“We want to live by each other’s happiness — not by each other’s misery.

Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. More than machinery we need humanity. You are not machines! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your heart. You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate…

In the 17th Chapter of St. Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” — not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power — the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power! Let us all unite! Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth the future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie! They do not fulfill their promise; they never will. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people! Now, let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.”

– Excerpts from Charlie Chaplin‘s Speech in his movie The Great Dictator.

As relevant as ever.

What are we waiting for? A different kind of King, and a different kind of Kingdom, “not of this world”?

Lent is a season for reflection…

This great video by one of my favourite singer songwriters, Dan Reed, might be of help…