• The Divine Feminine, the Family, and the World
• Interfaith -- Meeting on Common Ground
• ENLIGHTENED CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE RESOLVING OF CONFLICT
• CALLING FOR UNITED NONVIOLENT ACTION
• IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL-TO-GLOBAL COOPERATION
• ACHIEVING UNITY-AND-DIVERSITY
• The Spirit of Unity-And-Diversity

Rev. Leland Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship
9 May 2010(10)

Unleashing the power of women has the potential to transform our world in extraordinary and many as yet unimagined ways. --Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Science and Spirituality, page 196

Women comprise somewhat more than half of the world's population.  In the last few years the image of woman has once again become that of a sex object.  Many adult women, adolescents, and even girls in middle school have taken on this role.  Stimulated by men and boys, and perhaps by the uncertainties of the time we live in, this latest trend is one which leaves women and girls under a glass ceiling and with a difficult time endeavoring to express their divinity.  It is my challenge to the women who have become caught up in this distortion of womanhood to let it go and become what your true potential is: to be a true reflection of the divine that is within you.

During some previous periods in history when wars were being fought, women organized and offered an alternative view of what life should be and were successful in changing the direction of society toward nonviolent ways of being.  Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, through their emphasis on nonviolence, were likewise able to change the way we respond to war and violence, offering a nonviolent alternative.  The women of the world now have an excellent opportunity to do this again.

Women also have a responsibility for the family, since they are the ones who bring children into the world.  Families need the support of both men and women in order to reach their fullest potential, so that children can experience both parents working together in their behalf.  The children also have their role to play, as they begin to discover their own potentials and to express themselves in a safe environment.

Today's families have very often found great difficulty in adjusting to a rapidly changing society.  The great influx of technology, with all its gadgets such as cell phones and ipods, to name a couple of most used items, have provided great distractions for youth and adults.  It takes an increasingly clear and loving set of parents to provide a home for children and youth under these circumstances, so Mother's Day could well be the time to begin focusing more attention in this direction.

What can mothers and other women do now to help shape the future of community and the world?  Creating a harmonious family is a most important task for mothers, but it is not the only task that lies ahead.  The motherly virtues of caring and compassion are much needed in the world at large.  As the home responsibilities lessen in later years, it is important for women to get involved in the community, and through the community to be concerned about peace, justice, and the environment in the world.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 310-391-5735; Website: www.udcworld.org

            The bond that joined us lay deeper than outward things; the rivers
            of our souls spring from the same well.
                                    -- Po Chu-I, Science and Spirituality, page 173

What is interfaith?  Is it a movement that is just emerging?  How is it that some people are drawn to its ranks while others choose just to stay with their own faith and not seek to connect with others?  Can people of different faiths join with each other to create a movement that will have a significant impact on society as well as on the individuals involved?

There are those in the interfaith movement who are not attached to any particular religion or spiritual path, but whose path is that of seeking the dynamic integration of diversity.  There are others who stay with a primary focus on one of the historic religions or a more recently emerging faith.  The role of interfaith is to bring these people together and involve them in sharing their faiths with each other.  From this in-depth interaction other dimensions are likely to emerge, such as discovering other levels of meaning, feeding the homeless, and supporting matters of peace, justice, and the environment.

The interfaith movement needs to keep in mind that it is based upon sharing among many paths, rather than featuring any one path.  This requires a willingness to listen to the wisdom of other paths as well as to share one's own wisdom.  It requires not only respect for the other paths but  a bonding that is based upon mutuality as equals, rather than one being the "teacher" of the other.  Both are there to learn from each other and to engage in that which they can do better together than separately.

The different paths also have their own work to do, which for most is done on Sunday mornings.  Congregations are to be served and individual needs met.  Weddings are to be held, as well as funerals, baptisms (dedications) performed, and the like.  Interfaith celebrations are above and beyond the work of the individual faiths and should not be confused with them.  Both roles are important, but they are different.

One additional factor is important to keep in mind regarding interfaith.  Since interfaith is based on bringing different faiths together, it also has a different rhythm.   While the individual faiths hold services usually on a weekly basis, interfaith is more likely to be a monthly rhythm for those who choose to engage in it.  Even larger gatherings are also held on a much less frequent basis, such as quarterly or annually with the United Religions Initiative or every five years with the Parliament of the World's Religions.

If the purpose and the rhythms of each are kept clear, then each is likely to be successful in its efforts.  If they are not, then the chances are that the effort will not be successful.  While experimentation is important, certain guidelines can help.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!
 

The emergence of a unity-and-diversity movement that fires the flame of faith in the future of life on planet earth and beyond, is what is now required to transcend the current stalemate, which is symbolic of our arrival at a global crossroads.

The key phrase is "unity-and-diversity among all peoples and all life".  It is the coming into visibility of the merging of science and religion, the proclaiming of a new basis of life which shall be for all peoples.  It will unite the left and right hemispheres of the brain as we discover our wholeness.  It will enlarge the circle of that wholeness to include all races, all religions, all nations and cultures of this planet.  It will prepare us for moving out into space in a creative and responsible way. 

"Unity-and-diversity" is key to the new world because it is necessary to respect the diversities of race, religion, culture, and understanding before the unity will come.  On U.S. coins this is called e pluribus unum.  It means one for all, and all for one.  It is the mystical principle of the one and the many.  Required for the new civilization is the capacity to listen to differences as well as to proclaim the new understanding, to have reverence for life and to experience the reality of the many-faceted diamond which is life itself.

The role of such a unity-and-diversity movement is to provide the vision and the dynamic equilibrium needed for launching the new civilization.  It is the basis for the moment-to-moment aliveness, the transformational energy required to move through crisis and disillusionment into the vastness of the universe that lies before us.  That universe is both within us and around us; with all of our exploration to date, we have just begun.

In the light of the new universal consciousness, each moment is a joy to behold because it offers an opportunity for growth, for seeing life possibilities anew.

Welcome to the moment of truth in our life, when we all let go of our limited views and accept our universality.  Welcome to our wholeness, our cosmic identity.

WELCOME HOME! 

Unity-and-Diversity World Council 
Post Office Box 661401 
Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201 
Phone: 310-391-5735; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first) 
Email: udcworld1@yahoo.com 

Rev. Leland P. Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
4 March 2007(7)

The goal of achieving "unity-and-diversity among all peoples and all life" is a new idea whose time has come.  It derives from the fact that the emerging global civilization is based upon pluralism, which means that there are many races, religions, cultures and organizations all needing to be included within a new and worldwide synthesis.  No longer will any one religion or ideology be the dominant teaching or organization that controls the direction of modern life.  Rather, there will be more and more acceptance of diversity among these paths, but at the same time an increasing degree of cooperation and mutual support.

   Unity-and-Diversity itself is a new and modern consciousness, one which is aware of its identity with one humanity and with the entire universe.  At the same time, its substance is drawn from all religions and spiritual movements, science, and other disciplines – ancient and modern.  Though having leaders and traditions of its own, it in no sense seeks to compete with or replace the historic religions of the world.  In other words, its basis is UNIVERSAL, having continuity through past, present, and future.  While its glimpses of Ultimate Reality must be able to withstand the tests of criticism, analysis and time, its scriptures are never completely written, its story is never completely told.   Hence, its participants from all racial and religious backgrounds stand in need of openness, flexibility, and a deep feeling of humility at the mystery of the universe.

   The basis of Unity-and-Diversity is fully democratic; that is, it recognizes both individual freedom and the need for progress in the direction of its goals.  For this reason it welcomes the discoveries of science into its pattern of growth.  By means of the mutual cooperation of science and religion as two separate but complementary phases of civilized life, tremendous heights of creativity and fulfillment can be reached; whereas, without this relationship today's confusion is certain to continue.  Science approaches Ultimate Reality primarily by means of reason following the results of its research and analysis.  Religion, on the other hand, gains its major power from revelation or intuition.  Either without the other is eventually doomed to inadequacy; together they are mutually reinforcing and self-correcting.  Advocates of Unity-and-Diversity therefore proclaim that science and religion must proceed hand in hand for the peace and general welfare of the world. 

   From this follows the special character of Unity-and-Diversity, and here some definition is needed to clarify what is meant.  Religions are usually thought to have been revealed at a particular time by a personal God, and therefore all truth refers back to that unique revelation as the ultimate standard of all future happenings.  In contrast to this concept, Unity-and-Diversity also accepts the validity and benefit of new truth, whether by inner revelation or scientific discovery.  Truth, in other words, is constantly in the process of unfoldment; and while the ultimate nature of life is ONE, it may or may not be conceived in a personalized form.  At this point democracy is definitely imperative; diversity of backgrounds and sensitivities is certain to result in a diversity of views regarding the ultimate meaning of life.  The great need in the world is not for uniformity but for UNITY-AND-DIVERSITY.  Life is ONE, though people conceive of it in a variety of ways.  This clearly indicates the need for many paths, and it is the purpose of Unity-and-Diversity to establish an effective basis of cooperation between these religions and with all other fields of human endeavor. 

   There are those who rebel against institutions, saying that great ideals become antiquated dogmas once they are gathered into organizational form.  But, without some type of group the people who profess certain convictions too easily retreat from them in times of crisis.  Unity-and-Diversity has a message of its own; and because this message needs to be studied, developed, and proclaimed to the world, it must have an organization (or "organism") behind it.  The question of whether or not such an organization is necessary should actually be replaced by "what kind of organism can keep the door wide open to unending growth and expanding horizons of truth, as well as maintaining a cooperative relationship with existing organizations?"

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 310-391-5735; FAX: 310-827-9187
Email: udcworld1@yahoo.com

Find those who think they are alone and let them know that they are not. --Mother Teresa, Science and Spirituality, p. 184

The role of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) is to help create the space where similarities and differences can be shared and workable solutions found, especially those solutions that require interfaith and intergroup cooperation.  Roger Eaton, coordinator of our dialog focused on creating a Global Assembly, says that what we need to be attempting to do is to develop an "open space", where different views can be brought up in an atmosphere of mutual respect and worked through to a meaningful conclusion. 

There are many religions and spiritual movements in the world, each of which has something to add to the emerging global consensus, and each one also needs to be willing to listen to other views as well.  The interfaith movement is just beginning to find its center and to establish itself around the world.  Many communities are not yet ready for this new dimension of sharing and creative listening.  Not only should the historic religions be involved in this process but the newer religions and spiritual movements as well.  Eventually a new sense of the sacred will be found and accepted that is based upon respect and cooperation.

In addition to the religions and spiritual movements, there is a growing effort of cooperation among other kinds of groups as well.  The United Nations has created a coalition of these groups, which used to be called Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO's).  That name is now being changed to Civil Society, which means those organizations which do not represent governments but which have many of the same concerns being approached from a grassroots point of view.  Grassroots democracy is slowly being added to the existing representative democracy.

Where does the individual fit into this new perspective as to how to bring the global community together?  Rather than simply adding new religions to this picture, which is already happening and will continue to happen, the role of UDC requires a new understanding and terminology as to how it all works.  There is a common basis of life which transcends all religions and which is gradually coming into its own.  People of all faiths and those of no official faith are finding much in common as they search for values that will bring all aspects of life together.  Individuals can be helped to gain this understanding through their churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship.  They can participate in this process through their religious institutions and through various community organizations. 

UDC's efforts this year and beyond to establish a Global Assembly is pointed in this direction.  It is time to find those individuals, groups, and networks who are ready to help create a society that works for all.  If you wish to be part of this process, now is the best time to let us know and to aid in building the world of tomorrow together.

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 310-391-5735; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld1@yahoo.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Rev. Leland P. Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship
22 October 2006(6)

With war going on in various parts of the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, more and more young people are having to face the question as to whether they want to take part in war and serve their country in that way.  Though we do not now have a draft, military recruiters approach many high schools to convince them to join the ROTC on their campus as a preparation for soon after they graduate joining the Armed Services. 

Often joining the Armed Services is portrayed as being exciting and filled with perks for those who take that step.  As an example, free college education is often an incentive.  What is usually not told is what the reality of war participation is like and what the consequences could well be in terms of being wounded, killed, or emotionally damaged for life. 

The reasons for not joining the Armed Services are many. They could be an awareness of the reality of war and the question as to whether it accomplishes what it is supposed to accomplish.  Or it could be that our religious beliefs include the commitment not to kill people regardless of their race, cultures, or faith. 

In my own case, when I was about to be drafted, I almost got taken in without any questions being asked.  All of a sudden I found that I was not physically able to handle the stress of war.  In addition, I was studying for the ministry at Harvard Divinity School, which is a sufficient reason for a deferment.  At the same time, I discovered that I was a conscientious objector. 

My greatest reason for being a conscientious objector was that I have always believed that I had a special destiny to fulfill that could have been destroyed by my serving my country through military service.  I inwardly knew that I could much better serve my country and the world by utilizing the unique gifts I had been given through my moral and spiritual awakening, rather than putting these at risk by going into the Armed Services.  Thus, I was 4F, 4D, and 1AO at the same time.  With all of these areas of defense, I had no trouble avoiding military service.  I have never regretted that conclusion

At the present time there are some young people who go into the services with great idealism and a desire to serve their country.  It is only after they are in the military that they find what war is really like.  They become disillusioned and then decide that military service is not for them.  However, once they are in the service, it is much more difficult to get out than if they had investigated the realities of what they would face and decide not to go in at all.  It is my advice to anyone in this situation to investigate the issues and the reality of military service before making that particular decision. 

It is true that all of us have an obligation to serve our country and the world in some important way, as well as earning a living and raising a family.  The point is that each of us has unique talents which, if developed properly, can be of much more value to others than going into military service.  Right now our beloved country seems to be addicted to war, and we are alienating our country from the rest of the world because of our determination to have other countries conform to our idea as to how they should handle their affairs.

Instead of this approach, the world needs for us to set an example as to what democracy is supposed to be like and to support their struggles to become democracies because of the importance of this form of government, rather than to be forced to change because we think this is best for them.  We need to be the change we would like to see happen in the world, as Mahatma Gandhi has told us.

A religious approach to conscientious objection could be that our inner guidance gives us to understand the deeper meaning in our life, and that it includes offering to the world a peaceful alternative through which we can serve this guidance to the fullest extent.  It is time for us to live peaceful lives and to demonstrate by our example that we can thus help to create a world that works for all.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Rev. Leland P. Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
World Interfaith Network
8 October 2006(6)

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath...and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
  -- Christianity (Ephesians 4:31), Science and Spirituality, p. 140

Religions are many, but the Spirit of Life is One.  Religion in our time must therefore embrace diversity and in the midst of that diversity create unity, a sense of the wholeness of all things.  Let us be reconciled to one another and live in harmony.

True religion creates community.  At the beginning of an age, life comes together in a spirit of unity-and-diversity, accepting differences and learning from those differences.   In the midst of the challenges of our time of transition, we are discovering a new sense of community which is global, universal.  It is all-inclusive, reconciling misunderstandings and forgiving different ways of living. 

The days of nation building are being transcended in the need for building the earth.  The new community is that of the globe as a whole, as we also become conscious of belonging to the universe of many planets and solar systems.  Life is sacred in all its dimensions.  Our respect for life is essential to the building of community, of discovering our common humanity. 

Today we are suspended between the dying of western civilization and the birth of global civilization.  It is this transition which has brought about a temporary sense of chaos and confusion.  It is the task of religions and spiritual groups to move beyond that transition and proclaim the new sense of meaning which can unite us all in a new sense of purpose. 

We are told that world peace will come when the religions of the world are reconciled to each other and begin to build a sense of their common humanity.  The interfaith movement is now beginning to build this new sense of trust and common ground.  May our gatherings help bring about that sense of reconciliation.  Our time cries out for a new way of Being that affirms the sacredness of life and of every living thing.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

World Interfaith Network
C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 310-391-5735; FAX: 310-827-9187 (call UDC first)
Email: udcworld1@yahoo.com; Website: www.udcworld.org 

Our time, and the chaos that it brings to the world, is in its present state because we are transitioning from the end of Western civilization to the beginning of global civilization.  The guidelines for life in the new civilization are necessarily going to be different from those which were sufficient for previous civilizations.  Will there be nothing in common?  How will they be different, and why is this happening now?

Numerous factors play a part in this transition, and they all have some role in shaping the emerging global civilization: 

First, there is the emergence of modern science, which began more than a century ago, but which is focusing more and more on areas having to do with human beings and the role of consciousness in creating the needed unity in the midst of diversity. 

Secondly, parallel to the rise of science is the accompanying advent of technology.  What science conceives and develops, technology applies to products which greatly influence how we live.  From household appliances to cars and trucks to computers and related technological devices, modern life has been transformed in a huge number of ways.  Our planet, which at one time seemed too large and distant to be reachable, now is almost like a neighborhood.  We can instantly communicate around the world and can in a very brief time go from one part of the world to another.

Thirdly, there is the rise of freedom and democracy, which began especially with the birth of the United States of America starting in the fifteenth century.  What we have learned in our experiment from then till now is being experienced more and more throughout the planet.  The  present task of the USA should be to set a worthy example of what freedom and democracy represent and to encourage other peoples and nations to go through that experience in their own way.  When we try to control other nations by military force, we limit their capacity to be creative and to discover for themselves what works and what does not.  Nonviolence must become our national policy from this point forward, learning from the examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez.  We need to let our light shine, rather than to dominate and control.

Is prophecy needed to do this?  Yes, it certainly is.  But prophecy must come both from the visionaries and from those who reflect it in their daily lives.  New scriptures will be written to record these prophecies, and they will be gathered in World Scriptures to serve an ailing planet as it comes into its own.  Now is the time for that healing, growth, and transformation to take place.  These scriptures will record our universal heritage from the beginning of life to the present, and it will look into the future and give us guidelines for what lies ahead.  For this opportunity we give thanks.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Rev. Leland P. Stewart
Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship
24 September 2006

MAKING A DECLARATION OF PEACE

Peace will be the byproduct of a civilization that works for everyone.  --Anonymous

Last Thursday was the International Day of Peace, held annually for a number of years now at approximately the date when the United Nations begins its year of attempting to maintain peace with justice in a world still seriously divided.  2000 events were held in celebration of this year's Peace Day in 200 countries.  These events included vigils, demonstrations, concerts, conferences, and other types of gatherings. 

A new group called "A Declaration of Peace" is still holding demonstrations in Washington D.C. and around the USA to declare peace, specifically calling for a definite plan of withdrawing troops from Iraq.  Civil disobedience is a part of these events for those who choose to get arrested in order to make their purpose more clear.  The intention is to continue these efforts until a firm commitment is made in Congress to address and resolve the current dilemma.

While peace activists are doing what they need to do, there are many others who likewise wish to make their contribution to creating a united world.  This requires that we seek a world that works for everyone.  Sharif Abdullah, an increasingly well known young author, has a book on this subject.  He also heads a group called "Commonway" that teaches goals and methods for bringing about this kind of global society. 

What seems to be least clear regarding the needed changes in our present society is the area of religion.  There is an increasing amount of interfaith activity around the world, which is all to the good.  In Montreal this month a conference was held on the theme of "Interfaith After 9/11", sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and McGill University.  A thousand people attended this conference and gained some real insights into the changes which lie ahead.  Much networking also took place, which builds a greater spiritual bond among individuals and groups from around the world.

The "new religion" that is emerging from this kind of bonding is a new level of religion.  It has no intention of doing away with the existing religions.  Rather, it is seeking to find the common ground based on the needs of this age that will help religions to bring people together despite their differences of race, religion, and culture.   A new and global ethic will emerge, as well as guidelines for spiritual awakening and realization.  The inner and outer dimensions of life will also begin to link when we seek to create in the world what we envision in our meditative moments. 

In the spirit of real democracy, what we will be creating is a unity-and-diversity world.  It is a world that accepts diversity of all dimensions of the visible world, while at the same time manifesting a spiritual attunement that makes possible an authentic unity.  To say that we are all One is to make a spiritual statement, yet at the same time our unity rests on our acceptance of diversity of race, religion, sexual preference, and culture. 

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

On Sunday Sep 10, the United American Committee came to the King Fahd Mosque to hang bin Laden in effigy, as if the Mosque supported bin Laden, which of course it does not.  Members of the Culver City Interfaith Alliance and of UDC came out in numbers with many others to support the Mosque.  A militant pro-immigration rights group also showed up to oppose the UAC.   News report of the event.

Letter from Usman Mahda of the King Fahad Mosque to Interfaith Supporters

Salaam, Shalom and Peace to ALL,

As we remember this day and remember those innocents that perished five years ago because of the hatred of the few, I feel compelled to write to all of you that were present to show support and solidarity with your fellow human beings (who happen to be Muslims) yesterday at King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, California.

The word "Thank You" will not justify the emotional and overwhelming feelings that I have.  The hate mongers came with their banners and through their convoluted and depraved thinking hurled unmentionable and profane remarks at those of us that do not fit in with their ways.

Yet out of this emerged the most wonderful thing that I have ever observed in my entire life and that is the true message of God -- Love. I have read about this word but will admit that I never knew the true meaning or rather experiencing its wonderful healing effects.

I thank the Creator and above all thank each and every loving person that came and stood in solidarity with us yesterday afternoon.

My special love and thanks go to: Rev. Richard Bolin, Rev. Dr. Grant Hagiya, Pastor Frank Wulf, Ruth B. Sharon, Rev. Jason from the Episcopal Church, the clergy from the Presbyterian Church, Rev Leland and Mrs Elizabeth Stewart, Ms. Yael from Peace Now, Mr. John Heaner, Regional Director (Region 13) for California Democratic Party and Dr. Thomas Hedberg.

What more can I say to Rev. Doris Davis and Steven Gourley? You two are tried and true friends. Love and thanks to you both.

If I am forgetting someone, then I hope I am forgiven because it is not
intentional. There were too many and my prayers, love and thanks go to everyone that was present.

Yesterday was quite an eventful day but the valuable lesson that I learned and will treasure is that we are not alone and that there are good, kind, loving and righteous people everywhere who will stand and support their fellow human beings (regardless of their beliefs) and insure their safety and well being.  This, I believe is also one of the true message of every faith.

In closing, I would like to quote Bertrand Russell who said:
"Peace = Co-existence or No-existence".

May God's Blessings be upon ALL of you because you follow the path of righteousness.

Sincerely yours,
Usman Madha

And soul by soul, and silently her shining bounds increase;  her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace. --Cecil Spring-Rice, Science and Spirituality, p.  177

We, the citizens of planet earth, are at a possible turning point as we contemplate the meaning of what happened on September 11th, 2001.  Right now it appears that the democracy which our forefathers fought so hard to establish and sustain is fast disappearing under the pressures of what is called terrorism.  Along with this trend is the increase of secrecy and the moving away from reliance on truth and openness.

On the other hand, there are many trends moving in a much more constructive direction.  There is the rise of the interfaith movement, which relies on the world's faiths coming together to dialog and to support each other's work.  There is the worldwide spread of science, not only in the physical realm, but also in all other realms as well, especially as it enters into the realm of consciousness.

The question is, will truth and love be strong enough to overcome the negative forces which tear at the very fabric of life and the efforts to develop a global civilization?  My answer is yes, but not without a great deal of soul-searching and active effort to see that the moral and spiritual values of modern life are sustained. 

The first reaction to 9/11 was to retaliate and to attack the supposed perpetrators of the despicable acts which took place at that time; namely, the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers and the damage to the Pentagon.  To reflect upon the Biblical roots of that reaction was to be reminded of  "a tooth for a tooth", as mentioned in the Old Testament (the Hebrew scriptures).  Jesus, in contrast, talked about the turning of the other cheek, and his life was a demonstration of the meaning of that teaching.

In the last century, the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez brought forward another way of responding to injustice and the need for change.  The use of nonviolence was introduced as a positive way of accomplishing social change with minimum loss of life and destruction of property.  Gandhi invented the term satyagraha to mean truth force or soul force.  It represented the combining of soul energy and political power.   What it accomplished in India was the rejection of British rule and the birth of India as a free and independent nation.  In the United States the power of nonviolence gained much more first class status for African Americans (Blacks), though it is clear that Blacks still have not fully attained first class status (witness New Orleans).  Cesar Chavez brought about many changes which benefited farm workers as they faced intolerable working conditions.

Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, spoke on radio station KPFK  this past week.  He pointed out that we need to find new and creative ways of applying nonviolence locally, nationally, and globally, so that we can move beyond our present stalemate.  May each of us see how we can make our contribution to the next steps in transformation from violence and war to the glorious possibilities of peaceful, creative living in a world that can sustain us and our children. 

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!! 

Practice watering seeds of joy and peace, and not just seeds of anger  and violence, and the elements of war in all of us will be transformed.  --Thich Nhat Hanh, Science and Spirituality, p. 172

Today we are asked to focus on the state of enlightenment and what it has to do with the resolving of conflict.  Why should we seek enlightenment, when our world is so filled with everything else?  Is it not too far away and therefore irrelevant to what is now happening in the world?  How can people of enlightened consciousness help lead us into the new civilization that has been envisioned and proclaimed for our time?

The United Nations can help us move beyond states of war and violent conflict, but it as a body of governments cannot provide the ultimate steps into the state of enlightenment.  That is up to people, and especially those who have discovered what that state is and how it can be achieved. 

In the past, new civilizations have begun with the coming of an enlightened one, such as the Christ, the Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Lao Tze, and Confucius.  It is through the absorbing and practicing of the teachings of the enlightened ones that civilizations have begun and thrived.  Other enlightened ones have followed them to elaborate their teachings and to apply them to the emerging cultures.  Then, in the course of time, these same teachings have begun to be misunderstood or denied, and the civilizations have started their declines. 

We are now entering an age of freedom and democracy, as well as of interdependence. We are slowly and painstakingly learning that all civilizations of the past are now coming together and helping to create a global civilization.  Often, as the many conflicts in the world bear witness to, clashes occur in the process of meeting new challenges and circumstances.   Younger people come into the picture with fresh ideas and the willingness to carry them out.  Eventually the older ways give way to the newer, and what seemed impossible is just one more step away in time.

We are in such a period now.  Most of the ways which worked well as the previous civilization evolved, no longer work in the same way.   Everything that we understood to be true needs to be reexamined in the light of the new civilization.  Much can be carried on with minor changes, but other previous values need to be abandoned and new ways put in place. 

May we enter into the emerging global civilization with openness and with an eagerness to reach enlightenment.  And may we carry in our consciousness a concern for the wellbeing of all and a willingness to work toward that end.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!
Leland Stewart
20 August 2006

The nonviolent approach gives (us) new self-respect; it calls up  resources of strength and courage (we) did not know (we) had.  -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Science and Spirituality, p. 172

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King have set an outstanding example for the world as to how nonviolent social change can work to make the necessary social and political changes which are called for at a particular time in history.  While times are different with each age and crisis, the same basic principles apply and need to be used.  There is a book which was written to describe the power of nonviolence in making vital social changes; it is called A Force More Powerful.

We live in a time when the values of freedom and democracy are being challenged on a daily basis.  Americans, who have been exposed to these ways longer than any other nation, are nevertheless rapidly moving away from democracy and toward empire.  The ways of empire consist of great power being placed in a national leader, and little or no power being given to any other aspect of government.  The net result tends to be abuses of power, often causing the deaths of large numbers of people, usually to protect against free expression and difference of opinion. 

We are seeing a great deal of that direction being followed now, and the results are similar.  Over 2,500 Americans alone have died in the Iraq war and many in Afghanistan; increasing numbers are dying in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and now in Lebanon.  The numbers of others who are dying are much greater.  Unless the United Nations gets all the parties to agree on a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel, the intensity of this conflict and its devastating results will very likely continue. 

Democracy begins with the people.  If people are concerned about what is happening and express themselves in ways that require changes in governmental policy, then we will find that soon we are able to avoid the otherwise catastrophic results that could occur.  We are now dangerously close to starting a Third World War, in which this time nuclear weapons are very likely to be used.  The best way to move away from this possibility is to bring all of the warring parties together and to spend the necessary time to bring resolution to the conflicts. 

This is the reason, most of all, that the United Nations was created back in 1945.  The U.N. is now getting involved in this way, so we should give all possible support to the world organization in its role of bringing together and hearing from all parties.  Then, a binding resolution for a cease-fire needs to be made, and soon afterward the next steps toward a permanent peace among the factions involved, as well as with the rest of the world.

We can help by making phone calls, sending emails, and in other ways reaching the key individuals and nations.  We can also help by encouraging a change of leadership away from continuing the war in Iraq as well as the just-started conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah.  War is not a satisfactory way to resolve conflicts, and we are now in a position through the United Nations and the many other ways of resolving differences our society has learned, so that we can use the knowledge we have gained to maintain peace while we work through our differences.  Too much is at stake to take the risk of war any longer.  We need people in political office who understand the need for this change and are willing to work for it. 

May the awakening of the human spirit, called by any name or no name, be called upon to help us along this nonviolent path.  And may peace prevail on earth!
 

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

-- Leland Stewart
 

Unity-and-Diversity World Council 
Contact Information

Leland P. Stewart, B.S.E., B.T., 
       Founder/Central Coordinator
P.O. Box 661401
Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 310-391-5735
FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld1@yahoo.com
Website: www.udcworld.org

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