Jul 09 2008
The Declaration of Life Principles
Many of you might never have seen “Babylon 5,” but its many fans knew it to be one of the best TV shows that ran during the last few years of the 20th Century.
In “The Paragon of Animals” (the third episode of the last season), the leader of an alien race, G’Kar, is commissioned to author a belief statement that would define a tenuous bond among a congress of interstellar species. Entitled ‘The Declaration of Life Principles,’ a paraphrased version of that statement follows:
The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice… It speaks in the language of hope; It speaks in the language of trust; It speaks in the language of strength and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always, it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us. And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says, ‘We are one. No matter the blood; No matter the skin… We are one. No matter the pain; No matter the darkness; No matter the loss; No matter the fear; We are one.’ Here, gathered together in common cause. We agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one.
I take words of wisdom wherever I can find them, so it shouldn’t be surprising that I would find inspiration from a popular science fiction serial.
Actually, I never saw “Babylon 5″ while it aired. I didn’t discover my love for science fiction until long after college, when I no longer cared what was popular or cool. I’m not certain that I would have appreciated a sentiment like the one above when I was younger and more capricious, but I sure do appreciate those sage words now.
Be kind to each other, my friends. Step into the world each day with love in your heart and you conscience as your guide. And don’t be afraid to look at the world through a new perspective. I love you all very much.
