Principles of a New Activism

Excerpts from the Global Renaissance Alliance Circle Meeting Handbook

Imagine .

.if you will, a ring around the planet, much like the rings around Saturn. Imagine that this ring consists of spiritual stardust, glittering and dancing against an illumined sky.It blesses the earth with a pulsating power, extracting fear from every darkened corner and pouring forth love on every hungry heart. This ring is woven from threads of love, words of inspiration, feelings of forgiveness, prayers for peace and hours of meditation. And this ring is not just metaphor, or the vain imaginings of a hopeful soul. It is an actual force field, more powerful than anything made by merely mortal hands. It is the product of the collective yearning to pool our spiritual resources in the service of a world made new. It is a rich and meaningful, eminently practical contribution to the miraculous transformation of our world.

Imagine .

.millions of people throughout the world, joined in small, intimate circles of spiritual support, praying together, meditating together, envisioning a healed and peaceful world, creating among its members a sense of sacred communion. Imagine these circles meeting regularly, like tiny clusters of grace, forming together a mystical grid of love and light around the planet.

At the dawn of the 21st Century, we cast our eyes upon the horizon of a new day in human affairs. While civilization has achieved the most stunning advances in science, technology and other external pursuits, our internal and spiritual progress lags far behind. We have landed a man on the moon and begun to decode the human genome, but we have not yet learned how to build a deep and lasting peace among the peoples of the world.

Principles of a New Activism

Stillness as an Act of Power — Cultivation of a quiet mind is the most effective antidote to chaos.As one simply sits in silence, knowing that God’s love embraces all living things, divine harmony becomes an operative principle in the world around us.

Envisioning as an Act of Power — In the material realm, power is determined by material wealth; in the spiritual realm, power is determined by spiritual wealth. In the 21st century, wealth will be determined by consciousness and imagination. Whoever holds the tools of consciousness will wield the greatest power on earth.

Interpersonal Healing as an Act of Power — The source of war lies in each of us, as does the source of peace; as we rid our own hearts of the spark of violence, we are fostering peace in the world.

Depth of Insight as an Act of Power — The most powerful axis of activism today is vertical rather than horizontal; the depth of a conversation is more important than how many people are involved in it.

Radical Good Will as an Act of Power — Miracles flow naturally when hearts and minds are attuned to love. Forgiveness within our own hearts, particularly of those with whom we do not agree, is our most powerful transformational tool.

Creating Sacred Space as an Act of Power — Humans carry an ancient memory of the power of ritual. The creation of sacred space is not merely a symbol but rather the actual harnessing of energy for the purpose of spiritual healing.

Spiritually Centered Action as an Act of Power — The New Activist wields power by standing for what could be, as opposed to fighting what is. Making a stand for a new possibility, we attain the power to create it.

From the Global Renaissance Alliance Circle Meeting Handbook. Excerpts reprinted with permission. The Global Renaissance Alliance is a citizen-based, international network of spiritual activists. Its mission is to make a stand in local, national and global communities for the role of spiritual principle in solving the problems of the world. For more information about GRA and its Citizen Circles, call (541) 890-4716 or visit www.renaissancealliance.org.