was a hugely self-centered idea. How am I soooooo important that the salvation of the world depends on me? Am I Superwoman? Am I the Pope? Did I become responsible for every human being over night and no one told me? I must think I'm some hot shit...
But I've gotten a better understanding of it since then. If this statement is true for everyone reading the text, then it becomes each person's responsibility. We are all tasked with the same thing, we are all invested in the outcome equally. And if that is the case, then all of us are special and none of us are special. If it "takes a village," then in this case, we are all coming together in the synthesis of community. If we are all taking responsibility for our fellow humans, then lots of other someone's are looking out for us while we look out for them.
I know some of you are tired because you feel as though you've been the older sibling type and caring for others your whole life. And you feel as though no one has cared for you. You may feel as though you've been invested in politics and no one else cares. You may feel as though your community is apathetic. And unfortunately, you would not be wrong...
But in the end, our apathy in response to this has allowed groups of people who do not love us or care about our political/economic/spiritual health to make decisions for us. Because we could not bother to be invested ourselves we have let those who only want power and fame to shape our lives.
If we try to use the Kantian Categorical Imperative here, imagine a world in which no one took on the responsibility of creating salvation for the world. Where no one took it upon themselves to do acts of betterment for their fellow men. There would be no aid for the poor or the elderly or the sick. There would only be self-interest, and not the enlightened self-interest which believes that good things for you bring good things for me.
There have always been issues in politics with money and power, and exploitation of ignorance. But I think in the long run, we have to support "the right thing."
Some of you might have bristled at the use of "the right thing" in this context, but I assure you this isn't a mandate of specific action, nor is it an endorsement of a particular political party. It is the call for us to become educated, to ensure the education of those who come after us, to understand those elements of politics which were created to protect those who have been disenfranchised or who are weak politically/economically/spiritually.
I want us all to talk about these things as well educated individuals who have taken time to think about matters which concern ourselves, our communities, and our world. I want us to see the propaganda from all sides for what it is, and have discourse which uses our own voices and not one in which we are the sock puppets of hidden hands.
And most of all, when we consider what is public policy, I would like us to feel the weight and importance we have. I want us to understand the ripples of our impact. And I want us to know that the salvation of the world depends on all of us.
