Let Love Rule- Earth Day 2020

Our Earth has warned us many times that we must change our ways. She has pleaded with us to stop perpetuating her destruction. Climate-related disasters have been hitting harder and more frequently. If we do not heed her warnings, it will be our demise. We have witnessed recently the horror of Mother Earth’s blood boiling in the fires of Australia and California. We have seen her tears flood the rivers in Canada, the Mid-West, The UK, India, and East Africa. And now COVID-19.

Our planet has spoken. It’s time to Let Love Rule.

“This won’t go wrong

But we got to be strong

We can’t do it alone

We got to let love rule.”

Lenny Kravitz

On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, there is light in all the darkness. There is hope. We are in the midst of the most remarkable act of global solidarity our generation has ever seen. All of humankind is in a collective “meditation.” We have been forced to stop the insane and hectic pace of our daily lives. Forced to take a deep breath, to pause, and to reevaluate what is truly important. 

Our society has become too identified with “things,” obsessed with consumption, driven by greed, blind to our interconnectedness with each other and the planet. To recognize this, however, is the beginning of healing and transcendence. Is this the coming of a new era that mystics and spiritual teachers have prophesied? Now is the opportunity for the collective evolution of human consciousness. By reevaluating our priorities, we have a chance to change the state of humanity and to create a “New Earth” as written by Eckhart Tolle.

Travel and commerce around the world have come to a halt. As a result, the Earth is healing. In places like Spain and Italy, CO2 emissions have dropped by as much as 20%. With the absence of motorized transport, canals in Venice are running clear and wildlife is returning. Times of change can lead to the introduction of lasting habits. A 2001 study done at Kyoto University in Japan found that when a motorway closed, forcing drivers to use public transit, the people who had formerly been committed drivers traveled by public transport more frequently. We need to make positive changes that will last beyond this pandemic.

“COVID-19 has taken a grim toll on lives, health services, jobs, and mental health. But if anything, it has also shown the difference that communities can make when they look out for each other- and that’s one lesson that could be invaluable in dealing with climate change.” Martha Henriques bbc.com

We must not resume our old habits. The Earth cannot sustain our unconscious consumerism. We must treat our planet, each other, and animals with kindness. We must be the change that brings the light to the darkness. Let us learn and change our ways, and let this not all be for nothing. Let this difficult time awaken us, shift our perception, unify us, and give rise to empathy and compassion beyond borders, race, or religion. It’s time to let love rule.