A subject that will continue to come up for us involves "the meaning of words". Semantics is a central concern for any project involving human relationships or shared understanding.

One emerging new idea for improving human communications is based on on "resonance" -- the concept that two or more things or people can somehow "vibrate together" in a sympathetic or empathic or integral way. Sometimes resonance between people helps build understanding where "mere words" tend to fail.

This morning, I sent out an electronic poll based on the Snowmass Agreements -- "Eight Points of Agreement" that were developed over many years by the Snowmass Group -- a sophisticated and substantial group of religious contemplatives from a variety of traditions who have been meeting annually for 30 years at a monastery in Snowmass Colorado.

You are invited to respond to this poll, and check off your points of agreement. If you feel you can support one of the points, or are basically "in resonance" with it -- please check it off -- and enter your comments at the bottom of the form. Check them all, if that works for you.

Where I think this is going -- is towards what might eventually become a very large field of "resonant points", where there might be hundreds or possibly thousands of small points like these, where over a period of time we respond to to many such simple polls, and let it be known where we as individuals stand on particular issues. Over time, this would create a very large field for defining statistical resonance among a large group of people.

In a way, this is kind of "electronic voting" -- and maybe tending towards some new possibilities for "electronic democracy". Maybe we can develop something like "resonant democracy". Wouldn't that be amazing...

For now -- think of these points in "resonant" terms. Don't worry too much about the fine shades of meaning, or the brittle yes-or-no implications of what you click. We human beings have to develop ways to share language, even when words mean different things to different people. To paraphrase the prayer of Saint Francis -- where there is doubt, let us sow trust. We'll work all this stuff out, and we won't be fighting over word meanings. Let's just grow together around the common intent of developing an illuminated shared understanding -- and let's explore ways that shared understanding can reach out from a central core or "trunk of the tree" into all branches and levels of human activity.