New World Order

What if the nations of the world treated each other as people are supposed to? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love your neighbor, love your enemy.

It would change the world. Seriously. If we left for a twenty year space flight and nations started acting like this, we wouldn’t recognize the world we returned to.

Imagine a world where nations helped each other. When there was a natural disaster or a freak accident, resources from every country would go to help. No one would prevent aid workers from crossing borders. No one would be searched at the airport for guns and liquid explosives.

Imagine a world where we didn’t spend money on national defense. Every dollar going to the armed forces right now would go to helping people. Give social security new life. Insure millions of people’s health. End hunger. Improve schools.
Instead of being afraid of some distant threat, people could travel from place to place and see the wonderfully rich and diverse cultures of their neighbors. Imagine learning, imagine sharing.

Imagine hope. Instead of being huddled in a dark cave or trapped under rubble of a bombed-out building, women and children could live in peace. Instead of avenging dead brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers, men could put down their guns and provide for their families.

That’s nice, you say. But impossible.

Really? And why?

Because we are a stubborn, proud, arrogant people full of hate who love ourselves too much to see what is good for our futures. Fear blinds us to truth.

Truth is this: love.

What? Love. Yes. Love your neighbor. Which, by the way, includes the social outcast, the dregs of society, those people we don’t understand and don’t like. Love them.

Because no single American life is worth more than any single Iraqi life. No single British man is worth more than one single Chinese man. No single Candadian woman is worth more than a single Russian woman. Nationality and ethnicity don't matter. We are created equal. No matter where we are born, we remain equal.

Wouldn’t that be great?

Of course, it won’t happen until we start acting like people are supposed to. Yes, you and me. Because frankly, we don’t. None of us.

And we know better.

Even if nations don’t.

The president has to please millions of people, each with different ideas. Your senator has to represent you and the person living next door who keeps calling the cops on you just because. The UN has to try to look out for the interests of every nation.

But what about you? You only have to worry about yourself, not popularity polls.

You have the power to start a revolution. If you think the world is in bad shape, why aren’t you getting up to do something about it?

Tomorrow, instead of worrying about yourself, worry about the person next to you. Really look at them, the person sitting next to you in the bus, the person who cut you off in traffic, the cashier dragging your groceries across the scanner. Are they ok? Do they need help, hope, love? What is missing in their life, and what can you do to provide it?

It will change the way you see the world. It will change the way you live.

Give it a try. Step up and spread the love.

Yes, love. I mean the real stuff, without limits or worry or fear. Give love and don’t care if you get any back. Give hope, and keep none for yourself.

Because until we’re willing to give everything we have, until we are willing to take the suffering onto our own shoulders instead of making others suffer, we are doomed.

Love. If you love today, tomorrow your neighbor might learn how to do it. Soon, the neighborhood might follow.

Eventually, the revolution might become national, multi-national.

But you can’t expect world peace to happen if you don’t step up to help. Because nations will never have peace until we can figure out how to practice peace ourselves.

It’s up to you. Seriously.

So, what are you going to do?