The history of the great civilizations is the story of the history of peoples' lives. The level of development of the people of a society is a measure of the character of the society itself. Within these civilizations people had the intuition that beyond the daily struggle for survival there was a transcendent dimension in which we all participate and from which derives our intrinsic value and integrity as human beings. This transcendence is sought through reason in philosophy, through meditation and prayer in religion, through aesthetic contemplation in art, through symbolic representation in mythology, and through rapture in mysticism. Within personal experience it informs the calling to one's vocation in accord with the individual's true inner nature. These are the stirrings of authentic being within that indicates the journey the individual is meant to undertake. Tragically, the expressions of authenticity have in recent times suffered multiple forms of oppression and injustice. But the expressions of authentic being cannot be suppressed. No social, political, or economic force can ever enslave or subdue the expressions of beauty and love emanating from the deepest realm of human existence and being. The general spirit of discontent that pervades our society compels us to seek solutions for the good of the people and society as a whole. Now is the time for humankind to heed the call and advance beyond our limited conceptions of human nature and social existence to embrace and explore new personal and social opportunities. We must forever build society upon society, and civilization upon civilization in an effort to establish an environment that welcomes and encourages the fullest realization of humankinds' potential.

Therefore we make a plea to all people of good will. We are all in this together, each of us interdependent upon the other. We should commit our selves' to personal development, the cultivation of positive relationships with others, and working to eliminate social obstacles to freedom. We need look no further than ourselves as a united people for the resources needed to accomplish positive social change. We can't predict what will happen in the future but through dedication to principles that promote individual and collective welfare we can through determined effort influence the future for good. Be strong so that fear has no foothold in your heart. Let every thought and act be motivated by love. It is our humanity that is the source of our freedom. The path to freedom begins within ourselves and is the bond between all people across the globe. Decisiveness and energy must replace inertia and indifference. Then we can begin.

The aim of The Spirit of '26 is to advance the great experiment in democracy that is America. It is appropriate that we undertake this task as the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence approaches to be celebrated on July 4th, 2026. This would represent a recommitment to the spirit and promise that is America. This is the Spirit of '26!