Posts by Hilary Stace
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I like the way he helped the autistic man who had such sensory sensitivities he had to live in the cemetery. 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' Mark 5?
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Since it's Easter how about a discussion on death and /or resurrection. Why do people talk about death as passing on or over if they don't think there is a destination?
From my experience of being with people dying from terminal illness I've noticed that a little while before they die they seem to reach out to something as if there is some amazing presence or scene they can see but we can't. From then on the death process is like a peaceful running down of a clock.
Why is it that people a long way away geographically sometimes know the time that a person died? Why do pakeha have more trouble with the concept of an afterlife than Maori who acknowledge the presence of ancestors on formal occasions?
And what really happened to the historical Jesus?
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It's not the good ideas I mind obviously, it's the scarcely concealed implication, 'this is how neat I am', which leads to the feeling that you're less having a genuine conversation than participating in someone's extended image management effort.
I think that's unfair. Isn't it human nature to speculate on the meaning of existence? I think therefore I am and all that. And some of us have had a few decades to do this. It's not to do with being superior or inferior to anyone else. That's what I meant about needing a safe place.
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Getting back to Russell's original posting. I think the meal cooked with love tastes better because of the positive energy it creates, and that is shared and multiplied by those who gather to eat it. I reckon one day we will learn how to measure this energy, but in the mean time does I think it's fine to speculate.
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I rest my case.
I didn't think this was a competition. Or evangelism. Just a safe place to express ideas.
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I guess you read that in Rainbow News, not the New Scientist.
The movie 'Down the rabbit hole' has both physicists and astrologers discussing such possibilities.
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*Maori have the answer!
Go on...
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I’ve been reflecting on this thread and hope this is a safe place to admit that I’m a regular reader of both New Scientist and the new agey Rainbow News. And that maybe this current manifestation (us here and now) is just part of a continuum of existence over various dimensions. Physics can’t quite explain it yet but is getting close.
But why are we here now? I think it is to give us a chance to do our best for each other and our world, and that treating others as we ourselves would like to be treated - in a family, community or bigger context - is a universal principle for the advancement of humanity. Of course we can choose not to, but we don’t seem to learn that it only leads to more conflict and misery.
Occasionally a particularly wise soul comes on the scene - in a neighbourhood or national context – to try to unite us and remind us of the essential humanity and equality of every person (regardless of who they are and how they behave), but this tends to challenge the power elite who don’t like to be threatened.
New age magazines like Rainbow News often consider the implications of the end of the Mayan calendar in December 2012 and what that might mean. I think it means we are in a time of transition when we can choose to take humanity to a higher (more positive energy) level of cooperation, social justice and respect for planet earth, or turn away from this challenge and accept the consequences. The recent collapse of capitalism was not unexpected under this scenario and I wouldn’t be surprised if the environmental crisis now deepens faster than expected. And maybe there are more earthquakes, storms and eruptions as if the earth shivers in shock. Our responses in our neighbourhoods and as a global community are what matters. And wisdom and leadership might come from unexpected places.
So let's just be nice to each other and our environment. Is that so hard?
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Interesting discussion on Media7 tonight about the media and Helen C. Great to have Judy Callingham on, and for more than a gesture at gender balance. Although they did still talk a lot about Helen Clark's appearance and only talked about Key's personality (showing that gender politics is alive and well).
But the overall discussion still treated politics as a choice between (in Helen Clark's words) brands of toothpaste. As if it's all about management - of people, of media, of issues. Why can't we have sensible grown up discussion about politics and values? Politics and Helen C''s leadership and government was more than just opportunist brand marketing. What about social justice, human rights, inclusion, sustainability? No wonder people are getting cynical about politics if the mainstream media doesn't see these as significant - or worse doesn't see them.
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Regarding Auckland, and New Zealand. Could we have a bit of a tribute time for local MP and long time Prime Minister Helen Clark somewhere. She has been a political leader for most of my adult life and was elected in one of those great transition and new intake years for the left - the same year as the Springbok tour, and the battle of Molesworth St the same night as the Charles/Diana wedding. When the personal was indeed political, and activism was a mainstream activity.
I drove around Welllington delivering and collecting people yesterday while listening to her valedictory on the car radio and realised how much NZ identity stuff and basic difference-making she was involved with. And she mentioned the NZ Disability Strategy and Te Ara- yay.
Much of the media comment has been mean spirited or even minimal (she was human after all and most commentary has dwelt on perceived negative personal traits, and then a grudging nod to achievements). We will be lucky to have such political leadership once in our lifetime.
And I see leadership as making things easier for others to follow with a firm value base of social justice - the building of the ladder and making sure it has firm foundations - not those who climb on others and then pull the ladder up after them.