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This, too, shall pass...

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In The Kitchen

In the Kitchen

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel …” –Luke 1:26

Bellini has it wrong.
I was not kneeling
on my satin cushion,
in a beam of light, head slightly bent.

Painters always
skew the scene,
as though my life were wrapped in silks,
in temple smells.

Actually, I had just
come back from the well,
placing the pitcher on the table
I bumped against the edge,
spilling water on the floor.

As I bent to wipe
it up, there was a light
against the kitchen wall,
as though someone had opened
the door to the sun.

Rag in hand,
hair across my face,
I turned to see
who was entering,
unannounced, unasked.

All I saw 
was light, white
against the timbers.
I heard a voice
I had never heard before.

I heard a greeting.
I was elected.
I would bear a son,
who would reign forever.
I stood afraid.

Someone closed the door.
And I dropped the rag.

Source: Kilian Mc Donnell, OSB

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The Human Odyssey...

The earliest remains of the Homo sapiens yet discovered dates back to 300,000 years. We probably evolved in the African region, but then migrated to the rest of the world. Although our physical appearance changed over time, our race didn't: we remained human beings.

Remains of the world's earliest religious worship site have been discovered in Botswana, where our ancestors performed advanced rituals, worshipping the python some 70,000 years ago. So many religions have emerged and disappeared that no religion can claim superiority over other religions. Religion is only one of the means to realize God, but it is not an end to itself.

The central problem facing our planet is human overpopulation. Today there are over 8 billion beings on Earth and the population is still growing. There are too many people and not enough resources for all of us. Yet, we are not addressing this problem responsibly. Do you really think your life will be better if there are more people of your colour, caste or creed on Earth?

Initially used as fire for light, heat, cooking and for safety, energy has been harnessed by humans for millennia. Today, fossil fuels have become our main energy sources. This is leading to climate change and global warming.

The Earth has entered a new era called anthropocene, which marks the beginning of the sixth mass extinction. Many species have already disappeared from the planet and our own days, as a species, are numbered.

Artificial intelligence has surpassed human intelligence. While humans think they will be using AI to win wars against other nations, AI itself has outwitted human psychology to make us lose each and every war. Warfare has never been a solution to human problems...