Stream
of Life
“The
same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs
through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same
life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless
blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and
flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of
birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made
glorious by the touch of the world of life. And my pride is from the
life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.”
Rabindranath
Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
(1861-1941), known as the Bard of Bengal, was a Hindu mystic who
wrote some of the most beautiful spiritual poetry on earth.
Underpinning it was this belief: “True knowledge is that which
perceives the unity of all things in God.” When I start to lose
faith in humankind, I turn to writers and thinkers like Tagore for
reassurance.
Humanity has known since
we've been upright on two feet, that we are one part of a great web
of life. Sometimes we lose track of that. We let our fear of scarcity
wedge itself between our hearts and brains and the needs of the the world. We
know how to come into concert with the natural world, but the desire
for dominance is stronger than our will to yield. It's
understandable, since we've had it so good for so long, that we would
become complacent about stewardship, and begin to devise ways of
having our cake and eating it, too. We are clever creatures, after
all.
I heard a report on
Science Friday about a committee that's looking into the
possibilities of shooting various chemicals into the atmosphere to
neutralize carbon dioxide emissions, or possibly dumping minerals
into the oceans to absorb the CO2 that's heating and acidifying the
water. Of course, we don't know what effect that would have on other
forms of life, or on ourselves, for that matter. Anything, it seems,
that would allow us to continue burning fossil fuels is preferable to
actually addressing the problem of global warming.
Perhaps you are thinking
that global warming and climate change have nothing to do with
spirituality. Here is what rings true for me—the All is all that we
have. That which we call God is All. God is not some discrete entity
separate and apart from us and all of creation, but the entirety of
it. When we desecrate earth, air, water we desecrate not only our
home, but the All.
When you feel the thrill
of this new season, the excitement of frosty weather and all the fun
to be had in it, remember that thrilling feeling is “the
life-throb of ages dancing in [your] blood.” It animates and
pulses. That same thumping, rhythmic energy is shared by all of
Creation, and is, in fact, the Creator of life itself. Let us give
thanks and honor.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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