Sunday, August 17, 2008

To Humanize the Earth

In an earlier post, we said that to act with nonviolence is the same as to humanize the other; and to humanize the other is to humanize the earth. I would like to add here that to humanize the earth is to humanize yourself.

What is it then, to humanize the earth? We can understand what is to humanize -- if we know what it is to dehumanize. If we agree that the human being is inherently good -- then, to act with violence is to dehumanize; to act with nonviolence is to humanize; to act with vengeance is to dehumanize; to reconcile is to humanize; to objectify the other is to dehumanize; to see the other's potential to be human is to humanize. To act with intolerance is to dehumanize; to act with tolerance is to humanize. To impose one's intentionality on another is to dehumanize; to enhance the other's intentionality is to humanize.

Only by seeing the other as human, can we truly give; can we truly love. Only by treating the other as human can we truly humanize.

Namer of a thousand names, maker of meanings, transformer of the world, your parents and the parents of your parents continue in you. You are not a fallen star but a brilliant arrow flying toward the heavens. You are the meaning of the world, and when you clarify your meaning you illuminate the earth. When you lose your meaning, the earth becomes darkened and the abyss opens.

I will tell you the meaning of your life here: It is to humanize the earth. And what does it mean to humanize the earth? It is to surpass pain and suffering; it is to learn without limits; it is to love the reality you build.

I cannot ask you to go further, but neither should it offend if I declare, “Love the reality you build, and not even death will halt your flight!” --Silo
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