“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
We all know you can’t relive the past, but sometimes the past can be recreated. Although it didn’t work for Woodstock ’94, maybe the idea of peace, love and happiness can work in 2024.
While the idea of what a hippie is is often clouded by the illusion of bare feet and acid trips, there was so much more to the hippies of the 1960’s. Yes, they were young adults who fought against the conventional ways of society and were seen as rebellious to many, yet there was a larger tenet to their being.
The hippies believed in acceptance of everyone.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” — Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963
While a primary component of their belief system was an anti-war sentiment of the Vietnam War, they found a way to be all loving to most all people. Shouldn’t this be a way of life for people always? Doesn’t everyone deserve a touch of humanity, compassion and acceptance? We should find a way to love and accept like the hippies once did.
The hippies believed in free love.
“Love is the answer, and you know that for sure; love is a flower and you have to let it grow” — John Lennon
This is not an advocation for “free love” in the sexual sense, but the belief that free love is about allowing anyone to love whomever they choose to love. This goes along with the idea of acceptance. We hear often that “love is love”, and love comes in many forms and we as human beings should love in sexual love, love in familial love and love in friendship. Be free with your love and give your heart and kindess to many.
Hippies wanted peace.
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” — Jimi Hendrix
Yes, the hippies were seen as rebellious. But, they were only rebellious in heart and beliefs, not in violence or combativeness. While at times they were scrutinized for their anti-work, anti-tax and anti-government idealogy, they left their ideals mainly in the cliche, “Make love, not war”. Our world needs much more of this, much less of that.
A Jesus Revolution
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)
Many have seen the big screen movie, Jesus Revolution. The timing of this movie was well-placed. The movie was released last year in 2023 at a time when Americans were (and still are), in a polarized state. Bitterness, unacceptance and close-minded hatred for those unlike ourselves have superceded the peace and love that America once had as a nation. One can only hope that the movie inspired some to go back to the ideas presented in the movie set during the 1960’s West Coast hippie movement where the characters found God and left drugs behind.
Let’s have a hippie revolution.
“If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that’s a problem. Peace and love are eternal.” — John Lennon
While we shouldn’t bring back all of the hippie movement, the prominent ideology within it should be what drives us as Americans again. The struggles that Americans have in its society and the continued polarization, with more expected during a heated election year, isn’t it time to bring back the hippies and have our own revolution of peace, love and happiness?
Comments