http://mtviewclass.wikispaces.com/Gilgamesh
On the eve of 2012 — the infamous year dating the end of the Mayan calendar — we are witness to the beginnings of social transformation in The Middle East. I wonder how the Mayan prophecy and these Middle Eastern aspirations might be connected?
The birth of modern civilization (3000 BCE – 300 BCE) rose in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) — the “fertile crescent” located between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers — better known today as The Middle East. Of course, it encompasses a larger terrain but hosts, for the most part, an Arab population. This Arab world, including countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Syria and Oman, is undergoing significant upheaval in its “fight for freedom.”
All these countries are different unto themselves, but the people in all of them share similar circumstances of living under dictatorial rule with repression and oppression that brings personal humiliation, lack of respect and dignity toward the individual at the hands of their government, extreme poverty, unemployment, rising prices for necessities along with widespread official corruption. (Dave Lefcourt, The Evolving Populist Political Rebellion in the Arab World)
As I read the above quote, my rebel warrior salutes them and realizes these are the same battles we wage all over the world. The degree of oppression may be less — debatable — but not the goal of freedom. My heart swells with hope as I register the courage and conviction being birthed, once again, in the world — hope for their freedom, hope for my freedom, hope for our global freedom.
I am deeply grateful for the gift of witnessing another’s transformational journey, for those external to the “direct experience” are simultaneously taken through a transformation of their own behavior, beliefs and being. This is why we understand and choose to live in community. We each benefit from the other’s learning.
Thank you, ancestral kin, for picking up the peace torch and believing it is possible to crumble a “power-based” regime by simply not obeying its rules. You are truly living up to your ancestral title for this is civilized behavior.
Transformation is the journey from fear to fearlessness — which I define as the presence of peace, love and joy. In 2001, many in North America suffered heartache (fear) when the terrorist act of 911 shook our world. A decade later, we are experiencing hope (fearlessness) as we share in the unfolding of a new Mesopotamia. This unfolding requires a new way of being — not only for those directly affected but also for those as witnesses.
Could it be this simple? That all we need to begin a new calendar, a new way of being, is a new identity? If that is the case — to enable freedom — I commit to changing one aspect of my current being. What would you commit to — to bring more freedom into your life?
