The
Human Matrix
“A
story matrix connects all of us. There are rules, processes, and circles of
responsibility in this world. And the story begins exactly where it is supposed
to begin. We cannot skip any part.”
Joy
Harjo (Poet Laureate)
A story
matrix connects us all, and weaves through our lives, past, present, and
future. I am a mystic who believes that each generation has a responsibility to
carry the story forward in such a way as to heal the past and push the evolution
of future generations forward. Sometimes, I think I see our species backing up,
or devolving, but if I scratch the surface of that, I realize that fear is driving it. Fear is our greatest enemy.
Evolution pushes us
toward diversity. We know that most species have the capacity to adapt to a
changing environment if they do not insist on only one source of food, or one static
climate, or one type of mate. Our ancient ancestors intermarried with other
species of humans—such as Neanderthals—which gave them the ability to survive
while others perished. Just this week, I heard a TED talk by a woman whose archeological
team unearthed a new human species in South Africa—one with hands like modern
humans and yet a cranium closer in size to the chimpanzees. They could make
stone tools. That one discovery changed the entire understanding of human
evolution and added yet another branch to the family tree. Modern humans
survived as a species because we were able to adapt and diversify.
It sounds preposterous to
modern ears, but that is what we are challenged with now. Our story is a
matrix, not a single strand. We will prosper if we are able to widen our circle
to include all manner of human diversity—in race, religion, sexual orientation,
and organizing principles. The more we attempt to clarify and purify and make our strand in the
web of life static and unchanging, the weaker it becomes. Fear is dividing us
and weakening us because it demands that we not evolve. Fear causes us to
fight each other over ideological differences, and to reject other races, and
to condemn other religions, when prosperity and longevity require diversity. Fear
is the enemy, not our fellow humans.
Our story had a
beginning, and we are now in the middle. We will determine how, or whether, it ends.
Diversity and adaptability are the keys to human survival. Let’s ponder that
today--and don't skip any part.
In the Spirit
Jane
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