GIVING PEACE A CHANCE

 

THE ROOT OF IT ALL

I went to the Maple Ridge Public Library the other day to find a very basic book that speaks to the mystery of trees. I did this because recently I attended a Peace Tree Planting Festival in Amsterdam. I had no idea what I was getting into nor did I realise we can all learn a lot about the existence of trees and their importance on this Earth.

A theory has arisen that since humans have been largely failures in their longstanding efforts to establish peace in our world, maybe looking at the example of trees we can move the process of establishing peace on earth along with success. After all, if you look carefully at a cluster of trees in a yard, a park or mountain range, you can see they all seem to get along quite nicely.  They breathe and drink; they are awake by day and asleep by night; they live and they die and between those beginnings and those ends, they reproduce;  they sweat and shiver; droop and reach out; they wave and exercise; grow tall and grow old. They are parents; they are children. They are fostered and they are adopted. They have friends and enemies. They have good health days and sick days. They hang out in clusters or as solos. Their roots are deeply embedded as they grow and grow and intertwine with other roots, cuddle and caress, comfort and communicate. When we look at them we see, feel and hear peace.

In today’s terminology, one could say trees have created their own form a peaceful and effective cohesive living; their own way of survival; their own worldwide web and yes: their own internal internet of effective communication into which we can tap. 

Their literacy is not typed, written or spoken words as we know it as humans; their literacy comes through scents, senses, vibrations and movements. Learning about that unique form of communication is key to the power of using the strength and determination of trees as a viable pathway or root highway to better spread the message of peace around the world.

The success of this theory really does depend on humans to be on board to help feed the mission telepathically through meditation, contemplation, expressions of hope and conviction, in addition to breathing and the sense of touch, and the collective human will to try to make a difference.  If one needs a correlation to shed light onto this theory, it is much the same as non-secular people believing praying, chanting and penance works.

Based on centuries of examples, conventional methods to establish peace have clearly been ineffective; trying something completely new like openly and outwardly honouring trees, understanding and respecting trees, and working with trees, could possibly be the better pathway to accomplishment. The exercise is harmless. 

When you look at Nature whether it’s the flora or fauna, it does look like a peaceful existence. When you stand alone in a forest, you can feel the peace. It’s a profound and mysterious experience, but very real and effective. There’s something to that.

Sure flora and fauna have their challenges, but somehow they manage to work things out, adapt and survive. They know how to solve problems and move on.  The bottom line is humans learn by example — maybe the time is right to spread our wings and embrace Nature, or partner with Nature, as our newest example of a sincere effort to help our troubled world? This concept is really no more bizarre than any other bandwagon out there.

It is in that light that I went to the Peace Tree planting events in Amsterdam and on Aruba. It is in that light that I planted and continue to nurture a Peace Tree in a tiny forest in my neighbourhood. It is in that light that I continue to highlight the mission to get more people interested, on board, and willing to create an effective partnership with Nature as a plausible secular-supported means to an end. It is a huge undertaking, a major challenge, but sitting back while the status quo continues to fail, is not in my nature. 

Our whole world is in our hands. Partnering with Nature may well be the shake up indoctrinated and unsettled minds need to get our world and ourselves to peace. This “out of the box” notion may well be the “root canal” for the salvation of the Earth as well as the salvation of global and individual humanity for generations to come. It is a theory; it is an approach; it is harmless; the image of finding success rooted in partnership with Nature is priceless.