PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Over thirty years ago,
I was blessed enough
To come in contact with a current of thought,
A way of thinking, feeling and acting in the world
That has, since then, served as direction and foundation for life.
My experiences with the Humanist Movement,
Which places the human being as central value of all life,
Gave me an indubitable certainty
That my life, and the lives of all human beings,
Each and every human being on this planet,
Has a meaning and a destiny,
Is a hope, and a joy,
Is a love and a purpose, one to be fulfilled.
It has given me tools and a path
Towards gaining greater coherence,
A way of working with others, for others
And a way to come in contact with an internal Force,
A source of energy capable of transformation and renovation.
This Force is within each one of us,
A Force that can open possibilities,
Even when faced with seeming no-exit situations.
It is a Force within each one of us
That can marshal all that is positive,
All that is wisdom, kindness and strength.
It is a Force that can be placed
At the service of life itself…
So that violence and discrimination
Pain and suffering,
So that injustice and nihilism
Can gradually be surpassed.
It is a Force that affirms—
We are not insignificant,
Not living in a senseless universe.
My experience of contact with this Force
Makes me believe that…
Despite all the incoherence and contradictions
We may experience, within and around us,
Despite the crises we, and humanity is faced with
In our personal and social lives…
Inside each one of us, is an enchained god
Waiting to be unleashed,
Waiting to make its presence, felt.
This Force gives me conviction
That we human beings are much more,
Much more than what we have been led to believe.
We are not just complex biological robots
Or cogs in a senseless cosmic machine.
We are not just consumers and producers
Or a statistic in some mathematical graph.
We are not fodder, not prosthetics for the “powerful” few.
We are something much, much more
Than what we are led to believe.
And, when we encounter that “enchained being” within us,
Our shared Destiny will, once again, speak.
Note: This was written some time ago upon reflecting on my experiences with the Humanist Movement and as a thanksgiving to the founder, Silo, and to the many humanist volunteers and friends from whom I have learned a lot.
