Seminary Musings: Connected to the Other through the Stars and Soil
Friends,
On this Day of Epiphany, and before my next term at school holds my time hostage once again, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the emerging thoughts that have been personally prominent these past few months. As we take time today to reflect on the legendary Three Wise Men, kingly magis who had deep knowledge of the links between the Divine and the cosmos, may we too ponder how we invite our celestial neighbors to inform our sense of awe of the Grand Story in which we continue to participate.
Great Impressions
There are some souls you come across in your life whose imprint they make on your own is more than the hands you hold every day. Richard Twiss (Taoyate Obnajin: He Stands With His People) was such a soul. And today, as the world cries, dances and drums their response to his death, I am humbled and challenged by the deep and lasting impression Richard made on my life.
Cookie Love
The amazing, magical thing that always happened-whether I was sad, depressed, lonely, dejected, or vulnerable-was that this process of baking cookies and giving them away truly sorted me out! I could be in the most dispirited of states and as the baking ritual commenced, I could feel myself lifting. My mind would initially focus on the chemistry of the cookie (1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup sugar, 4 cups flour...) and then center on the recipient. My thoughts were no longer wallowing in self-proclaimed pity, they were reaching out to someone else, and to another's story, who needed an extra dose of sweetness in their given season. The cookies created a shared moment that acknowledged another and put life back in perspective.
Living in Fear
We all live in fear to some extent or another. There is a spectrum of this emotional response and absolutely, there are situations and contexts that warrant this self-preserving stance. If we were to do a broad-stroke generalization though, what is the typical object of this fear? I daresay that the average common characteristic of these fiends is difference
Other and the Future
this is the hopeful intention of Waymarkers: the blog. Our lives are a pilgrimage. Each of us has been called to journey thoughtfully and intentionally through our days. We are asked to see the sacred all around us, but specifically in those other than ourselves. What exactly does this mean? It really is as simple as it sounds: anyone OTHER than you. This includes those that don’t look like you, act like you, live like you, or think like you. We are called to see them, travel with them, and yes, even live on BEHALF of them. This process of linking Other to our self begins the transformational unfolding of Other becoming Neighbor, and ultimately, in practicing the universal command of “Love your neighbor as yourself”, becoming your self. For when this conversion occurs, we suddenly cannot look away from the injustices and pain experienced by those other than ourselves, for it is now happening to US. We now journey forward on behalf of a common good for ALL.