It Was Ever Thus

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change, COVID19, Genesis, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

More and more, I come to think that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Today’s first reading from Genesis 23-24, is the story of family life as it plays out from generation to generation: parents dying at an advanced age (Sarah at 127 years – we’re getting closer!), trying to assure acceptable mates for their children—who sometimes moved away finding mates at a distance….

It all makes me think of my mother and what a hard time she had moving from Boston to Upstate New York when my father’s job changed. It took her five months to accustom herself to the idea of moving away from her sisters and friends for a land she did not know. She was 45 years old and she had never lived more than 5 miles from her family. Syracuse, New York was 300 miles away. It was 1960 and It turned out to be a wonderful change for my mother. It was the beginning of the era of such movement and my father was a genius who sent her back “home” three times that first year for weekends so she never lost her connections with her “familiars.”

Life in these United States has certainly changed since then. My brother now lives in San Diego, California—3,000 miles away. Although I long for the rare “in-person” visits, I can be almost satisfied when we “zoom” on the weekends with my sister and sister-in-law.

As I reflect on these changes, I consider the shifts in faith practice as well. I have not been to Church in over a year—due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am a child of my era, after all. Most of us zoom our spiritual practices these days, and the question is whether we will ever return to “in-person” worship. In this world of “artificial intelligence” and impending trips to the moon (!) who can tell whether we will soon out-live Sarah’s 127 years…. What I think I know now is that I will continue to need person-to-person connection going forward. That is the way I find best to encounter God. If I should someday in the future see God “in the flesh,” I presume I will be transformed! Until that day, I shall keep my computer revved up (regardless of my complaints!) and continue to strive for moments of love and peace and joy coming from everything that has meaning in each moment of time.

New Thoughts from Long Ago

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change, good, Isaiah, John, simple, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust

From the prophet Isaiah (Is 65:17-21) to the Gospel of John (Jn 4: 43-54) the Scripture readings for today are clear about what is happening here on this earth. Isaiah is simple and definitive in giving the message from God: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth…There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create. It seems that things will not be proceeding as before. There is an element of faith necessary in the new order. (“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe…”) It seems to me that the key for today is the verse before the gospel which says simply: Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you. (Am 5:14)

Clearly, if we look back over the past year, we might see a pattern that fits what is being done here. Great things—good things for good people are happening—worldly things: like new vaccines and monetary relief for “the least among us.” It seems that all of our people are not ready to accept the good that is happening. Even governors of some states refuse to adhere to some of the simple things that will save us. (“Wear a mask,” for example.) Although that is true, we may be looking for solutions that are more arduous, more complicated—or simply more to our liking. What we are being called to might necessitate faith in ourselves and, in addition, trust in others, even those we have never listened to, liked or believed in before. We might have to give up our cherished ways of seeing things. Maybe it’s just that simple—although not easy.

Read the Scripture texts for today again (aloud, if possible). See if you can find anything that calls to you about our situation today. It may be as simple as letting go into a new way of being. (I said simple—not easy!) You might just be surprised at the result.

Waiting…Again!

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change, sadness, surrender, tension, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waiting

“Blessed are all who wait for the Lord!” (Psalm refrain for today’s liturgy)

Recently I echoed in this blog the question of one of our Sisters who asked repeatedly: What are we waiting for? I was surprised when I put that question to myself just now and was greeted by several responses. The big things like: I’m waiting for the pandemic to cease, for a vaccine that stems the tide of deaths, for an end to racial violence in our country. I’m waiting as well for January 20th, Inauguration Day in our country when a sense of stability might return to us…slowly but surely. In a more personal way, I’m waiting for someone to hug me—safely. I’m waiting to go to a celebratory liturgy in a real—not virtual—church, and the privilege of travel to meet my cousin Molly’s new twin girls, born this past week.

I could go on…but each of us has our thoughts on that subject. The tension, sadness or frustration that can arise when contemplating this kind of thinking comes partially, I think, from the helplessness we feel because of our inability to change the situations. We are unable to change any of the things mentioned and many more. In our country, as in many places in today’s world, we are not schooled to patience. It is not in our make-up any more to wait because waiting implies surrender and that is not the American way.

What would it cost you today to surrender to “what is” and allow God to work with your helplessness? Might you get to a place of willingness? A place where you let go of your plans and move toward something deeper? lighter?

Aftermath

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celebration, change, election, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, together

I was just watching our cat as I tried to think of how to characterize this moment. It’s very foggy outside, due to a very welcome few days of “Indian summer.” The visual speaks to the inability to see clearly, however. Precious (yes, the cat’s name is Precious) was just about to test the limits of her agility by jumping from chair to small table to window sill in the living room. She is an indoor cat so takes every opportunity to go close to danger without being harmed, even though she is likely unaware of how dangerous the outside world that would await her could be.

After several attempts to test the distance and judge the width of the window sill, she jumps and succeeds in reaching her goal. She rarely misses it but always tries again. She doesn’t stay long today, perhaps because of the fog. She is now back ensconced on a very comfortable chair for her morning nap.

Watching Precious go through her ritual this morning, I thought of us and what awaits us now after the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The celebration in the streets, and most likely inside as well, was long and joyful in cities all over the country. Clearly there were those who were not rejoicing at the outcome but yesterday belonged to the “winners,” even while Joe Biden promised that the win belongs to all of us. The fog is thick as we consider how we will proceed. It will take confidence—more for some than others—to study the risks of going forward. The leap will be easy for some; it will take many attempts to look beyond the chasm that separates us before a readiness to jump brings us together, but jump we must.

As the fog dissipates in the light of the morning sun, I consider Joe Biden’s often repeated statement that he will not be democratic president or a republican president but rather an American president. So in this new moment, in the aftermath of the election, having seen the deep and wide divide in our nation, my prayer will need to change. I must – yes, truly must, put myself in the shoes of those on the other side of the chasm and be willing to pray for the courage to find ways to jump into the future together.

A Saint for Today

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believe, change, growth, live, St. John Henry Newman, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

John Henry Newman (1801-1890) is one of the bright lights of Christian theology and is remembered especially for his writings on the lived experience of believers as it relates to theology. His name is familiar to many as the patron of ministry centers on university campuses in the United States, both public and private, exemplifying the motto he chose on becoming a cardinal: Cor ad cor loquitur (“Heart speaks to heart.”) Here are a few of Newman’s briefest, most salient quotes, worthy of our attention today.

1. To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.
2. Growth is the only evidence of life.
3. Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.
4. We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe.

The Flow of Life

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breath, breathe, change, flow, letting go, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today I’m sitting in the quiet, reflecting on the flow of life and how important it is not to upset that flow any more than is necessary if we are to continue to travel on an even keel. It is not generally our doing if schedules get changed or events get shifted around. We in the Northeast are at a moment in the year when the weather plays a big part in everyday plans. A big snowstorm cancels lots of things as does a death in family or friendship circles. We can fret and moan over the inconvenience of rescheduling, or take a breath and look for alternatives.

The best thing to do (and this takes a lot of practice) is to breathe in the change and then let go the distress. Sounds easy…breathing in and breathing out, right? We do that automatically. (I’m watching my breath as I type.) I have come to know the value of letting go for equanimity in daily life as well as for spiritual growth and I would recommend it – especially as we move into our biggest and most important holiday season. Not as easy as it sounds, I know!

Practice makes perfect…give it a try!

Monday

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acceptance, change, opportunities, seasons, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time passing, trust

Here come the geese flying south. They make quite a racket, even if there are only a few of them heading for the river at the border of our property. Soon I will know again – if I’m driving north on Interstate Route 81 for some reason – the thrill and danger of seeing hundreds (yes, literally hundreds of them) and trying to count as I drive. It is a fruitless activity of course; I usually give up quickly and just let the amazement of their “V” formation take my attention and gratitude as they cross the vast expanse of sky over the cornfields. It’s one of those late August signals of seasonal change – some would all it delight – like waking up to a temperature of 48 degrees F. and waiting for the sun to take us to 75 by mid-afternoon.

I remember hearing when I was much younger about the phenomenon of swifter time passage as we age. Now I know the truth of that feeling. “How did we get to the end of August?” I ask myself as I contemplate the date and the fact of facing another Monday upon awakening. There’s no sense in lamenting the days already gone; they won’t ever be back! Accepting what is and moving on, grateful for what is still to come, is the only way to travel this highway. There may be miracles hidden in the morning mist. We have only to trust until the sun breaks through and sets a clear course of opportunity for the gifts that this Monday holds.

Awareness, Awareness, Awareness

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awareness, change, consciousness, Eckhart Tolle, possessions, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Eckhart Tolle posted something this morning that caught my eye in its simplicity and its perfect depth of meaning. It was easily said, I suppose, as we are all about “catch phrases” these days, but I plan to spend time and effort with this one.

“Awareness,” he said, “is the greatest agent for change.”

I had been thinking about today’s gospel, the one I always refer to as “bigger barns” and talk about as akin to the relatively recent appearance of the storage units that dot the landscape in most towns these days. I wonder sometimes as I look around my bedroom how I acquired all the books I see or why I can’t find an empty hanger on which to place the laundry I just took out of the machine. How many of us can name all our possessions these days, I wonder.

Seeing what is in front of us to see and doing what is before us to do becomes more difficult unless we stand still for a moment every little while, look about us and shake off all the accretions of the last ten minutes. (I hyperbolize, no doubt, but only to make what I am coming to consider as a very important point.)

I challenge us all to see how long we can pay attention to anything in particular today before we fall out of consciousness. Let’s see what we see!

Do It Now!

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15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, advvice, change, daily, do it now, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time, urgency

For all you procrastinators out there (in which company I put myself these days) I offer today an interesting suggestion from Brian Johnson of “Optimize.” He got the idea in a session with John Maxwell and his book, 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, whose thesis was this: You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. Maxwell recounted his experience of a seminar with W. Clement Stone who spoke about having a sense of urgency (something I’ve been hearing about from people a lot lately). The talk was called “Do it now.” His idea was as follows.

Before you get out of bed every morning, say “do it now” fifty times. At the end of the day before you go to sleep, the last thing you should do is say “do it now” fifty times.” It sounds a bit like overkill but Johnson says that he did it for the next six months every morning and evening and it left him with a tremendous sense of urgency.

Maybe it’s time for you…or me to take this advice. “Nothing ventured nothing gained,” right?

Living in the Present

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change, conscious awareness, constant, present moment, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time, year

I’ve been astonished lately by the swiftness of time passage. I can hardly believe that May is waiting in the wings, appearing just after the coming weekend. I see or hear news of young people going off to college when my last marker was their sixth-grade band concert; trying to guess anyone’s age is a futile occupation lately. At the same time, the turning of the year seems so long ago in this season of never-ending winter. (I dare not say that aloud as it might jinx what looks like a true spring finally appearing!)

Time seems a concept less understandable than I formerly thought and, although there never seems to be enough of it for the important things, my sense of what is truly important has shifted lately. What appears now to be most crucially important is what appears before me – or within me – at any given moment. I am coming to understand that just as change is the only constant, presence is the only way to meet the changes happening all the time. The present moment is the only one we can be sure of, thus the necessity of attending to it with gusto. I am coming to realize that knowing this and choosing to practice conscious awareness so as not to miss the moment is enough. Now comes the task of staying awake…