Unbounded Love

John Otranto is a futurist, retired US Coast Guard Commander, andformer director of Global CARE.

The myth that our human ancestors, historic and prehistoric, lived incomplete harmony with nature has been exposed; we now know that they sometimes exploitedtheir surroundings, resulting in a depleted or destroyed environment. But, thanks to ourintellectual evolution toward science and away from superstition, we are starting to learnthe profound importance of sustainability. And under the aegis of our emerging spiritualevolution we are beginning to understand the deeper meaning of sustainability: usingnature's gifts in a care-full and open-hearted way so they can be shared equitably amongus and our descendants.

Humanity is just discovering how treating Earth with respect is linked totreating people with respect. This awareness propels us beyond the archaic paradigm of"might makes right" to a higher sensitivity surrounding our evolvingrelationships with each other and our world. It eventually elevates us to a new level ofconsciousness that acknowledges, "First, I'm a spiritual being. I am a cosmicco-creator and can contribute consciously to my and all evolution."

This leap in human consciousness has only been matched in our extendedevolution by the gifts of a personal spirit and God-yearning during our uplifting fromanimal genus to human. And now our spiritual awakening is underway in a well-establishedevolutionary track. We are beginning to recognize that spiritual growth is the springboardfor our continued physical, intellectual, psychological, and spiritual progress on Earth.By the grace of the Creator, we are awakening to a raison d'tre: to be love inaction.