"No culture has yet solved the dilemma each has faced with the growth of a conscious mind, how to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, of the horror inherent in all life, when one finds darkness not only in one's own culture, but within oneself. If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated all at once, life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great persistent questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of a leaning into the light." Barry Lopez from Arctic Dreams
"The function of a writer is to undermine the complacency that comes with dogma, the idea that it has all been figured out." Barry Lopez (paraphrased).
Relying on dogma to define your role in this world, forces you to turn away from reality when you are faced with the inevitable people, situations, and facts that do not align with your dogma. You must close your eyes to what your senses perceive. This makes it easier to lie to you. If you believe your dogma is the only reality, it makes it easier to pit you against others.
It is time for America to grow up and face the realities that our dogmas have created. Racism, sexism, speciesism, violence, hatred, lies. We have created this madness that is running amok. If we want to rescue democracy we must embrace diversity, we must be humble in our willingness to accept that we don't know the answers, that no one does, but we must live leaning into the light.
Peace out.
PS I realize I am leaning heavily on Barry Lopez these days. There is a new voice I have discovered...
Suggested reading: "Outposts: A Journey to the Wild Ends of the Earth." Dan Richards "Olive, Mabel and Me." Andrew Cotter
playlist: Wordknerrd blog #6 the insurrection week
No comments:
Post a Comment