Be Pacific

In one of Charles Schulz’ Peanuts cartoons Snoopy lies on top and his doghouse and muses:

      “Sometimes I lie awake at night and wonder why I was born. Why was I put on this

Earth? What am I doing here? And then suddenly it hits me: I haven’t got the slightest

idea.”

Notwithstanding our inability to answer many why questions, such as Snoopy’s, there is an answerable complementary question Charlie Brown’s dog (and we) do well to ask:

      Since I was born and am here on Earth, what am I going to do with my life?

To be sure, the details will vary from person to person. But I posit that there is a foundational principle that should guide anyone’s working out the specifics. That principle is this: the consequence of all my words and actions should to contribute to life . . . life for all, for the community, for the planet. The imperative question in any situation or with respect to any issue should be: do my words and actions enhance life or diminish it? . . . do they build up or tear down? To repeat for emphasis, the question is asked with respect to others and to the community as opposed to solitary self-application.

      It is in asking this imperative question and acting on the answer that is the foundation for peace. Peace, security, and well-being for . . . everybody . . . for the world.

I live on the Pacific coast of the U.S. “Pacific” comes from the Latin pacificus, meaning peaceful, peace-making. Perhaps that would be a good alternative name for the sphere on which we live: Planet Pacific. Imagine what world would be like if everyone took that name for the planet seriously and endeavored in every situation to choose the life-enhancing vs life-destroying option.

Well, everyone is not going to operate by asking that question and then acting on the positive answer. But that does not inhibit any one of us from striving to do so. Can you or I make a significant difference? History is replete with examples of individuals who changed the course of history by choosing the life-giving option. There will certainly be times and instances when we struggle to come up with a proper answer to the question . . . but not asking it will surely often lead to the opposite of peace and well-being.

Building up vs tearing down. Compassion and caring for others vs self-concern. Security and enough for all vs a me-myself-and-I mindset. A world of difference.

      Shortly before his execution Jesus looked down on Jerusalem and lamented: “If you had only recognized the things that make for peace.”

      There you are, Snoopy. Recognize it and go for it.