Jewish, Arab youth saving Earth, living together

by Len Traubman

It is December, 2007—a season of light for many peoples.

    We look to what is great, beautiful, excellent, supremely important.

  Vice-President Al Gore gave a presidential talk to humankind this week, while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.  He compelled us to choose life—end our wars against Earth and each other.  Change how we think and live.  ( Read, Watch and Hear (22 minutes).

    Gore said:  “Stop using the other’s behavior as an excuse.”  Instead cooperate “for mutual survival in a shared global environment.”  Gore called for citizens who will “redeem squandered time and speak again with moral authority.”  He dug deeply for wisdom for us today.  (Antonio Machado:  “Pathwalker, there is no path. You must make the path as you walk.”  -  Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen:  “One of these days, the younger generation will come knocking at my door.” )

    “The younger generation” gets no better than the Arab and Jewish young adults of ARAVA in the Holy Land.
                 
    Living equally in a shared village, they study and pass forward the meaning of One, Echod, Wahad—there is no individual survival.

    Under the umbrella of Earth’s environmental well-being, they build long-awaited relationships while in service to the sacred living system upon which they and all humankind are totally dependent.  Then they travel into the world to initiate Earth-saving projects and educate others.  (See and hear 5 minutes of inspirational Palestinian, Mutassim Abu El Hawa, and Jewish Israeli, Ilana Meallem describe their lives as the new breed of young adults on the planet.)

    In a season of light, these are the new global citizens.
    Each of us can choose to be.
    New carriers of light.
    Warriors of light.
    Cooperating.
    Dedicated.
    One.

    A Muslim and a Jew worth emulating.  Deciding to live great lives of persistence that pass forward awesome Creation, fully alive.