Our world today is in crisis. The outward crisis is expressed spectacularly in war, genocide, victimization, bigotry and prejudice, intolerance and cruelty, escalating around the world internationally and domestically, ecological disasters current or looming, global economic crisis, scarce resources and the ubiquitous exploitation of humans, animals and the planet.

The inner crisis is less apparent to the human eye. But to the person who looks carefully it is even more important, and it is more vital that, as the source of the outward, hellish expressions of suffering, we do something about it. Only human beings can avert the imminent crisis, through real inner change producing an inner psychological, spiritual revolution, through feeling and showing a sense of respect, honor and reverence toward the world.

The sacred life must return to our world now and sacredness begins inside. There is no short cut, no quick way—the way is to cultivate awareness and consciousness in human beings. People must learn that their every action, thought, desire, fear, feeling and emotion is directly related to the outward state of the world, because being precedes doing and the world today is a direct outcome of humankind’s unconscious state.

If inner work—the sacred way of inner respect, honoring and reverence—is not embraced by many and, over time, the majority of humankind, the imminent crisis is certain to fulfill itself in ways we hardly need to imagine, since they are all too obvious. If, however, inner work is adopted as standard, shepherding us through thresholds of maturation, reflecting and cultivating our inner wisdom and that of our children and our children’s children, then the crisis will surely be averted. A spiritual revolution of consciousness will propel humanity to the heart center of kindness, love and compassion and through the abiding, profound, natural impulse toward peace, consciousness, joy and the divine.

A community of human souls intent on attaining inner freedom, practicing compassion and responding to spiritual and divine longing is an appropriate and direct response to the demands of the present time. Be proud of your inner work in whatever discipline or practice you have adopted or practice it, be tolerant of other’s beliefs, cooperate with others rather than stand alone in your egoity and, above all, practice compassion in action to all, without discrimination.

Human potential, global awareness and spiritual consciousness are related so closely and bound so tightly together that there is hardly any difference between them. They are simply all consciousness and consciousness is what as human beings we have to awaken to.

BLOG entry #141

This article by Richard Harvey was originally published at http://www.therapyandspirituality.com/articles/  and it is part of an ongoing retrospective series of blogs. ‘The Sacred Life Must Return’ was first published in 2012.