Margaret Mead was once asked about the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was.

The student expected an answer related to material artifacts, but Mead’s response was a healed femur. She explained that in the animal kingdom, a broken leg typically means death, as it prevents the animal from fleeing predators, accessing water, or hunting for food. A healed femur, however, indicates that someone took time to care for the injured, showing compassion and cooperation. This act of helping others in their time of need is considered the true beginning of civilization.

The Neolithic Revolution ushered us
To the fields of ‘amber waves of grain’;
We heard the bleatings of goats and sheep
From over the hills and across the fields.

We left the world of kill or be killed
Behind us;
We embraced the world of heal and be healed
Before us.

Saints and sages tell us
To love and heal our neighbors,
To heal and love our brothers and sisters.
For we are born in the broken world.

Scholars and philosophers tell us
to heed the wounded healers,
who know the pain of humankind.
For we are born in the broken world.

The Bard from Innisfail urges us on:
“We must laugh and we must sing,
We are blest by everything,
Everything we look upon is blest.”

But everyplace we look upon is conflict,
Almost all things we look upon is curst;
And yet we build community plank by oaken plank,
And yet we heal humanity bone by broken bone.

Though we are born in the broken world,
We are born with the hearts of gold;
We take time to care for our young and old,
Our compassion and cooperation make us bold.