Making
the Leap
“The
requirements for our evolution have changed. Survival is no longer
sufficient. Our evolution requires us to develop spiritually—to
become emotionally aware and make responsible choices. It requires us
to align ourselves with the values of the soul—harmony,
cooperation, sharing and reverence for life.”
Gary Zukav
For many folks, evolution
is a misunderstood and scary proposition. Lots of evangelical Christians,
and perhaps, fundamentalists of every religion, reject the whole
concept because they think it conflicts with the Biblical accounts of
creation. But evolution is not voodoo; it is observable and
measurable. Not only do living species evolve with time, but that
process takes much less time than we thought. Darwin, who was a
primary proponent of the theory of evolution, observed that species
change over time, but he thought that change required long stretches
of time and happened in minutely incremental steps. Now we know that is not the
case—sometimes the changes take only a couple of generations, or even
less. Now that we are able to map genetic structure, and know which
genes are responsible for what, we know that there is a simple
turning on or turning off process that changes the entire system. The
future of medicine seems to be moving in that direction.
Evolution can be observed
close at hand as animals that once were seen only in remote locations
are now adapted to city life. My friend, Leslie, who lives in
Meridian, MS, has deer coming to her back door. She does not live on
the outskirts of town; the deer have simply moved in. Same is true
with hawks, owls and coyote. One generation adapts and the next
generation carries that adaptation forward. Soon they have no memory
of being rural animals.
As one species among
many, humans too evolved. We started out as family clans sheltering
in caves, and made our livings as hunter-gatherers. Because we were a
vulnerable species, naked and relatively slow, we developed clothing
and weapons; we learned to use fire, and to make shelters where none
existed. Eventually, we discovered that we could plant seeds and grow
food, which meant we no longer needed to be constantly on the move.
The development of city-states was a tremendous evolutionary leap.
And we haven't stopped since—take a look at the skyline of any
large city, and let it sink in just how many generations of human
evolution went into its creation.
Now, our evolution is on
a global scale, and in some ways, we have to go back to the beginning
and undo a lot of what was essential in the past to move us forward.
Arbitrary distinctions that once functioned to protect us are now
simply divisive; they separate us from one another and from the
changes that are necessary for the future of our species.
Distinctions such as race, ethnicity, and tribal affiliation that once
were adaptive, no longer are. Today, our evolution must be a
spiritual one—we must learn to relate to one another as equals,
regardless of superficial differences. We are on an evolutionary
track to recognizing such differences, not only as non-threatening, but as life-affirming and desirable. This evolutionary change began
long ago, and has slowly gained momentum. We must consciously choose
to become spiritually intelligent in order to make the next
evolutionary leap. We must embrace the soul values of harmony,
cooperation, sharing and reverence for life more than we value self
and clan. And, we're getting there—slowly but surely, we are making
progress. Thanks be to God—and Darwin.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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