Nature offers us a great example of how to live in harmony with one another but we tend to dismiss it, because we have forgotten that as human beings we are part of nature and the natural order. If you think about the organs in your body; your heart doesn’t compete with your liver or your stomach to get the resources it needs. Instead, all of your organs work together and if the natural harmony between them is interrupted, that’s when symptoms of disease begin to manifest in your body.
The same is true for the collective body we inhabit, which is our planet Earth. As we grapple with the diseases of disconnection and disharmony that plague our world like inequality, racism, greed and injustice, many of these have been normalized as the way things are, but they are anything but natural. At their root is a rationalization and justification that certain segments of the population are separate and different from us, and somehow don’t count or matter, which is like saying your heart or your stomach aren’t necessary or important, which of course isn’t true.
Part of our shared humanity is remembering we are part of nature and everything in nature works together and eventually, gives up its form to serve a higher system. That means it is natural for us to live in harmony as part of an interconnected web of being, and to be of service to the world around us. Yet, we have created systems and institutions that allow millions of people to feel as if their presence doesn’t matter and prevent them from accessing the resources they need to thrive.
All of this is out of alignment with the natural order (which we are part of, whether we want to recognize it or not). But the wisdom of nature constantly reminds us that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Just like every organ in your body is unique and plays a vital role in making your body the living, breathing miracle of life that it is. Diversity is also natural, necessary and miraculous because it sustains life and enables us to thrive.
But some people need others to think, feel and look like them and fear anyone who doesn’t, and this disease of superiority and distrust is the greatest enemy of harmony. It creates a discord that defies the natural order where all things are designed to work together and serve a higher cause. And worst of all, it denies your natural birthright to be valued and experience that your presence matters in this world.
You’ve probably had the experience of listening to music that is not in harmony, which can hurt your ears and make you want to turn away. That’s what is happening in our world today and I think each one of us has the responsibility to turn our heads towards one another, listen, and seek the beauty and gift of each person’s presence, even if that person looks, sounds and behaves different from us. This is how we create something whole that is more than the sum of its parts – like a more loving, compassionate world that preserves the dignity and value of every human soul.
