Introducing The Tolton Path

New Earth, Part 1

This is a newsletter about reconnecting. With yourself, each other and a higher power. As a child, do you remember being in awe of life? You would point out animals, trees, mountains, clouds, stars and airplanes to your parents. It was even more exciting to experience this with a friend. We had so much in common in those simpler days. I want to help us find that commonality again.

The way I will go about this is a bit different. Every Sunday I will reflect, comment or provide part of a fictional story. Sometimes all three. 

Let me show you.

Here’s a story to set the stage for today’s post on The Tolton Path:

New Earth, Part 1

This flight to New Earth was unlike any other. Sure, the first of hundreds of flights happened almost three years ago, but this was the first flight with Earth multinationals to begin the transition to a unified society. Something not possible back home on Earth. The question at hand was, which form of government to establish.

Anarchists were already on New Earth protesting The Corporation. So the space flight consisted of individuals hoping to enact their preferred form of government: Monarchy, Communism, Democracy or Republics. Passengers greeted one another with excitement and some caution–there was rumor of a dictator making the trip as well.

Once the path was clear, the hyper jump was instantaneous, moving from one point in the galaxy to another. The ship gradually slowed as New Earth grew in size, until it reached its precise coordinates. 

The interior lights flashed. Orbit was achieved. 

Tao Lynn looked on at the giant blue, green and brown planet. Is this the beginning or the end, he wondered. 

–End story (for now)– 

Hello

I’ve spent years consuming and, at times, participating in, the discourse in the world. I was convinced to be a part of the morally superior side. It was the leaders on the other side who only had evil intentions. I remained in a bubble protecting myself from misinformation. Historical curiosity–except history supplied by my favorite commentators–never took hold of me. 

Curiosity won me over and I’ve come to realize that the other sides are filled with people just like me, pulled from busy lives into a house of cards for a false sense of belonging. It’s here in this place that too many of us have lived for far too long. A place a million miles from the awe of the world experienced as a child.

It is this excitement that kept us connected to those closest to us–our family and friends, our faith community and our neighbors. That is the intersectionality that matters. And at that intersection, we don’t need to agree on everything. But I think we can we agree on the important things (I will cover that in the future). In the meantime let’s ignore the attempts to highlight our differences to divide and separate us. It’s all a distraction. 

What I will write about

Discussions will incorporate religion. The Tolton Path is named after the first African American Catholic priest after all. His struggles and determination after the civil war to accomplish this gives me hope for an angry world. He entered seminary in Rome because he was refused seminary in Quincy, Illinois, where he came back to serve both whites and blacks. He experienced racism still, but he endured in his ministry. I will write more about Father Augustus Tolton. His story is worth knowing.

These words are to help us endure and reconnect to our humanity and not to a political party or government. It is from this perspective that I will discuss religion and the importance of maintaining a moralistic society in order to keep our freedoms. Without a similar source of morals, a society has no chance from a government who will gladly decide what is and what is not moral. 

And as you can see from the beginning of this post, I will write short stories to set the stage for topics. New Earth will be back from time to time. I’ll try others too.

In the meantime, please feel free to comment about New Earth (or anything else). I’d be curious to know the form of government you would like to establish for New Earth and why. Do you think we would survive on a new planet given life on Earth today?

Peace.

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

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