The End of the World As We Know It (and I feel fine)

Rarely do I leave a Sunday morning service feeling as uplifted and inspired as I did yesterday, after hearing our student minister, Michelle Buhite, address an issue no less serious than the of the end of the world.

Apocalyptic gloom and doom, inspiring and uplifting? Well, no. Some future generation may very well see the demise of our planet, made uninhabitable by nuclear war, plague, global warming, zombies (kidding), or knocked out of orbit by a giant asteroid, or swallowed up by the sun. Whatever the calamity, it is highly unlikely to be in our lifetimes.

Our gigantic manmade systems, on the other hand--our countries and governments, industries and economies, class struggles and social justice--these things are in need of a serious overhaul, and soon, if we want to stem the tide of human misery.  It's not just developing nations anymore, the pigeons are coming home to roost. Joblessness, homelessness, and hunger are right here, not to mention fear and loathing of "the other", and you may be looking at these every day without recognizing them.

I hope I've made clear that I am not a survivalist or back-to-the-lander, just a relatively normal person emerging from the suffocating layers of stuff that complicate our modern lives, in search of something more basic and authentic and equitable and sustainable. The World As We Know It has problems. The remedy is in all of us and our willingness to act, in little, mostly painless ways. We CANNOT wait for somebody else to "do something." Replacing one President or Senator or administrator with someone else is not going to do it. They are cogs in the wheels of much bigger systems that cannot turn on a dime on the actions of one person or a handful.  BIG CHANGE won't happen fast enough to make a difference now. And there's always the distinct possibility that BIG CHANGE is going in the wrong direction anyway.

All of US have real power to effect change near to us, and that is what each of us must do. We can shed our insulating and isolating complications to make our own lives run more smoothly. Don't make hokey New Year's resolutions, just pick one thing and go do it.

• Go through your wardrobe and donate clothes you don't need to the Salvation Army or Second Chances. 
•  Likewise all those books you've read and are never going to read again--give someone else the chance to enjoy them. Some might be worth cash here.
•  Gather up your old cell phones and recycle them.
• Go through your cupboards and drawers and THROW AWAY foods and medicines that are past their expiration dates.  This includes tea bags that you received as a gift but can't stand, food color and cupcake sprinkles leftover from your Room Mother days, and your late mother's old rusting tins of anise and mustard seed from before you were born. You KNOW you're never going to use these, and it's a stretch to claim sentimental value.
• Unplug your TV.
• Practice saying NO and stop saying yes to things you really don't want to do. Except when your very life is at stake, it's counterproductive to chew off your own leg.

Now. Look at the people around you. What small act of kindness might make a world of difference, whether you know it or not? How much does it cost you to smile and say hello to a stranger you pass in the parking lot on your way into the grocery store, or to strike up a conversation with the next person waiting in line? How about whipping out $5 for the elderly woman in front of you who is short of the funds to cover her cat food?

You know--I'm talking about the things that make us humane. Not necessarily the same as human.

Next time you bake cookies or make a big batch of homemade chicken soup, how about putting some in a container to share with your next door neighbor and walking it over?

Take a walk around the block and carry a trash bag with you to pick up litter as you go. (If you're walking with a dog, you had definitely better be carrying bags.)

Ask your 90-year-old neighbor (when she's sitting on her porch in  nice weather, of course) how she's enjoying this beautiful day, and if she'd like you to weed out her flower bed for her. Or bring her a small bouquet from your own garden, just because you thought she might like it. Check in on her in bad weather or if she isn't feeling well.

If you have a prolific vegetable garden, share the wealth with the neighbors. Share your garden tools and power tools and any skills you have that can make their lives easier. Karma is a powerful thing, and right now there seems to be a lot of bad karma going around.

Speak up for the person being picked on. Small acts of courage can save lives.

I've always liked the message of this commercial.



We each have the personal power to set positive change in motion. We can't be afraid to use it.