WAR & PEACE: Returning to Spiritual Values

There is something chilling about reading tonight's late night news report: "There is a significant risk that the U.S. military won't be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, according to a new report to Congress... The report is classified, but on Monday senior defense officials, speaking on condition on anonymity, confirmed the decline in overall military readiness."

Are you surprised? Do we really need a report to confirm the erosion on many levels of our humanity and foundation of leadership that is inevitable when a nation puts its focus on ill-conceived greedy warring, mis-managing our country's assets to the tune of billions spent on bombs and bullets, killing, maiming and destruction?  How would a country with leaders responsible for leading our national consciousness to its deepest lows manifest any better? ...and while putting our families and people of the world and the future of mankind at HIGH RISK, our leaders again, on both domestic and global affairs without conscience, appear to be laying plans and strategy to expand the war across the Middle East in ways we can't even comprehend. While Generals are swearing to resign in protest, and the rhetoric heightens to convince us these actions are not taking place, the deafening drum beat of widening ego-conflict can be heard. 

What is the logic that when strategy and results have proven faulty, you expand the endeavor using the same failed leadership minds and methods?

At the same time, our government representatives keep talking, posturing and passing symbolic measures of word vs. deed with no beginning in sight for really turning our direction.

...and what about all of us? It seems most of us sit here perplexed, either watching the unbelievable unfolding or simply choosing to ignore the horror of this reign of incompetence. I'm not pointing fingers at YOU. I'm with you carrying my share of responsibility for the mess our indifference and lack of attention has allowed to fester to a point of global crisis in nearly every direction.

Peter F. Drucker, the father of modern management, left this powerful question for consideration at a first step in his book, Landmarks of Tomorrow...

In the presence of the threat of instant annihilation, how can we maintain meaning and responsibility without spiritual values?

Regardless of your faith or unfaith, this is a question to ponder --- one that can be best understood learning from another disaster in a previous war. I read it in a old book written in 1943 that landed in my hands recently:

After the disastrous defeat of Northern army at Bull Run, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of prayer. When the day had passed, Lincoln learned of a strange and unusual occurrence. A little group of atheists had gone to a chapel and had offered up a petition to the Almighty in behalf of the Union cause. Deeply interested, Lincoln went to the leader of the atheists and asked him to explain. "Well," said the would-be unbeliever, "atheism seemed all right in time of peace, but when the disaster of Bull Run befell us, we felt that something beyond our power had to be done; therefore we went and prayed."

For the record, I'm not suggesting that religious dogma here as the answer. I am suggesting that all of us, regardless of our faith or unfaith, need to meet on the common ground of goodness, connected by the common thread of life that makes us interdependent on each other.  It seems that right now a first step to build our confidence, would be to return to our human spiritual centers --- to pray in our own ways for the strength, will, vision and belief that we, as a human family, do hold the future for our families, communities, world and planet in our hands. Collectively, in an instant, with resolute belief and a shifting our consciousness on a grand scale, reaching beyond our present reign of fear, terror and greed in the world, we could change it. If not us, who?

"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants."
--- William Penn, author of democratic principles that inspired the US Constitution

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
author and founder
Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies

RELATED WRITINGS:
Tribute to Peter F. Drucker
Peter Drucker: What do you want to be remembered for?

Comments

[Kare Anderson]

D
At least some of the people who want our country on a different path are speaking up in sufficiently compelling ways now - "for" an alternative rather than simply "against" the horror of recent years. Your caring and thoughtfulness shine through your writing.

[Debbe Kennedy]

Dear Kare,
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you. There is a momentum pounding...the urgency sounding every day to all of us to forge the new path with the alternative. We've talked enough. One example of this power is demonstrated in an self-learning exhibit in our KNOWLEDGE GALLERY. I invite you to come take a look at what 39,000 people did from 154 countries to begin solving our most pressing issues.

Again, thanks for stopping by.

Best...
Debbe

[Debbe Kennedy]

The url for the exhibit is www.globaldialoguecenter.com/habitatjam

Debbe