“An eye for an eye, and the whole world would be blind”
Around the world many millions of people, in every culture, are familiar with the writing of arts, poet and writer Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931). Many may know the famous passages on Love and Marriage from his acclaimed work The Prophet, but perhaps may not be familiar with the rest of the work. Born in Lebanon Kahlil Gibran was the leader of a Lebanese Literary Circle in New York, where he died in 1931. His poetry has been translated into over twenty languages and he is considered the third most widely read poet in history, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. His drawings and paintings have also been exhibited all over the world. I was given a copy of his wonderful legacy to humankind “The Prophet” by a friend just over a decade ago. It has never left my desk since.
…”Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved…was a dawn unto his own day…”
In The Prophet Kahlil Gibran puts forward an attitude and way of life we can choose. It is challenging about the responsibilities we carry as individuals and as members of a community and global society. He provides a beautiful insight into what we owe; to ourselves and to others. It is a treasury of counsel about living a life shaped by tolerance, warmth and love. It is a work that goes from generation to generation.
Many would say today that this also encompasses both our personal or professional lives. Herein for me has always been the problem. How do you separate one from the other without giving a false impression of who we really are?
“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding…”
We certainly had proof many voters were confused about who the leaders were in the election campaign held in Australia over the past few weeks. Polling revealed in the weeks ahead of election day they were swinging back and forth like a pendulum. They ended up in a 50/50 conundrum. Australian Society may have been moving forward but they were left with many reflections and questions.
They did not know who to elect as leader of a party; that would carry the country forward, that would keep us safe, inspire us to work hard and appreciate the wonderful country we live in. They did not know who to choose as a role model, one who would inspire their peers, or mentor the next generation on how to be an upright citizen in a democracy that collectively cares.
“For in truth it is life that gives unto life – while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness”
Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot both got tripped up on their own rhetoric and the marketing hype surrounding their parties. They both admitted, during their time in the spotlight, we were from now on going to get the ‘real’ Julia or the ‘real’ Tony. So who the %#*+ hell were they before the campaign?
“And thus your freedom when it loses its fetters becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom”
And, out of those who are left standing who has an ability to collaborate across differences and borders and to help solve issues of pressing global conservation and concern? Where is the leader we need, one with the skills necessary to empower and embolden others?
“Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite”
Is there anyone left who will give us clarity? Who will champion democracy and human development? Who will tell the truth” Is the truth still out there? Some communities voted independent candidates into office, despite knowing this usually meant that their representatives would work hard for local issues but would generally not be noticed by the main parties on global issues. How the tide turns.
Watching the events unfold on Saturday evening reminded me of the speech actor Norman Doyle, playing Mayor John Petrie at the Founding Families for Brisbane’s 150th Anniversary in 2009, delivered. He said, ‘we must not subscribe to a miserable philosophy that in our modern age ascribes everything to the ‘spirit of the age’ believing nothing can be done by the influence of individual character. It is individual character that is the inducement to great actions and the spur to great achievements. We may never reach the end of the journey, but, far from being discouraged we should be sure that what we contribute adds to the joy and glory of the climb’.
Now it is the independent candidates who stand alone. They have stood on what they believe and ironically hold the balance of power? Or do they?
“…speak to us and give us your truth…”
Having a profession used to mean honesty, honour, loyalty, trust, courage and integrity. These words certainly describe the brave men and women of the security forces we still all rely on to keep us safe. They do us proud as ambassadors to the rest of the world proving that peace is the only way ahead for humanity.
In the past so many died because they believed in the democratic process, that everyone should have an opportunity to fulfill their potential, and that the deeper purposes of a liberal education go beyond personal advancement or national competitiveness. It is all about being responsible global citizens who champion democracy and human development. We need people capable of exchanging ideas on the basis of respect and understanding with people from all cultures.
“And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty”
The light at the end of the tunnel may lay with an individual, although he is a member of a party machine. 20 year old Mr Wyatt Roy cast his first vote and looked like a splendid advocate in Federal Parliament for the community at Longman in Queensland, who have elected him. He gained respect when he gave an intelligent, heartfelt, humble interview that was certainly inspiring at the end of a crazy election day and campaign.
Despite achieving a majority over a much more seasoned campaigner, he refused to say he had won until the last vote was counted, despite his opponent seceding. Some jaded politicians, commenting on his amazing achievement, adopted laughingly in some instances, the ‘wait and see approach’. Perhaps he reminded them of the loss of their own youthful ideals and the loss of the courage of their convictions?
Who knows? Perhaps the residents of Longman in Queensland are visionaries and know they are onto something.
“Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.”
Carolyn McDowall August 2010
“Quotes” from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran published by Penguin – a work for every generation.
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