The Hourglass of Light

The Hourglass of Light

by Jeremy Deering

I have a message of peace. I want to help heal America. And I want us to think about international peace. This is a message, meant for education, technology, and business. And, most of all, it is meant for students - students who are currently in school, especially at the university level - but also alumni and continuing students. Ideally we should be lifelong learners. And we need to listen to the diverse world, both within America and internationally.

The world needs peace! There is too much cyberbullying, online hatred, and violence. This has real world consequences. For example, look at the threats of wars around the world. What the world needs most of all is a message of peace. And I am developing the technology to make this peace possible. That means I am idealistic, like a combination of Steve Jobs and Gandhi!

My goal is to help international education. For instance, we can learn about the diverse architecture, languages, cultures, and more from around the world. In fact I am leading a research project to explore if students are interested in online media, which teach about those topics. As an example, I have shared Minecraft images of African, Asian, European, and Islamic architecture. Together let's make a world of peace!

[Part 1: Explanation of Why We Need Peace]

I want to make peace in America and throughout the world. To help, I have created this speech of "The Hourglass of Light". Look at the cyberbullying. This is wrong! This represents the darkness. It is wrong. In contrast, I have been a leader in bringing light to our world. For instance, I have led a cyberbullying research project at my university. Additionally, as a 4.0 Masters of Business Administration student, I have been very interested in entrepreneurship. My goal is to help create positive online content with educational video games. Also I have assisted with research on women in business. Plus I have over 25,000 Twitter followers where I volunteer to find solutions to the problem of cyberbullying.

Now we must stand together with the light to defeat the darkness of hatred!

I ask you to join me: Together we'll save the world.

We need a world of love - that means a world of serving others and a world of peace.

Remember what Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "In the midst of outer dangers I have felt an inner calm and known resources of strength that only God could give. In many instances I have felt the power of God transforming the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope." [1]

That's what he said; notice the words of wisdom. He spoke of calmness and strength and the power of God to transform.

I see so much potential for the positive transformation of the world.?It is the light of love of serving others. In truth we must represent the light of love instead of the darkness of hatred. This is what I advocate!

Remember what Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." [1]

Those are the values that guide me. And that is why I am speaking up for civil rights, voting rights, and women's rights.

Now I want to talk about the tragedy of various hatreds. This is wrong, and it represents the darkness of our world.

Consider the image of an Hourglass of Light. Instead of the sands, falling in the Hourglass, imagine that the sands are shining like light or glowing like darkness. Each time when we accomplish acts that help peace, we are putting that Hourglass of Light rightside up, so that it represents light on the top. Then the light can slide and drip into the darkness, so that it too, over time, can be changed to the light. The light has the power to transform. However, when there are acts undertaken which are harmful, then the light is lost because it is like turning that Hourglass of Light upside down. In that case the darkness is on top (instead of the light). And the darkness is slipping down and dripping from the top to the light at the bottom. Unfortunately that means the darkness is degrading the light.

So, with my metaphor, I am explaining how the world is like an Hourglass of Light!

However I am optimistic that we can solve these challenges. And I want to help, so that together, as a world, we can solve these problems.

That is why we must restore the Light to the Hourglass. So that once again, it is an Hourglass of Light instead of an Hourglass of Darkness!

So, when it comes to fighting cyberbullying, online hatred, and violence, we must recognize those dangers. From my research, I actually have solutions to the problems of cyberbullying, online hatred, and violence.

One of the ideas that I have created for fighting hatred is by making more positive social media. In this way, I want to create educational video games, where we can learn about the world's cultures. Then we can celebrate diversity and create positive change!

Likewise discrimination against women is wrong. And that is why women's rights must be central to our educational video games.

Think about how an Hourglass of Light may shine as brightly as the sunshine.

When hatred is like darkness, I want us to be like the sunshine. We can change the world with love by reaching out from one heart to another heart - one heartbeat, at a time. We are the Sunshine when we volunteer. We are the Sunshine when we tutor. We are the Sunshine when we stop bullying. We are the Sunshine when we make peace. We are the Sunshine when we change the world, one heartbeat at a time.

Our school, the University of Toledo, is like a ray of sunshine. Let's share our message with the world!

What this means is that I value others. I want to help others. I want to help "improve the human condition," which is a part our mission statement. In reality our mission is a global mission because, with education, we may change the whole world! :)

I remember what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in "Where Do We Go From Here?" (1967) when he commented on "darkness" and "violence" and "hate." He said, "Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that. I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems."

That is why I have always advocated for positive social media since I believe that social media cyberbullying, hatred, and violence have real world consequences. For that reason I write: Is technology going to bring the world closer together, or is technology going to tear the world apart?

We need to build a better America: Instead of building barriers around the world, we need to build up bridges between different communities. We have to learn from our past. And we have to plan for a better future.

This is a very important moment in history: Things can either go right, or else they can go wrong.

In that spirit I would like to quote the great American writer Robert Frost who spoke of "two roads" that "diverged." And I think that we're like a nation that has the choice of choosing between two different roads. One road is towards bullying and hatred and violence. The other road is towards freedom and tolerance and diversity - a real future for America and the world.

America is not just a place on a map.

America is a place in our hearts!

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[Part 2: Call to Action]

I call on college students, including student organizations, faith organizations, Greek organizations, and more, to seriously understand the challenges of online abuse. Whether this is cyberbullying, online hazing, online hatred, and other abuse, it is wrong!

We must heal our planet! There is too much online hatred.

Consequently to represent the seriousness of this problem in our world, I have imagined the image of the Hourglass of Light. Like an hourglass, the sands of time are slipping: Are we headed to a world of light or to a world of darkness?

I want to lead us to a world of light!

I will lead us to take a stand against bullying, hatred, and violence. I support peace, women's rights, civil rights, and economic development.

What I hope to accomplish is to use educational video games, social media, videos, digital audio, etc., so we learn about the world's cultures. My idea is to provide solutions, so we'll educate for peace!

Now I believe that online media can help to make peace. We could learn about the history of various cultures.

Now is the time to learn about international education. With online media, we could learn about architecture which is African, Asian, European, Islamic, and more. I want us to be like a combination of Steve Jobs and Gandhi: I want us to build up technology for international education! That way we can live together in a world of peaceful development! In our world, I want us to restore the light to the Hourglass of Light.

Reference

[1] https://faithgateway.com/blogs/christian-books/15-powerful-quotes-from-martin-luther-king-jr