Full Circle

What Goes Around...

Life on this planet began somewhere near what we call the Middle East. In fact, on a recent Discovery Channel program, some fellows used the ancient texts and were able to locate what had supposedly been the Garden of Eden. In addition, we know that human beings originated in this area and that, at one time, we were all dark skinned. And so on. Some of these ancient lands still exist pretty much as they did thousands of years ago and are home to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Druzeses and Bahai followers. (Interestingly, the Jews and Arabs are both semetic people).



From here, "civilization" (who says we don't have a sense of humor) spread over our little globe, and we began to develope new skills. There is a story of two small villages at the base of a mountain so tall that its top was hidden in the clouds. It was believed that an old man lived up there, but no one had ever seen him. Well, one day (as inevitably happens with humans) war broke out between the two towns. In the middle of it all a warrior cried out, "Look" and pointed up at the mountain. There sat a small wrinkled and very old man who could only have come down from the clouds. All hostilities ceased while everyone ran up to see him.

Who are you, where did you come from and why are you here came the shouts from the people. The man smiled and told them that he was hundreds of years old and that he only came down from the clouds to watch when there was a war. When asked why, he explained, "Because it is the only thing you humans have learned to do so well.

(Bahai Temple in Haifa, Israel)

I am not happy to say that I have a certain prophetic insight once in a while, like knowing when someone is going to die. It doesn't happen often, and I don't like knowing. For some time now, I have had a discomforting thought that we have nearlly come full circle and that we will end it all where it all began. Maybe it is just indigestion or the pessimism of someone who has been to war and seen the futility of it all. I, of course, hope I am wrong.

Sallem...Shalom...Peace

(or else...)

Paddle safe

DS