In three months, this year will end, and we will usher in a new year full of hope and promise. Wait a second, we’ve been saying that year after year, only to encounter one disappointment after another. This year is not an exception, for the life of me, I can never find a valid justification for the killing of innocent children and civilians. Politicians are quick to excuse what they are seeing with their own eyes as an act of self-defense. Really! How about the abduction of children and then forcing them to become children-soldiers by threatening the killing of their families… the raping of girls and women… the wars waged to grab land… the deliberate starving of people… the declaration of draconian laws to control people in the name of religion… the deliberate destruction of forestry and wildlife for financial gain… the constant alarms issued by scientists that the excessive consumption of carbon-based fuels are harming the planet and the cause of many severe weather patterns… the obsession with owning automatic or semiautomatic firearms by civilians that led to many mass killings—many targeting children… the horrible rise of authoritarian regimes in many countries… the toxic political environment brought about by falsehoods or taking words out of context… the blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.. the quick to get rich schemes… the unsatiable greed of the rich… on and on and on!

Reality and Hope!

What happened to compassion, love, respect, decency, caring, sharing, and forgiveness that all major religions call for? How about the deliberate challenge to the most basic spiritual rules and replacing them with human ones? The more I read and look around, the more I get disgusted and discouraged, however, it is not all doom and gloom, for the are many selfless acts by individuals or groups hoping to change the human condition… the dedicated scientist that burns the midnight oil trying to find a cure to a disease… the environmental advocacy groups… the humane societies… the medical teams that travel to war zones or disease stricken regions to save lives… the educators that go the extra mile to help their students… the rich that genuinely act to uplift people from poverty… the programs that promote the brotherhood of mankind… the peace makers… the good Samaritans that would not hesitate to help a total stranger… on and on and on!

Many of the negative things happening all around us are constant reminders that we need to do more to change things and to awaken the consciousness in people… to touch some element of their soul and have them reconsider what they are doing… to lead by example… to live true to the spiritual rules set for us by the Prophets… to realize that we are all in this life together, but our individual destiny is directly proportional to the efforts we exert… to not waver, or become complacent…and to be hopeful, for without hope this life is unbearable. We hope the subjects and issues brought to you by this issue kindle something wonderful within you and take you one step towards spiritual progression.

Editorial Board