Create Something

As Kahane relates to a character in the Broadway musical Rent, “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation!” (2). In order to have power and love in a world, we need to create a compromise between the two—a world where both some power and some love join together to create a world of peace.
This idea of creation is minimal at the moment, but with small steps and equal doses of power and love by people, this created world of peace can come together, and as the infamous cliché quotes, help make the world a better place. Take for example, this Colloquium class, we already have done a huge step in making gleaning and the School Lunch Program better known in the Marin area. We were able to go out and glean and learn something new, and hopefull adapt this better eating plan to our lives, as well as the high school students we taught. I, for one, never knew what gleaning was until I entered this class. I will admit, that I had hesitation at first, and thought it was a silly field trip. However, after gleaning with the class, and going out to the high school to feed the students, I could better adapt to the lifestyle change, and actually adjust mine. I have been making notice of what I’ve been eating and making sure it’s healthier. I was able to do this because I have the power of what goes into my body, and the love for my body to make that change.
Miguel, the school food district director, is another great example of how power and love can come together to create something better, and create change. He is definitely in a place of power, and as Kahane explains: “Power is how we make a difference in the world; it is the means by which new social realities are created. Without power, nothing new grows” (13). Miguel is doing just that. Miguel is not just using power to make the School Lunch Program healthier and more informed, he is using his love and trying to teach the students. Kahane uses another example from Humberto Maturana, and Miguel is exemplifying just that in his work. Humberto Maturana conveys, “love is the only emotion that expands intelligence” (34). Miguel’s love for the students and this School Lunch Program, are growing in order to teach the children about gleaning and helping them live healthier lives.
Power and love can come together to make a better change and create something new. This can only happen if both come together equally. Without power, there is no love. And without love, there is no power. Some commonalities lie between the two, but in order for something to be functional and create something better, both must be an equal match.