Keeping Civilization Alive
Watching a PBS special on the Greeks recently, I discovered something incredible. When the Mycenean civilization fell, the region entered a dark age. The kings and high culture disappeared. But amazingly, civilization didn’t die. It was carried on by the ordinary people—the farmers, the craftsmen, the artisans, the seafarers and traders.
The rich and powerful toppled, but the common people prevailed. And it was from this that democracy was born. So intriguing!
Building From the Grass Roots
Look at what is happening right now in our own age. Riches and power are being concentrated at the top and all kinds of damage is happening at all levels. But ordinary people are choosing to come together and build together. We want a better world for our children and our grandchildren, so we pour our energy into citizen groups and grassroots efforts aimed at improving our communities, restoring the environment and helping those in need.
We may think our efforts are small and insignificant, but just step back for a moment and take a look. Never in the history of the human race have we, the ordinary citizens of the world, organized ourselves on such a massive scale. Just think what could happen if we actually understood this—if we saw every person we meet as a protagonist in a worldwide effort to build a dynamic, just and prosperous society in which we can all thrive.
How would your day be different if it turned out that every person you meet on the street, at work, in your neighborhood was working on the same thing you are? What would change if you knew every person around you was a partner, compatriot, collaborator in this great enterprise of building a just and prosperous global civilization? What could we create together?