BRATTLEBORO — I've just been in Europe, and it was the same as here. Bus drivers, farmers, shopkeepers, teachers, all were doing the same thing: getting from today to tomorrow or the weekend, trying to raise their children to be good people, despairing at the behavior of some politicians, working to better their community or their children's future.
I don't think God created us to do more than that. We weren't meant to amass wealth, establish religions, or have iPhones. And God would be especially appalled by the ways we've messed up our planet. We weren't meant to have to deal with that. But we have no choice now but to fix it.
And you and I could help. But only if something causes us to rise beyond our ordinary concerns. Us and several billion others. And the thing that could make that happen is extraordinary leadership - of the caliber of a Gandhi or King.
But, except for the Pope, no one's providing such leadership. There are individuals and organizations at work on global warming. But they have little support from governments. And more is unlikely, since governments, almost everywhere, respond to other interests.
Yet, everywhere, there are forces that, if mobilized, could change our course - forces with proven ability to change history but which have been largely silent about global warming. Those forces are the young, especially in colleges and universities, faith communities and leaders, and organized labor. Together, they could arouse the world.
But it comes back, again, to leadership. And I don't know what will awaken those forces. I have to hope they will awaken themselves. Soon. The job is enormous, and it's desperately late.