Good Evening, Everyone:
Despite the current turmoil in the world, I’m truly thankful to be alive at this point in history.
My parents were born in the rural South during the 1930’s. Their childhood experiences were vastly different from mine. They grew up in the racist, “Jim Crow” South in which African Americans were marginalized and intimidated by violence in an effort to discourage them from exercising their Constitutional Rights.
By the time I was born, The Civil Rights Movement was well established. It produced far reaching changes in American society. Pivotal court cases outlawing discriminatory practices had been won and The Civil Rights Act of 1964 specifically outlawed discriminatory practices based upon an individual’s “race, color, religion, s*x or national origin”. Significant progress has been made during my life time and I pray to GOD, Most High, that it continues.
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure to rediscover Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album, What’s Going On. In addition to its’ extraordinary musical orchestration, Mr. Gaye’s song lyrics are simply “timeless”. The exact same issues that our society was grappling with in the 1970’s, we’re dealing with, today. The lack of economic opportunities, war, injustice and environmental threats to our planet are still challenging us, today. In 2011, What’s Going On, will be forty years old and I sincerely pray that a collective, global mindset will emerge to galvanize a movement promoting world peace and prosperity.
As far as I’m concerned, with GOD all things are possible. Mankind has always been blessed with “the gift of free will” and although we don’t always use it “constructively”, we can choose to use it “productively” to address the most perplexing issues of our time. Many people believe we are “living in the last days” and they are simply sitting around waiting on the “end of the world”. Unfortunately, many of these people are “trapped in the past” and “fear change” due to their lack of spirituality. They despise what they can’t dominate and would rather see our world die. I feel terribly sorry for these people because no one knows when or if our world will cease to exist and in the meantime, GOD expects all of us as instruments of his creation to make our world a better place. The present moment is all that we have and daring to grasp for a more fulfilling future has never been futile.
I have always found Isaiah 55:8-11 to be somewhat reassuring that GOD has not forsaken our world and nor should we:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts above your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
May Peace Be With All of You,
Gail Cooper
Posted By: GAIL COOPER
Thursday, April 23rd 2009 at 1:32AM
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