Beginnings

In Hindu mythology, Vac (Word) is the goddess of speech and the mother of creation. Later she evolves to become the source of all inspiration and creativity, and is associated with Saraswati, the goddess, among other things, of music and poetry. 

Goddess Saraswati

The concept of Word is found in other places as well. In Christian philosophy, the Word or Logos is what brings the whole universe into existence. The idea came from the Greeks, who may have borrowed it from the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians believed the creator god, Re, who possessed a hidden name, could speak other beings into existence. And in some versions of this myth, he is called Word.

The spoken word, and later writing, is what gave birth to stories. So the beginning of things teaches us that we're all part of some universal tale, characters living in a great cosmic play. Is it a tragedy or a comedy? I’m not sure.

But one thing I do know is that those who try to bring forth the message that we're all in this together, so maybe we should get along, don’t fare so well.

Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King wove universal love into their talks. But there are always people who hate this idea so much that they’ll kill the perpetrators of such a dangerous notion.

Martin Luther King Jr.

So the whole love and peace thing is nothing more than the recognition that we’re all part of Vac. Even if we don’t see it, it’s something we can dream about. John Lennon had a nice song years ago where he imagined it. (Oh that’s right, they shot him, too.)

Well, a story’s still a story, so let’s play our parts with pizzazz and maybe we'll get our names listed in the credits.