Into
the World
“Go far
enough on the inner journey...go past ego toward true self...you end
up not lost in narcissism but returning to the world, bearing more
gracefully the responsibilities that come with being human.”
Parker
Palmer (Let Your Life Speak)
If you're anything like
me, and I suspect you are, you have passed through many phases of
spiritual exploration. My own journey has included a lot of study and
experimentation. I have passed through both fundamental and
progressive Christianity, Buddhism, Native American Shamanism,
Taoism, Psychology, especially of the Body-Mind and Jungian
varieties, and arrived at a hodgepodge I call universal mystical
spirituality. I have learned something from each tradition that I
value, and I am at peace with my own version of what it means to be
“a spiritual person.”
It is not enough, in my
world view, to simply read, and study, and think deeply if doing so
does not change your relationship to the world. It is the action of
engaging with community that brings faith alive. All of the world's
great religions, as well as all psychological schools of thought, are
aimed at making human beings more whole, empathetic, and ethical.
They give us a platform, and a frame of reference, from which to lead
with compassion and care. They are the foundation upon which we
stand, and from which we offer our services to the people and causes
we care about.
Perhaps you don't think
of yourself as a leader. Some of us, myself included, are
worker-bees, not queens. But if we are serious about our spiritual
life, or about our psychological development, then leadership is
everyone's vocation. Taking responsibility for doing what is needed
by your community is a crucial part of your spiritual journey, and is
just as important as reading about what Jesus, or Gandhi, or Jung did for theirs. Taking the
initiative of standing up, speaking from your heart, and putting into
action what your faith has taught you is leadership. You lead simply
by being present, and ready to assist.
The inner
journey is not one of self-absorption. It is one of caring for
community in ways both small and large. It is gracefully accepting
the responsibilities that come with simply being human.
In the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment