Call to Love In Action

Love is a power and source, easily understood yet forever deep and mysterious. Its profound ability to open meaning, heal, awaken insight, and gift life with grace is beyond any measurements. It is priceless and cannot be bought or sold.

In the modern world, we see violence, injustice, threats of nuclear annihilation, prejudice, careless disregard for the suffering of others, and the destruction of the web of life. We recognize that this can easily lead to cynicism, selfishness or apathy. We choose a more powerful alternative: love is real, essential, powerful, and supreme. When awakened it can change everything.

It awakens in authenticity. Every day we can awaken its charge by asking ourselves how to live within its light, allow it to guide us, and never forget its presence. How each person finds this treasure and manifests it is unique. The truth of its value is universal and applies at all levels of our lives.

One Question That Must Be Asked:

I must ask myself if my love is generous, open, filled with compassion, and alive. I must ask myself if my love is selfish or real. I must ask myself to be true.

Two Questions That Must Be Asked:

Have I done everything I can to improve myself? Have I used my talents to serve my love of the planet and all its inhabitants?

Three Questions That Must Be Asked:

Many of the native peoples of North America wisely made policies holding before themselves a question: How will decisions today effect the next seven generations? If we act wisely today our love will be expressed far and wide and deep into the future.

Whether we effectively address crushing poverty, adequately organize ourselves to protect the global commons such as the oceans, the climate, and the rainforest—living systems upon which civilization depends—and eliminate nuclear weapons before they eliminate us, defines not only what our destiny will be. How these issues are addressed will determine whether we even have a destiny.

Globalization reminds us that we are in fact one human family and the living ecosystem of the planet is our shared home. We cannot find security by attempting to dominate each other, nor by trying to dominate nature. In fact, learning to live in harmony with each other and nature is not an ideal; it is both a moral and practical imperative.

Protecting Global Commons: No nation can be secure when the living systems upon which everyone depends are at risk. Climate change will lead to radical changes in food production, intensity of weather patterns, and increase the likelihood of disease pandemics. Is there anyone so naive as to think that global warming will exempt any country from its destructive forces? Will we achieve the necessary cooperation in a world with nuclear weapons in the hands of a few who make claims to superior security interests? Is it reasonable to expect that we can destroy over 10,000 species per year, more than 1,000 times more than natural rate extinction, and not adversely impact the planet? Is this how we love the planet?

Poverty and Sustainable Development: Can we survive a world where vast millions lack a simple glass of clean water? A world where half of the population lives on less than $2.00 per day cannot be sustained. It is both immoral and impractical to ignore such suffering when we know there are solutions achievable at low cost. Crushing poverty is an injustice that breeds the instabilities and suffering wherein hopelessness turns to terrorism. Immigration becomes a problem because people cannot sustain their families by staying home. The world is now our collective home. We have to make every room in the home hospitable.

Nuclear Disarmament: There are over 16,000 nuclear weapons. They are far more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. By accident design or madness they will be used. Any use is unacceptably destructive. A mere 100 would lower the earth’s temperature by over 1 degree Celsius for at least ten years, causing massive starvation of billions of people. Ridding the world of this threat before it destroys us is vital. Nuclear weapons are unworthy of civilization and the only security against their spread and use is their universal, legally verifiable elimination. Every step towards the elimination of nuclear weapons must reduce threats, enhance security, and promote the rule of law. Nuclear weapons themselves are dangerous in anyone’s hands, and are themselves more dangerous than any problem they seek to solve. We cannot achieve a nuclear weapons free world overnight, but we can diminish risks and begin the journey today.

We have suggested steps to answer them, but realize that others may have better approaches. But having no coherent approach spells irresponsibility.

We can change the entire way nations act by demanding that every person running for office answer these questions. For how they are answered will impact every life, every family, every nation, and every community.

If several billion people demand answers to these questions the political actions of the nations of the world will change.

1) What are your plans to address crushing poverty and ensure sustainable livelihoods and productive, just employment?

2) What are your plans to protect the global commons such as the oceans, the climate, and the rainforests—the living systems upon which all civilization depends?

3) What are your plans to eliminate nuclear weapons?

If we answer these questions correctly, our responsibilities to generations to come will be fulfilled. This is an authentic expression of love in action.

We ask you to share this Call to Bring Love Into Action!

Jonathan Granoff