I
wonder if the earth could be said to be startled sometimes, the way we are
startled when something surprising happens. I wonder, for instance, if the
earth is startled when a war breaks out across its surface, since, for most of
its history, it has seen peace and unison holding sway. Yes, we humans have
waged dreadful wars over the centuries, but their significance falls far short
when compared to the innumerable but rarely publicized deeds done in the name
of friendship and kindness. The violent wars have received the headlines, but
the peaceful struggles for the well-being of all people, the calm and loving campaigns
to make daily life a more satisfying experience for everyone, have been far
more influential. For every act of violence, there surely have been numberless
acts of compassion and mercy, and for every death on a battlefield, there have
surely been billions of small but life-giving acts of goodness. Our earth has
seen our heartlessness and brutality, but it has seen far more of our compassion
and kindness. That’s why, in the midst of eons of constructive harmony among
humans, it might be somewhat startled when a war breaks out.
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