Vision Project
Marcus Braybrooke
An Abundance of Adaptation
My hope and prayer is that the great faiths can together offer an alternative to the escalating violence, the widening gap between rich and poor, the despair of the drug culture and exploitation of the environment – all of which threaten the future of life on our planet.
To respond to terror with a ‘war against terror’ only increases violence and suffering. If the victims can forgo revenge and not deny the humanity of those who have attacked them, then, as all the great spiritual teachers have said, the cycle of violence is reversed. Only forgiveness can overcome hatred and allow a new relationship to be established. The teaching and practice of non-violence will create a culture of peace.
Because every person is a child of God and life is sacred, all discrimination, whether based on race, colour, religion, or sexuality is to be opposed. Women should be given equal status in every society.
To recognise God in the face of the poor is to reject wasteful consumption and to work and pray for the day when all people have the basic necessities of life – the day when no one is hungry or thirsty or homeless, when all children have education and all people have adequate medical care. This requires both a simple style of life and commitment to ensuring governments and the business community adopt policies that benefit all people.
Basic necessities are not enough. People need to find meaning, love and hope. Without these gifts, they seek fulfilment in drugs and selfish sexuality. The deepest human fulfilment is found in the accepting love of God, but sadly religions can be divisive, or doctrine and ritual can hide rather than point to the Divine Mystery.
As we experience that Mystery, we sense our oneness with all life and, therefore, should treat the planet with reverence. We should try to be as non-violent as possible and treat other living beings with gentleness and care. At the same time we shall seek to persuade governments and the business world to protect rather than to despoil the Earth.
My vision is of a world with a Heart; a world in which we live out the teachings of non-violence, love, compassion and reverence which are to be found in all the great faiths. The vision will not come true without our co-operation. It will be realised as we allow the Divine to touch us and to transform our hearts.