This night sleep alludes me due to my continuing anxieties of the direction of my life and the direction of the lives of the people that I love, which includes all of you. As mentioned so many times before I have this dream of changing the whole world, literally. I have had a few discussions with some of you and you have expressed the same ideas and ideals but we all admit we like the "how" right now. I believe though in the act of doing, the "how" reveals itself. So I say unto you let us just go about doing something, doing good as was said of Jesus.
This night though as I lay on my back trying to find sleep I found myself in front of a congregation. Not necessarily a religious one but a mixed one. I saw myself leading a conversation about a particular community, you choose the setting. I was the host and at my back was a Muslim, a Baptist Minister, a Methodist and others awaiting their turn to address the concerns we came there for. My message consisted of "Common Ground."
We were there to discuss how to remake the community, to have a couple of speeches and then a breakout session where we would hash out ideas and goals on how to change the ways and lift the hearts of those that live there. My words were to the people that though we differ in many ways let us set that aside for the common ground that we share. First and foremost we are all kin. In every way we are brothers and sisters, whether you believe in a higher power or simply nature we all come from two original parents. My words were, that we all are here now and that we posses the power of change and hold the future in our hands here tonight. That we begin with cleaning up our streets. I said to them literally, "let's begin by cleaning the very streets!" We would begin by monthly calling on volunteers and cleaning the trash out of our neighborhoods. I warned them that this would take time to take hold but that soon people would no longer tolerate a littered neighborhood. But that the residents would rise up to a level of pride.
I then explained that we would knock on the doors and ask our neighbors what type of change they would like to see in the area, and that we would ask them to join us in the cause to bring it to pass. We would help dispel their doubt with the new look of the neighborhood, they would see that change is indeed possible and more hope would rise. I said unto them, we would begin there!
I then likened this work unto a small sapling rising out of the earth that would grow ever so slowly but that would rise to a great oak where the birds would flock and that it would give shade to the weary traveler and become a symbol of hope to many. "This is why we must do this", I said unto them.
I then told the ancient story of the Sons of Mosiah. How Ammon and his brethren traveled to live among the people who hated them most, and how Ammon through real service that lasted many years changed a whole society, not because he preached but because he came among them only to serve them. I said unto them, "this must be us, we are here to serve!"
I then introduced Reverend Morgan from the Southside Church of Christ to address the congregation.
All I am saying is that we have more common than differences, right down to our DNA, but yet why do we so easily allow the adversary to divide us? This reality was made ever more evident in a dream (as many of you know I am a dreamer) I had last night that I may relate later, but it made me more aware of the direction that we must take to survive the coming storm. I say there is a storm coming, promised so long ago and that it will be so severe that if we as a people our not united and prepared many will perish. Let us unite in common ground and let our roots grow together so that there wont just be one but many mighty oaks the world over. We can do this, together.
