What a wonderful world

THE SONG What a Wonderful World (made popular when first sung by Louis Armstrong) was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss during a time of US protests in response to the Vietnam War, environmental destruction, assassinations, women’s rights and racial injustice. The writing of this song was the men’s healing response to the conflict of the time. It was their effort to remind the world that, despite the tumult, the blessings of love, hope and beauty were still alive and must not be forgotten.

In today’s world, regarded by many as not being so “wonderful,” the validity or relevance of that song should not be questioned.

The world in which we live is, ultimately, the one we create. We can decide if we want it to be wonderful or not.

As the saying goes, “the majority rules.” When we look at the news these days, it looks as though “the majority” does not want peace and love. War, rage, hatred, violence and other aggressive behaviours and ways of being often appear to be the order of the day. There are US naval ships and murmurs of potential armed conflict “too close to home”; tempers flaring, sometimes with fatal consequences, over the most seemingly simple matters; people attacking each other on social media, where incendiary public opinions are triggered by polarised views on trending local and global issues.

“Which side are you on?” is a common question. “If you don’t share my view, I will get rid of you” seems to be a common response/reaction – usually expressed with anger, aggression or hatred.

“I will get rid of you” can mean anything from unfriending someone on social media, drastically cutting ties with them in real life – or assassinating them.

The world, heated not just by global warming, but by global warring, appears inflamed and in pain.

In the human body, inflammation is an immune response to injury, infection and toxification, serving to eliminate harmful stimuli, clear damaged cells and initiate tissue healing/repair.

Inflammation can also be viewed as the body’s message to us to slow down and rest.

However, we live in a fast-track world where such advice is not normally considered. With multiple places to go, things to do, people to see, many people would more readily pop a pill – to silence the “inflammatory message” and dull their pain, in order to function and “get things done.”

When the global “body” (the human population) is inflamed by anger, aggression, hatred, etc, there is no pill that it can pop for quick mass relief.

If, at its root, inflammation’s message to the human body is to “slow down, rest, take time to heal” –then how can we apply that to the global “body”? Can the world slow down and heal? Not that we want another pandemic, but the covid pandemic facilitated unprecedented global silence and stillness – only for a while. The world eventually returned to itself, seemingly becoming even more chaotic and inflamed as time wears on.

Recently, I observed people warring on social media over their varied opinions on Charlie Kirk. I (along with many others) had never even heard of him before he was assassinated – a fact that was, in one quarter, angrily addressed as us being (quote) “apathetic” and “living under a rock.”

Rather than engaging in the back and forth of the CK hullabaloo, I simply thought: “Focus on love.” (Some may also find that approach apathetic and unrealistic as an antidote to worldly issues, but is it?)

Every now and again, I paint “Love signs” and place them at random in public places, the intention being to uplift and remind whoever sees them.

I decided to paint the “Focus on Love” message as a Love sign and took it with me when two friends and I went on a road trip to Bloody Bay last Monday. At the bay, I rested the sign on the sand – not intending to leave it there, but simply so that I could fiddle with my camera. At one point I turned around from the sign and, right before me, resting in the sand, was a heart-shaped rock (a rock, under which, we would all do well to live) – a sign, a direct confirmation (not that I needed one) that this is indeed what is needed.

Focus on… Love, not war.

Love, not hatred.

Love, not anger.

Love, not whatever inflames and divides us.

“And I think to myself…What a wonderful world” that would be.