Page Four
The
Global Community Study & Activity
(Continued from Page Three)
Our Subconscious Nature: the Web of Life
To help us better relate to nature and people, experts often portray the web of life by gathering a group of people in a circle. Each person represents some part of nature, a bird, soil, water, etc. One person represents people, for we are part of the web. A large ball of string is then used to demonstrate the interconnecting relationships in nature. For example the bird eats insects so the string is passed from the "bird person" to the "insect person." The string represents their connection. The insect lives in a flower, so the string is further unrolled across the circle to the "flower person." A person might eat the flower as a berry so the string is passed to the person representing humanity.
Soon an intricate web of string is formed interconnecting all members of the group. People pull back slightly and sense and enjoy how powerfully the thin string unites, supports and interconnects them and of all life (g/g). Then one strand of the web is cut signifying the loss or pollution of a species, habitat or relationship. With sadness, the weakening effect on all is noted. Another and another string is cut representing our environmental trespasses. Soon the web's integrity, support and power disintegrates.
The above activity portrays that Earth and its people increasingly suffer from "cut string" disintegration. It does not, however, stop our train of thought and our culture from continuing to cut the strings (g/o).
Recently, I asked participants in this activity if they ever went into a natural area and actually saw strings holding things together there. They said no, that would be hallucinating. I responded, "If there are no strings there, what then are the actual strands that hold the natural community together in balance?"
It was very, very quiet.
Too quiet.
That silence symptomizes a subconscious missing link in our thinking and relationships. Without consciously seeing, sensing or respecting the lifeweb strings in nature and our inner nature, we insensitively break, injure and ignore them. This places Earth and its people at risk.
Can you honestly say that you can identify, the "strings" that make up the global life community's web of life, that you know what they consist of, that you can tangibly touch them and vice versa?
SUMMARY D:
We learn and often are addicted to keeping the strings of the web of life out of our consciousness and thinking.
OPTIONAL: On a piece of paper, record the SUMMARY letter above (A: B: C, etc.) along with the numbers (below) that indicate your amount of agreement with the summary statement a) as a stated truth (1-10) and b) as a 0-100 % percentage of your daily time that you think you practice this truth. Note how you feel about the difference, if there is one, between your a-score and b-score.
1.........2..........3........4.........5.........6.........7.........8..........9.........10.
disagree..........................so partially agree...........................fffully agree
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