There is an alternative: let's build it together

Community Centre at Findhorn (Soulscribe - Wikimedia Commons)

The object of my work here is to inspire, and to help plan an alternative to the world we have been born into.  Not in opposition to this world or any of the people in it; without blame or judgement.  Obeying its laws, being kind, interested, understanding and compassionate to all - making no enemies. 

The lesson is that we are all hurt, and out of that we are all making enemies.  'Love your enemy' Jesus said, and no one really understands that.  It doesn't need a commandment from a supernatural source - we are making our own enemies, and that is isolating us from each other and making us victims of fear and greed. 

We are only really human in small groups where we know and respond to each other's thinking and feeling, where we know the joys of working and playing together, helping each other, growing to old age as we watch our babies grow and take over and care for all life and the Earth.

We have proved we can make communities that are nearly autonomous and self-sufficient, sustainable with the natural systems of life on Earth - there are thousands of them now, and some have been in existence for generations.  The more we create local economies, deriving their sustenance from their local regions and networking with others, creating interaction for mutual support, the more a truly human society will emerge. 

Some may call this aim 'Utopia' as a disparagement - but the word means 'no place' in Greek, and our dream has many places - I have lived in some and am still close to several.  They are no more perfect than we are, but they give us the opportunity to think and build together, to keep making corrections to our errors, and making life more fun and beautiful and loving. 

When we come together we bring old hurts and fears and distrust with us, but by opening our hearts to each other honestly and with compassion we begin to heal from the wounds of the 'old' world and learn how to help each other, to connect with the natural world, to joy in it and celebrate.

Community garden (Klest - Wikimedia Commons)