We own nothing. How can we when we don’t own Mother Earth? Some
world leaders would like to think that they do but no one person or nation can
own the Earth just as no nation or people can own the ocean or the sky.
Everything we have comes from the raw materials from the Earth: our food,
clothing, shelter, water and the other things that make our life “better,
easier, or richer.” Remember physical money like dollar bills and coins? We
created those from what Mother Earth gives us. The gold that at least at one
time backed our paper money came from mining the Earth.
Just as we don’t own our parents, we don’t own Mother Earth.
Try as we may, we can’t buy her. She is not for sale. We just borrow her for a
time just like every generation before us. We either don’t believe this or
forget that there is another generation coming that will need Mother Earth as
much as we did. The Native Americans always consider the next seven generations
before making any major decision. They respect our Mother Earth and give thanks
to her. They treat her as they treat their own mother. Western society exploits
her like a commodity, regards her as something to be divided and conquered, uses
and abuses her, and then treats her like a great big garbage bin. The truth is,
Mother Earth is a living being. Would you treat any other living being this
way?
The problem is, we thought we could divide the Earth and
sell her to the highest bidder. Owning land equates to wealth. The only way we
can divide her is by creating boundaries. By creating land boundaries, we
started to separate ourselves. Soon villages emerged, then cities, counties and
countries. Land became more and more valuable. But we don’t own the Earth.
As the unequal amassing of land began, power and greed took
hold. Those who had less wanted more. Fighting soon broke out over land. Funny
thing is, we are still fighting over who owns a plot of land or for that
matter, a country.
We fight like little children. “That’s mine. No, it isn’t
its mine! I want it back!” So, we use Mother Earth to make weapons that will
destroy those that have the land we want. Only the weapons we make will not
only destroy our enemies, they can also destroy ourselves and the Earth. We
still haven’t figured out that this planet is our home. Divided or not, we live
on this one Earth. How we haven’t realized that yet still perplexes me.
We may be entering a time of water wars. Just look at what is happening in the American West with the Colorado River Basin, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead drying up? What happens when there is not enough water to grow crops? To quench our thirst? To cool down nuclear reactors? Other areas of the world may experience the opposite with catastrophic flooding that also affects crops. South Africa and South America are currently experiencing severe flooding. Are we approaching a point where we slowly starve ourselves?
What we need is a shift in consciousness and now! The Hopi
said that when the mind and heart become separated and are no longer one, Mother
Earth would heal herself through catastrophic change. We have been living
through our minds alone and not our hearts. We forgot how to care for Mother
Earth and each other. Greed is valued over compassion and love for all things.
The great religious traditions teach that love is the way
and that the only way we can reach enlightenment is through the heart. What the
world needs now is love and leaders who value love and compassion over greed
and corruption.
Remember, we own nothing. Everything on this beautiful
planet was meant to be shared in peace, harmony, gratitude, and love.
