our gifts under a bushel!
To whom much is given, much is required!
What is it about our unwillingness to support the well-being of our communities, countries, and global civilization, that we have suited ourselves in narcissism and greed? Why have we intentionally or in some cases unintentionally by default, simply left undone those things we should have done, and done the things that are not in the best interest of humanity at large? It is as simple as memory loss or fatigue, or is it all about the “ME, MYSELF, and I” syndrome? I know things have not been perfect in life, but I grew up in an era where we knew that we had a responsibility to not only engage in civic affairs, but to contribute our talents and gifts for the betterment of the community that supported our lives.
I remember studying Civics in school, but I am doubtful that it is part of today’s educational curriculum. We learned from our course of study in Civics, that citizens had rights and responsibilities as an expectation for their engagement in society. We learned about the role of government in our life and what we could expect of governmental systems that would support the quality of our life. If these systems are functional, it should be a reciprocal relationship. In today’s world we must realize that we are no longer just citizens of our individual countries, but we are global citizens.
This requires that we re-examine the status of our social contracts that dictate how we are to conduct ourselves so that we help in creating a society that obeys laws, cares for the well-being of others, and abides by the social contract that binds us as members of humanity. We are struggling trying to find fellow citizens who are willing to engage and commit to the rules of our social contract. This is evident in the crimes that are being committed, the wars that are tearing countries apart, the decline of the family unit, the lack of resources that are being shared to support well-being of others, and the corruption and overt attempts to sabotage our democracy. We cannot continue in this vein if we are to preserve a sane and functioning society in which to live the quality of life we deserve.
We have the intellect, tools, and resources to uphold our “Social Contract”. We need a buy in from our families, communities, nations, and from us as individuals. We need each other. We need to get back to the practice of teaching our children about what it means to be a citizen of the world. We need to enlighten them as to what their responsibility is in terms of global citizenry.
