Gentle Survivalists are a hard group to round up and brand, outwardly
indistinguishable from the rest of humanity. However, these gentle folks,
whatever their social, racial or economic background, believe deeply in God or
a Great Spirit or Creator. In their unique way of looking at things,
all Creation is an expression of God's power and love. This concept is often
expressed as the great web of life. Gentle Survivalists share a higher than
average interest in living things, be they people, animals, or other life forms,
as opposed to those whose interest is directed towards wealth accumulation,
conspicuous consumption and the exercise of power.
While most Gentle Survivalists are interested in energy
conservation and saving money, their motivation derives not from
greed, but from a higher holistic awareness that all is a gift from the
Creator, to be shared, enjoyed and respected. Material goods,
over and above one's need are shared freely. Gentle Survivalists
resist being controlled by gifts and do not seek to impose
controls on those who receive gifts from them.
Gentle Survivalists have a deep sense of awe and appreciation
for nature and many believe our earth was created, perhaps not in
six days, but in six creative time periods, admitting unashamedly
that we can only begin to understand the miracle of life and the
concepts of God's time, space and eternity. To see God's
creations wantonly abused, neglected or wasted causes great pain.
This pain often motivates us to write letters, articles or books and
support larger groups that can initiate protective legislation. While we do not
believe the government to be the answer to everything we see wrong around us,
we do believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that guarantees freedom
for citizens to speak out and create the type of government that benefits all.
Most Gentle Survivalists prefer eating organic food when
possible, seeking natural health remedies, avoiding chemical and
pesticide use, wearing natural fibers that breathe, recycling,
growing crops, flowers and other edibles and avoiding over dependence on
machines. We know the importance of drinking pure water and
breathing clean air. We may live either in a populated or remote
area, but be equally free of (some would say deprived of) garbage
disposals, central heating, air conditioning, electric blankets
and can-openers . . . by choice. If a computer or blender makes life simpler,
there is always the possibility of eventually solarizing or using some
other form of alternative energy to power it. To simplify, in the mind of
the Gentle Survivalist, is to beautify.
Gentle Survivalists do not start arguments or insist on
acceptance of culturally determined terminology. We will not
alienate a possible friend for a word, knowing that there are
many ways of describing the same thing. One person may be
worried about the Y2K millennium bug, another about the instability
of the economy, another about the physical and spiritual pollutions
that cover the earth. These concerns bring us together and we abstain
from insisting that our particular concerns are the only ones.
Gentle Survivalists search for ties that bind instead of drawing
fine lines that divide. We are all at different stages of growth and
whether we eat meat, eat it sparingly or not at all, should not cause
us to lose respect for each other. Understanding, to the Gentle
Survivalist, is more important than being RIGHT or bullying others
into compliance with our concerns or standards.
Gentle Survivalists are not naive. We strive towards living a
positive life, but are aware of dangers, time consuming detours
and the presence of evil, that is, by design, a part of the world
we live in. We live in a world of opposition, a world of light
and dark, positive and negative, good and evil. God has given us
the gift of free agency, which allows us, through our daily
choices, to constantly redefine and polish our eternal souls. The
misuse of free agency brings misery to many, even the innocent,
but would we wish to have our free agency revoked to insure a
perfect world? How could we progress without the freedom to
choose?
Most Gentle Survivalists have experienced a life changing
event, perhaps even a Near-Death experience, that has made them
aware of the preciousness of life . . . all life. Many have survived
great physical trauma, pain, heartache, sickness or handicaps,
but work to maintain a positive attitude, regardless of all
temptations to wallow in misery and succumb to an unproductive
life of bitter resentment. Some have experienced loneliness from
divorce, separation, death or abandonment, but all share one
common attribute: We focus on the light and refuse to let
darkness engulf us, choosing instead to practice hope, faith and
charity...no idle words, but a positive path of peace within the
eye of the storm.
Life is short enough as it is and the Gentle Survivalist will
not allow negative forces or challenging circumstances to destroy
their inner sence of gratitude, peace and balance. Having "seen
the light" is no trite phrase to those whose life has been
forever transformed by the Light of His love.
©2002 Ed./Pub. Laura Martin-Buhler
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