Five overseas cards are now mailed, each with a personal note. Three to late Els her children and one to Tieneke and Okkie each and one to my friend Helene. Jeltsje’s turn is today, as is the little parcel for Metta in Victoria. The cards to family were difficult as Els her funeral was only three weeks ago to day! Yet, it needed to be acknowledged considering that we whish each other well for Christmas and New Year’s. A double-double you might say, to borrow a phrase from our coffee parlance.

The cards to family were difficult as Els her funeral was only three weeks ago to day! Yet, …

At 12:30pm John was so kind to come and have coffee again, though he’s quite busy. He and Tammy are off to their yearly break in Banff with some long time friends. So smart to do that; Ina and I never planned such a thing, which is too bad in retrospect. Next week I’ll be visiting with Sarah and BJ’s for a seasonal hello.

This coming Sunday is volunteer appreciation day with the Calgary Life Enrichment Center (CLEC) at the Palliser. Yesterday, Thomas returned my call informing me about the medical challenges that have been keeping him away from our Sunday meets. Hopefully he can make it for this Sunday.

This morning I was up at around five am for a contemplation. This happens at time, though no longer that frequently. The thought and insight was this: “Some thing has to exist for existence to be. There is no existence without something existing.” On this I elaborated that existence of something means to be separate from the totality of existence. And that conscious existence implies existing consciously over and against something that is other and conscious, but different in nature. It is from the tension of this separation that consciousness arises continuously. ‘No tension, no consciousness’ you could say.

Commenting now, I say that over time each religion, narrative, tradition and ideology defines and elaborates its own conscious relationship. This gives rise to the diversity of world views that we encounter in humankind on our planet. Our challenge today is to learn to tolerate that diversity and accommodate its varying demands in a peaceful manner.

Yet, it [sovereignty] is still defended using concepts, now far past their due date and to the detriment of many and the benefit of few.

This is a discovery process, because not a single ideology or belief framework teaches tolerance towards those who believe differently - towards ‘other believers’ as I call them. It is a learning process and a very costly one at that as we watch the various world conflicts working itself out. By being more aware of this processes in which we are willy-nilly engaged as humanity and accepting the necessity of it, we could then steer it and prevent much loss of human life, culture, while preventing much suffering.

This requires the definition of a common goal for humankind and a mutual agreement to act in its support. This in turn requires modification of the national sovereignty concept, which is already far from what it used to be. Yet, it is still defended using concepts, now far past their due date and to the detriment of many and the benefit of few. It is humankind of this planet that is sovereign now and each separate group being subject to it in common interests that need to be worked out. This is where our energies ought to go instead of terrorism and warfare and save us much money.

I say that this is my message to humankind for this season and year end of 2017, with World War One of one hundred years ago, in mind.
<9:40am~