Thinking Is NOT Over-rated!

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changing, chatter, clarity, commitment, courage, Holiday, ideas, Meg Wheatley, mindless, New Year's, resolutions, sorrowful, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, think, Turning To One Another, wasted moments, world

It seems strange that today is a holiday. Who ever thinks of January 2nd as special (except those whose birthdays or anniversaries are today)? Perhaps it’s always like that when New Year’s Day falls on Sunday, and maybe I had the same thought seven years ago but I don’t remember. Anyway, today feels like being given an extra ticket to an event and I don’t want to waste it. I haven’t settled on any resolutions for this year yet. All I know is that whatever I say I will do or be, I need to be seriously committed to carry it out. Conditions seem more serious in the world than ever before so I feel a need to be equally serious in my deliberations.

I’ve had a rare stretch of “down time” over the past few weeks – first because of that nasty cold that so many of us have contracted and then with quiet holidays and cold weather. Those conditions have been quite conducive to thinking and reading. Meg Wheatley has what seems an interesting thought for the day regarding this topic and a possible focus for me today. She says:

If we feel we’re changing in ways we don’t like, or seeing things in the world that make us sorrowful, then we need to time to think about this. We need time to think about what we might do and where we might start to change things. We need time to develop clarity and courage. If we want our world to be different, our first act needs to be reclaiming time to think. Nothing will change for the better until we do that. (Turning To One Another, p.99)

What might this mean for me? I think perhaps I will need to let go more deliberately of the mindless chatter inside my head and the wasted moments clicking on celebrity stories that show up on my computer when I’m in the process of reading the headlines. If these two things become disciplines, I might have more time and energy for deeper thinking and the reading that will lead – eventually – to more useful ideas about change in myself and in the world around me. Here’s hoping!

Graced Time

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John, love, Luke, spiritual practice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, think, visionary seeing, wisdom, Wisdom School

I am up earlier than usual this morning. My normal tactic of repeating, “Don’t think; don’t think…” did not send me back to dreamland today. As I read that “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand,” from today’s gospel (LK 11:17) I sense that my body is at war with my mind and my mind wins this time, knowing that it is a wiser choice to have an extra hour of time today before activities begin and that my body can, as a consolation prize, take a nap this afternoon during “free time” after lunch.

Last evening we began a four-day Wisdom School* here at the Spiritual Center where I live. Throughout this long weekend 15 seekers (10 guests, 2 cooks, and three presenters) with the prayer support of the Sisters who live here with me will consider through conversation, reflection and different spiritual practices/experiences what Visionary Seeing might mean. For this project, it is necessary for us to consciously put our minds in our hearts so as to see, as clearly as possible, from a unitive perspective: no warring of bodies/minds allowed! This is no easy task but joining as one in our desire to do everything with purpose, desire and attention, we may succeed in touching into a deeper reality than is often our day to day, task-oriented experience. Love is the key and our constant companion is the gospel acclamation for this morning from John 12: Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.

We welcome all virtual participants to join us in this graced time with the hope that eyes around the world may be opened to the peace that comes from the inner light of love.

*For more information about our Wisdom Schools, see http://www.wisdomswork.com.

Blindness

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blindness, bling leading the blind. trends, Jesus, Matthew, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, think

We had company last weekend. One of the visitors was a bright, lovely young lady who is turning 16 years old this month. We had a conversation about wardrobe when she appeared in jeans that were practically ripped to shreds from thigh to ankle. I asked if she bought them that way and, of course, she said yes (as I expected) because that is “all the rage” these days. I thought of that conversation this morning when I read the line (MT 15:14): “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Admittedly, jeans are not the subject of Jesus’ commentary this morning but it got me thinking about fads and how we “catch the wave” sometimes almost unconsciously – especially in language (“24/7” for example) and fashion, even if (ladies) it means looking like your skirt just got caught in a paper shredder! Jesus is talking about more serious things and we should consider how we speak on all manner of topics – spiritual, political and cultural – sometimes in generalities when all we know is a particular situation or incident. Clearly we are in an era where diversity is dangerous, even while our country is becoming more diverse. Acceptance depends on “fitting in” and we only have to look at the horror of teen suicide because of bullying to know that something is awry.

I could go on but would probably end up in a rant. The point this morning is to think before we speak, make choices from what we believe in no matter what the many cultures of our times tell us and accept others for their God-given humanity rather than rejecting them because they are different from us. And when we fall along the way, may there be a kind, compassionate, strong someone willing to pull us out of the pit!