Blog: Creating a Global Family On a visit to St. Louis, author, Dr. Deepak Chopra commented on the recent terrorists attacks. To simply say we ought to punish and kill the perpetrators of terrorist attacks is not sufficient. We must go beyond that idea and recognize that we can’t be tribal anymore. If we cannot feel the suffering of humanity, but only our immediate family, then we will never get to the root cause of what is happening. There is no ‘us’, there is no ‘them’. There’s just ‘we’. If we don’t come to terms with this truth, we risk the extinction of our species and this planet. Chopra said any thoughts of violence contribute to the wounding of our collective soul. His suggestion is that each person cleanse himself of thoughts of hatred and contribute positive thoughts (energy) to the world. To end the imbalance in the world, let’s each make ripples in the vast ocean of consciousness. Along those same lines, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. decreed hate is always tragic. It is as injurious to the hater as it is to the hated. It distorts the personality and scars the soul. As we seek answers to recent tragic events, let us reach beyond blame and hatred to create solutions. When people remove their attention from their own small needs, they reveal a tremendous desire - a need, perhaps- to give assistance. This desire is part of the answer that everyone seeks. It is truly a desire to love and it goes beyond human boundaries. In love we can create a global family and that is how we can achieve unity and peace. There is no other way. In the brief moments, when the world changed, people altered the way they thought about each other. When those huge buildings collapsed in New York on 9/11, everyone’s attention shifted to the people inside of them. At that moment, race, color, or conviction ceased to exist. We cared about the people and what they might be suffering. The Buddhists say that compassion is recognizing that everyone has suffered. In developing compassion let us turn from fear, which fosters hate and to love, which creates unity. This time is not about how to fear, but how to love. When Mother Theresa was asked if she would attend a rally against war, she said NO. I will not attend a rally against anything. I will attend when it is for peace. Enjoy! Much love! Jean