Change comes from within, from the ground up
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
As I visit with people about the “state of our world, state of our nation,” and the “state of our local communities,” the conversations are often filled with a sort of despair, hopelessness and comments like: “Well, things are in a real mess, but there is probably nothing that I or any of us can really do about it.”
Over the years in my religious connections and my spiritual studies and explorations, I am becoming more and more convinced that not only can we really do something about this mess but unless we each do this “something,” nothing is really going to change. So, what is this “something?” Good question. This is what I am learning about this “something:”
It is a willingness to relinquish a thought system based on fear, anger and attack and accept a thought system based on trust, compassion, peace, and other aspects of what many call love. And most important, to attempt to change the outer conditions without simultaneously working on changing our inner conditions, our thought systems, nothing will be achieved toward changing what needs to be changed and healing what needs to be healed.
We see this so clearly in our present legislative process of governing out of Washington D.C. Anger, retribution, greed, attack, counterattack, and adversarial thinking pervades in the halls of Congress. And while this is true, it is also true that this very attitude so visibly being played out in Washington is really a reflection of much of the same attitudes present right within our own states and communities.
It builds from the ground up. We know this and so often say, it will only be changed from the ground up. And this is so true. For me, one personal group connection which exemplifies this growth experience is Polson’s “Journey Be” gatherings on Sunday morning. We talk about these things, learn from materials presented, learn from each other, and come away inspired to action.
“From the ground up” speaks to the very foundational strength upon which our lives, our relationships, and our nation build.
Bob McClellan
Polson
