Well Gang, it's August and the "Dog Days of Summer" are with us. Hmmmm.... y'know, we use that term fairly loosely ('Dog Days') and don't give it much thought but the concept goes back a very long way. It is generally considered to mean the part of summer when the days are hottest and most languid but it has also been given specific time periods in the past - often thought of as the period
July 23rd to August 23rd. It is even referred to early versions of the "Book of Common Prayer" of the Anglican Church. I suppose the reason we humans have tried to give this period of the summer a particular name is that it is a time when people have behaved in some rather unusual ways. And, I guess I have to admit .... I started thinking about the phenomena associated with this period when I realized that I was getting into some rather grumpy moods myself. So - what's going on? Is it really the weather, the heat, the humidity? Or could it be the circumstances we find ourselves facing in our world? I don't know that we will come up with an ironclad conclusion but I have to think it is a combination of things. Frankly, if one pays attention to the way people are behaving in our world today it is easy to begin thinking that we are suffering from some universal mental affliction. Throughout the world we humans are treating each other in incredibly "in-human" ways. Our cruelty, indifference, arrogance and greed seem to be driving
wedges between us to an accelerating degree. I would like to think that it is, indeed, a meteorological phenomenon rather than a decline in civility and human decency but I suppose we will have to see how we, as a world, respond to what we are seeing. But, here's the deal ... nowhere is it written that we have to sit by and watch our civilization decline without speaking out or defying the trend. And - that is exactly what I choose to do. Yes, I will be vigilant and watch for danger but I will also choose to use the power of love to combat the forces of evil we confront. That does not mean a naive, un-thinking approach to life but, rather, a studied and hopefully thoughtful approach to my interactions with others; an approach that still has confidence in my fellow man. Believe me, folks, love will prevail. We just need more people working on it so we can get ourselves back on track. Interestingly, while I was taking a break from writing this post I happened to see an article written by Mr. Lake, head of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in which he decried the assaults on women and children that seem to be occurring more frequently around the world. His thoughts were much like mine and he went on to lament the fact that some of the atrocities are committed in the name of various religions. Let's just be straightforward here folks ... just about any organization you can imagine has the potential to be mis-used
and perverted if people of ill-will are intent on evil deeds. But - the messages of hope, kindness, love and truth are the fundamental principles of most legitimate faiths. The key to making them work is people. It is up to us to intellectually admit that we must exercise self-control and restraint in our daily lives if we are to survive as a civilization. The trend in recent years - actually decades - has been toward increased "secularism" and toward the idea that anything that smacks of "religion" is merely "hocus-pocus" or some sort of silly superstition. The reality,
however, is that without a moral compass, the course of our lives becomes hopelessly muddled and non-directional. Our intellect is the feature of humanity that sets us apart from other creatures on this planet and we need to learn how to use it again. The creativity of humankind is astonishing and if we use it for evil purposes we will, indeed, have "hell on earth." But, just as surely, if we use it for good - to keep our interactions positive and productive - we have the potential to bring about the most incredibly good environment that could be imagined. If you live in one of the areas of our planet that is ravaged by war, look around you. That is what happens when we abandon our self-control and ethical behavior. Then - if you live in an area of peace and prosperity - you can see the benefits of moral restraint and regard for others. Why don't we work on that a bit? See ya.
Well Gang, it's August and the "Dog Days of Summer" are with us. Hmmmm.... y'know, we use that term fairly loosely ('Dog Days') and don't give it much thought but the concept goes back a very long way. It is generally considered to mean the part of summer when the days are hottest and most languid but it has also been given specific time periods in the past - often thought of as the period 
July 23rd to August 23rd. It is even referred to early versions of the "Book of Common Prayer" of the Anglican Church. I suppose the reason we humans have tried to give this period of the summer a particular name is that it is a time when people have behaved in some rather unusual ways. And, I guess I have to admit .... I started thinking about the phenomena associated with this period when I realized that I was getting into some rather grumpy moods myself. So - what's going on? Is it really the weather, the heat, the humidity? Or could it be the circumstances we find ourselves facing in our world? I don't know that we will come up with an ironclad conclusion but I have to think it is a combination of things. Frankly, if one pays attention to the way people are behaving in our world today it is easy to begin thinking that we are suffering from some universal mental affliction. Throughout the world we humans are treating each other in incredibly "in-human" ways. Our cruelty, indifference, arrogance and greed seem to be driving 
wedges between us to an accelerating degree. I would like to think that it is, indeed, a meteorological phenomenon rather than a decline in civility and human decency but I suppose we will have to see how we, as a world, respond to what we are seeing. But, here's the deal ... nowhere is it written that we have to sit by and watch our civilization decline without speaking out or defying the trend. And - that is exactly what I choose to do. Yes, I will be vigilant and watch for danger but I will also choose to use the power of love to combat the forces of evil we confront. That does not mean a naive, un-thinking approach to life but, rather, a studied and hopefully thoughtful approach to my interactions with others; an approach that still has confidence in my fellow man. Believe me, folks, love will prevail. We just need more people working on it so we can get ourselves back on track. Interestingly, while I was taking a break from writing this post I happened to see an article written by Mr. Lake, head of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in which he decried the assaults on women and children that seem to be occurring more frequently around the world. His thoughts were much like mine and he went on to lament the fact that some of the atrocities are committed in the name of various religions. Let's just be straightforward here folks ... just about any organization you can imagine has the potential to be mis-used 
and perverted if people of ill-will are intent on evil deeds. But - the messages of hope, kindness, love and truth are the fundamental principles of most legitimate faiths. The key to making them work is people. It is up to us to intellectually admit that we must exercise self-control and restraint in our daily lives if we are to survive as a civilization. The trend in recent years - actually decades - has been toward increased "secularism" and toward the idea that anything that smacks of "religion" is merely "hocus-pocus" or some sort of silly superstition. The reality, 
however, is that without a moral compass, the course of our lives becomes hopelessly muddled and non-directional. Our intellect is the feature of humanity that sets us apart from other creatures on this planet and we need to learn how to use it again. The creativity of humankind is astonishing and if we use it for evil purposes we will, indeed, have "hell on earth." But, just as surely, if we use it for good - to keep our interactions positive and productive - we have the potential to bring about the most incredibly good environment that could be imagined. If you live in one of the areas of our planet that is ravaged by war, look around you. That is what happens when we abandon our self-control and ethical behavior. Then - if you live in an area of peace and prosperity - you can see the benefits of moral restraint and regard for others. Why don't we work on that a bit? See ya.
