Editors:  Dawson Church and Geralyn Gendreau

 ISBN:  0- 9720028 - 4 - 7

 

 

Our world is passing through very turbulent times.  There is an increasingly pervasive sense that we are witnessing an unprecedented time in human history.  The consensus seems to be that we will either sink or swim and that humanity's future depends on the choices we make now.  Did we choose to be here at this crucial point in time?  What is our role in this drama?

 

"Healing Our Planet, Healing Our Selves" is an anthology, a collection of ideas from some of the world's foremost thinkers.  Never having written an anthology review, I thought that perhaps I should mark down the important points made by every author in each chapter.  Well, it wasn't long before I discovered that there was so much helpful and insightful information packed into this book, that trying even to just give the highlights of each chapter, would require writing another book.

 

As an activist, struggling with the question of how to balance the material steps we must take....along with the spiritual, I personally found chapter ten to be particularly helpful.  In this chapter Andrew Harvey talks about Mystical Activism.....activism which must stem from a spiritually inspired consciousness.  Harvey writes, "The future of the planet hinges not on mysticism alone, not on activism alone, but on the inspired marriage of these two potent forces."  He also eloquently states the following...."We are, as a race, going into the eye of an apocalyptic hurricane that will decide the future of the race and the planet.  This storm of destruction will demand everything of all serious seekers who long to see the future transfigured.  As the hurricane deepens and darkens, it is critical to know in the deepest part of ourselves that what will look and feel like destruction, is actually the necessary stripping away of illusions we do not need anymore, the smashing of fantasies we have outgrown, and the necessary, unavoidable waking up to our true divine power."

 

We are all on a spiritual path and I feel that the turbulence we are experiencing can be likened to a chemicalization of thought.  Mary Baker Eddy says on page 401 of Science and Health...."What I term chemicalization is the upheaval produced when immortal Truth is destroying erroneous mortal belief.  Mental chemicalization brings sin and sickness to the surface, forcing impurities to pass away, as is the case of a fermenting fluid."  In chapter two, Neale Donald Walsch describes this "fermentation" as the "Great Awakening."

 

I feel that it is important to be able to discern the similarities between different religions or thought systems.  Many times we are all essentially voicing the same universal Truths....only with different words and parables.  In Chapter 8, Sylvia Haskvitz focuses on communicating as a means to dissolve our differences.  Communication is a must in establishing any type of harmonious relationship, whether it is within our own family or involving world relations.  You cannot mandate true peace through just implementing laws.  There must be a renewal of the heart within individuals.  On page 84 Sylvia says...."Getting our needs met is seen as something we must do at the expense of others rather than in cooperation with them."  I think that when a greater number of us reach the realization that our source of all we need comes from the spiritual realm or God, then we will lose our fear and understand that this source is unlimited.

 

I just loved Trathen Heckman's chapter where he shares with us practical hints and magical ways in which we can give health, joy and love to ourselves, nature and our fellowman.  Chapter 30 suggests that the key to giving helpful feedback is to make sure our hearts and communication are free of hate and revenge.  Dawson Church summarizes some of these thoughts in the following quote, "Only action that springs from an undisturbed well of inner peace can pierce to the heart of a problem.  When you solve the eighty-fourth problem, you see the other eigthy-three in a new and transformative light.  Inner peace must come first, then enlightened and compassionate social action can follow.  Social action that stems from helpless emotional outrage and flailing intellectual confusion cannot truly succeed."

 

Another important thought spoke of how we must trust and "go with the flow".  That may sound like a cliche but I have found it to be very effective advice.  Of course we can't pull trust out of thin air.  We have to first seek the kingdom of God/Spirit, with our whole heart....and then the rest will follow.

 

This book is chock full of practical wisdom.  Each chapter has it's own unique flavor and contributes to our understanding of how we can embrace our world and heal it.  I feel the main gist of the book is that we have to feel peace and love within, before our world can experience it.  This isn't just Pollyanna thinking but is the very demonstrable Truth which will set us free.

 

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all who love and care about humanity and the planet which is currently our home.