We humans seem to be fighting a losing battle when it comes to practicing what we say we believe. Our behavior exemplifies the fact that we have a long way to go in our collective spiritual growth-in fact, we fall far short of the ideal of loving thy neighbor as thyself. The gap between our ideals and our actions is widening, and shows no sign of decreasing. Humanity is the loser while spirituality sleeps.

Whatever happened to the Golden Rule of treating another person as we would like to be treated? That simple but profound idea, the practice of which is the key to a peaceful existence, has been lost in the maelstrom of our world today. Our spirituality slumbers on.

Getting along in life is really very straightforward. Most of us probably would agree that the ideal way to live is to give out only kindness, respect, and compassion to loved ones and strangers alike. In practice, this ideal is difficult to achieve, as evidenced by centuries of war and turbulence. Factors such as greed, lust for fame and power, and hatred of oneself (translated into hatred for others) camouflage the only matter of real importance: our human relationships.

When we do something harmful to someone else, we do it to ourselves. Because we fail to see that fact, we are doomed to repeat the same errors time and again.

One can argue that in the real world, spiritual ideals don't make you any money, nor do they protect you from the spate of enemies ready to attack the weak. You might say that spiritual principles aren't useful in the actual world in which we have to live each day. I would counter that living a spiritual life, i.e., treating people with love and compassion instead of with hate and prejudice, is a very practical way to exist. By doing so, you release positive energy out into the world, where it can benefit others. And it takes only one person to put the process in motion, resulting in a domino effect of constructive change.

If we truly believe that spiritual teachings are worth knowing, then we need to put them into practice. No matter what religion you adopt, no matter what your national origin, the truth is that treating each other with love and kindness is the solitary answer that can heal humanity. All we have to do is to wake up.

© Kathy Sanborn
Life Channels Staff Writer
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