“Where there is no vision, the people will perish,” Proverbs 29:18.
What did the writer mean by “vision,” and “people”? Did he mean ‘perfect’ ideal people, good and kind, without desires, needs and passions? People who don’t go to the bathroom or fuck? Or did he mean real, flesh and blood people who do go to the bathroom, eat, fuck and have lustful, lascivious thoughts? Did he mean some people, or all the people? Did he mean only people who agree with him, look like him, fuck, think, talk, vote and eat like him, and everyone not like him be damned, and good riddance?
No, I don’t think he meant that. I think the writer meant the statement to be inclusive of all people, like him and different from him. There are many Americans today who would disagree with me – who would say the writer meant people with different sexual preferences, skin color, family ‘values’, educational and income levels, are excluded from the vision and are meant to perish, because people like that are a threat to the ‘true’ vision.
Did the writer mean ‘vision’ as something positive or negative? What does vision mean now? I think, then and now, vision means something positive, something bigger and better than our everyday egocentric thinking, something meant to guide us past the ego and awaken us to our shared reality as spirit.
Vision itself, then, is something positive, but there are visions and visions. There are inclusive visions meant for all people, and exclusive visions meant for some of the people. There are visions of despair and closed-mindedness, or visions of openness and creativity. There are visions of preparing, allowing and encouraging each person to make a unique contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything. And there are visions of preventing, avoiding and suppressing contributions from people that are too unique and different; and the willingness to face the fact that the world will never work for everyone and everything, so why bother?
You and I have a choice about which vision we will choose. Which do you choose? Which have you been choosing? Which would you really like to choose? Which would melt your heart, make it sing and overflow with compassion, joy and innovation? Which would harden your heart, freezing it over with fear, guilt, shame, and blame?
And having chosen, then what? Vision alone is not enough, faith in the vision and deeds to realize the vision are necessary, otherwise the people will perish. Those with an inclusive, heart melting vision of a world that works for everyone and everything, are the ones responsible for implementing it. That’s why the vision was given them. But this doesn’t have to be difficult. Implementing an inclusive vision can range from just taking the next step, being kind, considerate and compassionate to yourself and others, forgiving yourself and others for being human, to going out and organizing a new political party.
Share your inclusive vision, have faith in your vision, act on your vision, if you don’t, the people will perish, even the ones who don’t share your vision.
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