A World Initiative
An early
morning intuition after a deep sleep began for me with a very difficult
realization: I was at fault. What had I done? The news once again presented me
with a frightening picture: A young man with a gun in his hand had cold-bloodily
shot another human being. This news was accompanied by a desperate feeling that
connected itself to our increasing technology and its effect on youths and on
children.
It is a
fact that such a deed is only possible if the shooter has a deep seated feeling
of anger, lack of reasoning and tries to get even, by applying his will without
any feeling whatsoever for his victim’s future and his own. This could have
been avoided by a harmonious upbringing, in peace and quiet. Love and caring
for babies, young and older children is lacking in many homes today. It is not
realised that this lack shows up in later years. Is it due to technology, to a
change in values or to time available among family members? Children of all
ages begin to play with technical devices in schools, indeed, already in
kindergartens, even in cribs. Ever new ideas appear on the market to fascinate also
the youngest. In many families, both parents are required to work full time so
that their children are becoming more and more dependent on their cell phones, i-pads
etc. It is rare that imaginative story books are read to or by the children. All
this turns out to be a restricted way of upbringing. As a result, in many cases
thinking is over-activated and trained in the growing child. ***
It is
important to remember that the human I or ego always expresses itself through thinking,
feeling and willing. Only a harmonious interaction between these three soul
faculties helps the growing person when he or she becomes a young adult. It is necessary
that all three soul faculties be developed evenly because they are expected to
play their part in later life. As our time has evolved into a technological
age, only thinking is required for many school subjects. Google becomes our
guide in research projects rather than classroom teaching. A living
relationship from human to human has been exchanged for a calculating search
tool for finding a goal. This trend continues, of course, in young adults while
life in many homes has moved away from gatherings for family meals, from
interesting discussions and making music together. In short, what was called
quality time, being together, has turned into a social life where most young
people are left to their own devices. Many of them watch movies which are
either inappropriate for their age or harmful because of portrayed violence. In
sports, young people prefer competitive games to cooperative ones, and they are
given less opportunities to become physically active themselves because ever
more school work is asked of them. So they prefer to watch these games on a
screen rather than get out and play them with friends.
One can observe that another factor enters the
picture: thinking, feeling and willing begin no longer to harmonize. Our
evolution has entered a time where thinking, feeling and willing slowly
separate from each other. Eventually they must be held together by the developing
ego or I. Around the twenty-first year this begins to become possible. In the
past, this separation of soul faculties did not take place. Each deed of the
will was automatically weighed in the light of thinking and the warmth of
feeling.
How can
humanity find a solution to this problem?
The above-mentioned
activities in homes and schools educate only thought-processes on the one hand,
and selfish will through competitive school work and sports on the other. This
takes place at too young an age. Very important human soul capacities are
neglected, especially those that touch on the feeling realm of the growing
child and young adult. Just to give some examples: Looking with a young child
to find the wonder of life in nature, in exciting forest formations, and to
look with awe at changes that take place in ice crystals in a puddle. One can
teach a child to have feelings of love when he or she perceives tiny animals
and their ways to hide. Observing a snail: how is it moving? Why does it hide
in its shell or carry its house wherever it goes? Where does it want to go when
it appears? A friend is crying, why? Can we help him? With very comforting words
one can create a simple little story so that tears turn into laughter. All this
is helpful for a growing child because it develops empathy for others and for
the world around. It develops the feeling for others that was missing in the
young murderer mentioned at the beginning.
When a child grows into a youth he will be
asked to process and filter information and to think things over. Then it is
wonderful when he or she can do this by weighing the facts, with a soul in
which thinking, feeling and willing were allowed to develop equally.
Just a
brief mention of Rudolf Steiner’s recommendations for education.
The
small child should be shown how to imitate the adult in cleaning vegetables or
sweeping the floor regularly, in imitating the making of little rolls from
bread dough and watching the rising of the dough before baking. All this will gradually
develop the will forces in the young child in a healthy way.
From seven to fourteen their feelings should be
touched by descriptive historical stories and biographies of known
humanitarians. Also artistic experiences are of paramount importance. Music, painting
with watercolours etc.
After
fourteen only, it is healthy to guide the young adult through true, active
thinking processes (as distinct from watching a movie passively).
Only those
can fully understand these connections, who have learned from Rudolf Steiner’s
books and printed lectures that the harmonious development of the three soul
qualities during the first twenty-one years is of paramount importance.
I will conclude by saying again: As parents or
educators we should be aware that the evolution of humanity is coming to an
abyss where, in our time, thinking, feeling and willing are beginning to be
held together no longer by themselves, as was the case in the past, but have
begun to drift apart. This evolutionary change is as yet not fully realized and
understood by educators. It is the maturing ego at around twenty-one that will
ever more carry in consciousness the responsibility of holding the three soul
forces together in our time.
Returning
to my early morning experience, I recall that on waking a frightening picture stood
before my eyes: Today’s youths who have had a chance to develop only the cold
intellect through over-identification with today’s technology, little or no
exposure to the arts, saw too much violence shown on the media, perhaps
complicated by social and family trauma, can easily be led into the horrors of
student gun violence the world is increasingly faced with it. While identifying
only with their hurt, their anger or frustration with life, a gun is used and
someone is shot. The thought that others will suffer has never entered their
underdeveloped feeling life.
As a result
biographies are destroyed on both sides of the gun. Many years of prison follow
for the perpetrator. No judge, educator or psychiatrist, no medical doctor or
prison warden is conscious of the fact that the young offender, even murderer,
is not really at fault! In his momentary deed, with an undeveloped ego, perhaps
never having experienced love, he could not access his feelings of empathy
which could have prevented the deed!
Instead of being helped by society to make up
for lost childhood time he is condemned. What should take place is that, in
prison outreach, he is placed into a most loving and beautiful environment
where he is led to experiences which perhaps have never before touched him. He
needs a harmonious and protected environment where he is taught to paint, to
make music, so that after a while he too can enjoy artistic and musical
experiences which can strengthen him in the realm of feeling.
This was my
experience on waking, and I called friends together to discuss these ideas.
What can be done to create awareness in the world today that these young people
are victims of an age where there is a lack of faith, love and hope? I was
asked by my friends to write a verse which we all could carry and which would
create a circle of light around the world, a world which includes all true
faiths. We are not alone, and we can be protected, guided and helped to
transform.
Two days later on waking the following verse
came to me in English and within a few days later I was able to write it in
German.
The Verse Uniting All of Us.
Faith, Love and Hope
Will lead me in my willing
When I light a candle and unite
With the ever-present Love of the Almighty
And His Creative Force.
It works in me when I in love embrace all people
Who come to me with
Faith, love and hope.
This verse may lead us on our path
To create a circle of light around the world.
It will unite us and disperse loneliness.
It will open our minds to imagination,
Strengthen our inspiration,
And bless us with intuition.
The verse can be used by individuals or in a group setting. Our
friends in Vancouver would like to get some feedback from those working with or
reading about the circle of light. Please share with us in an email what is
important to you so that we can support each other in this initiative.
Blessings
to you all, Revised
March 2017
