Reverence for Life week - Day 2

Albert Schweitzer wrote: (extract from NESt Book Two page 72)
"In order to remain thoroughly in touch with reality in our thinking, we must keep our eye on the heavens, on the earth and on the barred windows of an asylum. On the heavens so as never to forget how tiny the earth is within the infinity of the cosmic worlds; on the earth in order to always remain conscious of our own insignificance and on the barred windows of an asylum in order to be reminded of the frightful reality of the fragility and vulnerability of the human spirit."

Recognising our reality today means: Acknowledging that the global invasion by Covid-19, and other seemingly accidental disasters, are clear warnings that the collateral damage caused by human behaviour is reaching the limits of Earth’s tolerances.

Therefore, Reverence for Life today means:

- Being prepared to contemplate and implement real fundamental change in the way we conduct ourselves. 

- Leaving the oil which is still within Earth’s outer crust to remain there.

- Refraining from producing any further new plastic and gathering up and re-working all currently discarded plastic.

- Desisting from bringing any further areas of tropical rain forest under cultivation in the service of industrialised meat production and other commercial interests.

To name but three of many specific changes necessary to re-integrate human behaviour into tolerable parameters of Earth’s normal functioning.