Too often I make a big mistake. I presume that people who disagree with me are uninformed, lack knowledge or otherwise need more facts. Not only is this supremely arrogant, it’s simply wrong!
Headlines provide plenty of reasons to scratch our heads in disbelief, amazement and even shock. Instantaneous global news access,as well as immediate answers via Internet searches, has done little to enhance human wisdom or well-being. Perhaps it hurts!
Poet, David Whyte flays our predicament, prescribes the solution we have forgotten:
This is not
the age of information.This is not
the age of information.Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.This is the time of loaves
and fishes.People are hungry,
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
People aren’t stupid! So what are we to do? What are we to say? Will we give people answers, explanations, excuses? People are not ignorant! We have all the facts we need, perhaps too much information.
People are hungry! We seek nourishment for our weary souls. We seek real communication, authentic community, true communion. Share a meal. Break bread. If we extend our hand, not our heads, our hearts are sure to follow.
As a great teacher once said, “You, give them something to eat!”
_______________________
Loaves and Fishes by David Whyte is from The House of Belonging: poems by David Whyte (Many Rivers Press). Copyright © 1996 by David Whyte.
Kneading Bread 
I recently received an email with an interesting tag at the bottom. “Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard and be evil.” It seems so much focus on information, knowledge, and therefore power, distracts us from what is most important.