15 ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLOTHESLINE PROJECT
IN THE NORTH WEST
Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from rape, completely safe from incest, completely safe from battering. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from sexism, racism and all forms of oppression. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life of respect, dignity and influence. Creating a violence free society is no more radical then the industrial revolution. People changed the world they lived in then, we can do it now; its up to us.
In the Fall of 1990 I began the Clothesline Project with a vision of a multi-colored clothesline telling of pain, promise and survival. One purpose was to help with the healing process as it gives females a safe and nonverbal way to tell their stories. It also helps the healing by contradicting the isolation as women see their shirt hanging next to another. A further purpose is to educate and inform everyone of the devastating effects of this violence. It lets potential perpetrators know the consequences of this action. And it exposes the roots of this violence which is sexism.
For quite a while now a primary focus of my work has been as an anti-racist. The issues are very similar to working on sexism. Everyone wants the problem to be "out there". They want to see the violence expressed on the Clothesline Project as being done by a few bad men. In reality it is the extreme conclusion of a society that conditions us within a cultural context of domination, control and privilege of the few. We are all a part of this system. Its influences how you and I behave often very unconsciously with groups "our" group traditionally oppresses. It effects how (unless we are owning class, able bodied, heterosexual, white, Christian men of the right age) we have internalized the oppression and projected it on each other to our serious disempowerment. An example was recently shared by a friend. She was at her therapists office which had the air conditioning turned up too high and everyone was freezing. 15 professional women agreed that the thermostat should be adjusted. When one of them went to do so they were interrupted by the one male in the office who said no so they all went back to their work in the cold. Or another example is a group of Quakers (known for civil rights and progressive action, who believe that there is that of God in everyone) called the police who came with three cars, sirens going to evict the one identifiable person of color in a community of over 200 people. Then on subsequent Sundays they physically barred the door to worship to her (for the first time in Quaker history to my knowledge), claiming she was disruptive, explicitly telling her that she is not welcome. As a life-long Friend (as well as a Jew) I am appalled and ashamed. As a product of this society I am embarrassed to say I understand.
As earthquakes tear the fabric of the land, so physical violence and the violence of oppression and injustice bring suffering and shred the harmony of inner peace. Ultimately, we all suffer spiritually in immense proportions for it alienates us from the roots of our being. By keeping us apart the violence hides how we are truly powerful. By proclaiming the agony of pain and the joy of healing with programs such as the Clothesline Project, we cut through some of the alienating aspects of this culture. This work makes it possible to weave ourselves into the process of transforming from victim to survivor to thriver, from perpetrator to seeker to ally, from people asleep to the Spirit, the wholeness, the oneness of humanity to full awareness.
Many of us have a dream of a world of peace and harmony. We dream of a world free of the violence and oppression that many people in the world experience continuously. We dream of a world free of violence against mother earth, against her creatures, against every woman, every child, every man. While this might seem an unattainable utopia, if we consider the changes that have occurred in peoples lives in the last 250 years, it is not so far fetched. Creating a violence free society is no more radical than the industrial revolution. In the early 1700's, houses had only a fireplace for heat. The process of canning food, refrigeration or many other tools that have improved the quality (or at least quantity) of our material lives did not exist. Then people with imagination, energy and vision dared to challenge the so called normal way of life even though they were thought of as dreamers, idealists and often as delusional. It is time now for us to challenge what many perceive to be normal. It is our turn here and now to put our strength, imagination, energy and vision to work.
There are people who after seeing a display feel overwhelmed by the pain and acts of hatred they've seen. Yes, the Clothesline Project portrays great suffering. Yet, we need to consider that the pain is balanced with healing and survival. Imagine a balanced world in which female, people of color and all human beings wisdom, vision and energy have equal authority and power. Sometimes I hear that someone is so angry that people can't hear her message. Anger is at times the most appropriate response. Personally, I am furious. Most men contribute to sexism, many women collude with it and I am angry at all of them. We are all living within a racist construct. A single black parent feels unsafe to worship with Quakers because of what is happening with another person of color. This makes me furious. Maybe the solution is not to ignore the anger but to acknowledge it up front, Yes I am angry. I am furious at the sexism and racism that seems inescapable, that disconnects us from the Divine spark in each other.
We do not have the luxury of saying that it is someone else's problem. We can not let ourselves be silenced by fear or apathy. Getting angry is important. It allows us to confront some of the assumptions we have been carrying about equality and gender. But what do we do with this energy? One thing we can do is quietly look within ourselves; see, acknowledge and make amends as we can, then let the anger motivate us to take action.
The Clothesline Project has been described as bearing witness to violence against women. Bearing witness means to be public and visible. It means that with sharpened awareness, we observe something that is evil, vicious, grievously wrong. It means that we do this work even when it is difficult or painful. Our presence makes it impossible for anyone to pretend that we do not exist. As yet another person joins the Clothesline Project movement or works to end violence against women, as another shirt is hung on the line we become more visible, no longer silent, no longer without power, no longer isolated from each other.
This future will be ours. The forces that would make true peace and justice happen are right here right now unfortunately the forces that would prevent this are also among us. It isn't the Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Riellys who ultimately defeat us, it is actually ourselves. Too often we succumb to the temptation of apathy. We think someone else will do it or our contribution would be too small to matter. But perhaps the biggest thing that gets in our way is how we treat each other. Respecting, supporting and loving the people we like is easy, although even here we sometimes take them for granted. It is much harder to respect, support and love those with whom we disagree or don't get along or don't understand because we have no cultural framework on which to categorize their behavior. However, this respect is essential if we are ever going to succeed. Certainly there are outside forces that want us divided. They encourage competition and distrust. Knowing this we can do something about it if it is contrary to the leadings of our heart. What it would be like if everyone here tonight dedicated an extra two hours a week to create a peaceful and just world.
Although violence hangs like a shroud around the globe, our past has shown that radical social change doesn't start with an intentionally organized and planned mass movement. It begins with individuals, people like you and you and you and me.
Its up to us and
We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Say this with me: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
And again: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Let's meet each other with love and respect. Let's keep up the struggle for a violence free world. Lets take time to smell the flowers and be thankful for the beauty in the world, for really its not about the pain. There is some higher purpose at work that perhaps is beyond our limited human capacity to understand. Lets imagine a violence free world. And let's walk together into a better tomorrow.
-----------
http://images.google.com/
http://www.google.com/
search for "Clothesline Project"
Friday
Tuesday
Living Waters
Living Waters
This is a very unsettling time. The Middle East could escalate into a conflagration with world-wide consequence far more serious then the price of gas. Provocation led to escalation then retaliation and so forth. This is happening not only on the world stage but in some of our communities as well. Misunderstandings can lead to alienation and it can seem like there’s no way back to a sense of kinship. Its not unusual for it to be generated by race or cultural dissonance, people whose thoughts, motives and behaviors seem outlandish and completely incongruent from our own sense of what’s rational especially when we all are under pressure. We become rigid, feeling righteous and in the right and that “they” are totally in the wrong.
So at this moment, putting some extra space in our lives for prayer is probably a good thing. Also taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty and experience small pleasures. At a recent sunset I walked barefoot on the sandbars at the end of Doctor Lords Road. It was so wonderful! The softness of the sand and coolness of the water. It was a beautiful and powerful part of my current exploration and connecting experiences with Living Waters and this prayer came to me:
*Oh God and God of our ancestors please
*Open up our eyes that we may see your beauty and light
*Open our ears to hear the wisdom of your voice that is beyond perceived difference and ideology
*Open our mouth to drink the living water that we might heal and be spiritually clean
*Open our lips to declare your glory and open our minds to your Truth that transcends wrong and right
*Open our hearts to your Love and our hands to the work for justice that you’ve explicitly given us
*Open our arms to your mercy and forgiveness
*Open our souls to join joyfully with your eternal oneness
*And God if it is your will, open us up completely to your everlasting wholeness, your peace.
Given the world situation the most rational thing we can and should do is repair and make whole any of our spiritual communities that are in distress. Without each other we are like a single hair, sometimes splintered and very easy to break. But when we are braided together we become indestructible. I know that I want and am willing to work for communities where our hearts are bound together in love, communities that is ever ready to see the Spark within even during disagreements. I as one individual am more than willing to further reconciliations but it needs group effort. It needs leadership and commitment. It needs us together joyously embracing diversity and seeking the healing of the Living Waters. Often conflicts are described as matches lighting kindling. The question is how do we not get burned or at least not be consumed in the flames? God’s grace or living waters surround us even when we are amidst the fire. The pain is still there but the water is also and can be a source of comfort and strength. God’s living waters is also a vehicle for spiritual cleansing, biblically described as ritual purity. It can cleanse away what keeps us separate from God as well as each other. Living waters used to create a sense of purity however are not magical. They speak of intention. We still have to do the hard work ourselves. We will be judged more by our actions then our aspirations.
One way of seeing what is going on is that the ugliness in people at this time is having to rise to the surface, be exposed so that it can be cleared away. Once this is done then their/our Light can shine without the veils and walls and garbage we've built. This cleansing makes it possible for us to more fully connect with the Creator. It also allows us to build healthy community and come together to work toward respect and true peace. Perhaps it is simply a phase of our evolutionary process, a step to the next stage of spiritual perfection which is coming upon us now very fast.
How can we all be an outward, active part of the process of cleansing or healing? I think one way is to put forth a vision - a vision of wholeness, of healthy behavior, of inclusion, a vision of God's beauty. So I’ve asked myself, when am I feeling out of God’s presence the most? The answer was when I think poorly about someone, when I complain, when I feel burdened, when I act out of fear or old distress. This is my responsibility. What is yours?
Each and every one of us has a vital purpose and unique talent. However our Light is not necessarily going to speak to everyone, and everyone’s not necessarily to us. We all need to accept and let each other be the authentic people we are without expectation or demands, without hostility. Just because it doesn't resonant with us doesn't mean it has no value.
We need to build peaceful and spirit filled places for worship and study. The divides come in what that means, how that is defined and achieved for each individual. So what I think we can specifically do to resolve disputes is:
1. to stay strong in the Spirit, strong in following the path God’s has given us.
2. Disengage from confrontation; walk away when necessary, de-escalate.
3. Look inside ourselves and be willing to work on those places that create tension and respect others as they do their best with this work
4. keep open to the Light, God’s spark within everyone and the possibility of new ways of seeing
5. acknowledge our part in creating the problem and what we are willing to give for a solution
6. Keep our hearts holding compassion for everyone open to and for forgiveness
7. Stay and put out a positive and optimistic vision,
8. trust in God and keep ourselves connected to that complete source of goodness.
9. Wait for the teachable moments keeping ever hopeful and helpful
10. share what is on our hearts and be available to listen fully to what is in others,
11. be able to listen to the Spirit as it speaks to and through and as it guides each of us.
12. give full authority to this personal and communal process and experience of the Divine.
13. not give up on each other and not give up on God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.
It is up to us collectively to build spiritual communities not necessarily where everyone is of like mind but where everyone turns to God, waiting for clarity from this source when necessary with a willingness to let go of personal desires in favor of God's. It is up to us collectively, to build a group where everyone is welcome to join fully in this holy experience to use the full extent of their talents within the framework of faith, to be with each other, even those with whom we disagree, in our joys and sorrows, our fears and our triumphs.
Years ago I said “Love is the most powerful force in the universe, just as the gentlest stream will eventually erode the hardest rock so love will eventually soften the hardest heart.” I still believe it. This is one way of answering "to what is god calling us?” Another way of saying the same thing is "to be holy people": "to love the Lord with all our hearts and souls and might and to love each other as ourselves". We have a higher purpose. Its time we start living it. Can you honestly say that God is calling you to something different? If we seek that infinite spirit we will find a peace beyond words. Nothing else is better - nothing else really matters.
Lets use this as an opportunity to let go of any "us vs. them" thinking, work together for good.
Lets stay as grounded as we can in the Spirit.
Lets keep our hearts open.
Lets appreciate the abundant blessings that are all around each of us.
Lets visualize the cleansing power of Living Waters and the healing of our souls, healing of our hearts and healing of our communities and healing of the world.
Lets stay strong and trust in that Power. It will not let us down, of that I am certain.
And finally, lets be optimistic. I think its quite possible that we are here and now at this place because God has a purpose for us. What a wonderful thing! We could be the perfect people at the perfect time to bring the perfect solution,
God willing.
So be of good cheer,
- breathe in, breathe out, hold each other in the Light.
In search of that perfect Love and Light and place of peace,
your
Rachel
"May the angel Michael; the strength and power of God be always at your right, may the angel Gabriel; the messenger of God be always on your left, and may Raphael; the healing power of God be always behind you. May Uriel; the Light of God always be before you and be your guide. And may above your head always be the Shechianah, the divine inner and outer presence of God surrounding and covering you with peace. For now and for ever, if it be God's will, let it be so" - for us all.
This is a very unsettling time. The Middle East could escalate into a conflagration with world-wide consequence far more serious then the price of gas. Provocation led to escalation then retaliation and so forth. This is happening not only on the world stage but in some of our communities as well. Misunderstandings can lead to alienation and it can seem like there’s no way back to a sense of kinship. Its not unusual for it to be generated by race or cultural dissonance, people whose thoughts, motives and behaviors seem outlandish and completely incongruent from our own sense of what’s rational especially when we all are under pressure. We become rigid, feeling righteous and in the right and that “they” are totally in the wrong.
So at this moment, putting some extra space in our lives for prayer is probably a good thing. Also taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty and experience small pleasures. At a recent sunset I walked barefoot on the sandbars at the end of Doctor Lords Road. It was so wonderful! The softness of the sand and coolness of the water. It was a beautiful and powerful part of my current exploration and connecting experiences with Living Waters and this prayer came to me:
*Oh God and God of our ancestors please
*Open up our eyes that we may see your beauty and light
*Open our ears to hear the wisdom of your voice that is beyond perceived difference and ideology
*Open our mouth to drink the living water that we might heal and be spiritually clean
*Open our lips to declare your glory and open our minds to your Truth that transcends wrong and right
*Open our hearts to your Love and our hands to the work for justice that you’ve explicitly given us
*Open our arms to your mercy and forgiveness
*Open our souls to join joyfully with your eternal oneness
*And God if it is your will, open us up completely to your everlasting wholeness, your peace.
Given the world situation the most rational thing we can and should do is repair and make whole any of our spiritual communities that are in distress. Without each other we are like a single hair, sometimes splintered and very easy to break. But when we are braided together we become indestructible. I know that I want and am willing to work for communities where our hearts are bound together in love, communities that is ever ready to see the Spark within even during disagreements. I as one individual am more than willing to further reconciliations but it needs group effort. It needs leadership and commitment. It needs us together joyously embracing diversity and seeking the healing of the Living Waters. Often conflicts are described as matches lighting kindling. The question is how do we not get burned or at least not be consumed in the flames? God’s grace or living waters surround us even when we are amidst the fire. The pain is still there but the water is also and can be a source of comfort and strength. God’s living waters is also a vehicle for spiritual cleansing, biblically described as ritual purity. It can cleanse away what keeps us separate from God as well as each other. Living waters used to create a sense of purity however are not magical. They speak of intention. We still have to do the hard work ourselves. We will be judged more by our actions then our aspirations.
One way of seeing what is going on is that the ugliness in people at this time is having to rise to the surface, be exposed so that it can be cleared away. Once this is done then their/our Light can shine without the veils and walls and garbage we've built. This cleansing makes it possible for us to more fully connect with the Creator. It also allows us to build healthy community and come together to work toward respect and true peace. Perhaps it is simply a phase of our evolutionary process, a step to the next stage of spiritual perfection which is coming upon us now very fast.
How can we all be an outward, active part of the process of cleansing or healing? I think one way is to put forth a vision - a vision of wholeness, of healthy behavior, of inclusion, a vision of God's beauty. So I’ve asked myself, when am I feeling out of God’s presence the most? The answer was when I think poorly about someone, when I complain, when I feel burdened, when I act out of fear or old distress. This is my responsibility. What is yours?
Each and every one of us has a vital purpose and unique talent. However our Light is not necessarily going to speak to everyone, and everyone’s not necessarily to us. We all need to accept and let each other be the authentic people we are without expectation or demands, without hostility. Just because it doesn't resonant with us doesn't mean it has no value.
We need to build peaceful and spirit filled places for worship and study. The divides come in what that means, how that is defined and achieved for each individual. So what I think we can specifically do to resolve disputes is:
1. to stay strong in the Spirit, strong in following the path God’s has given us.
2. Disengage from confrontation; walk away when necessary, de-escalate.
3. Look inside ourselves and be willing to work on those places that create tension and respect others as they do their best with this work
4. keep open to the Light, God’s spark within everyone and the possibility of new ways of seeing
5. acknowledge our part in creating the problem and what we are willing to give for a solution
6. Keep our hearts holding compassion for everyone open to and for forgiveness
7. Stay and put out a positive and optimistic vision,
8. trust in God and keep ourselves connected to that complete source of goodness.
9. Wait for the teachable moments keeping ever hopeful and helpful
10. share what is on our hearts and be available to listen fully to what is in others,
11. be able to listen to the Spirit as it speaks to and through and as it guides each of us.
12. give full authority to this personal and communal process and experience of the Divine.
13. not give up on each other and not give up on God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.
It is up to us collectively to build spiritual communities not necessarily where everyone is of like mind but where everyone turns to God, waiting for clarity from this source when necessary with a willingness to let go of personal desires in favor of God's. It is up to us collectively, to build a group where everyone is welcome to join fully in this holy experience to use the full extent of their talents within the framework of faith, to be with each other, even those with whom we disagree, in our joys and sorrows, our fears and our triumphs.
Years ago I said “Love is the most powerful force in the universe, just as the gentlest stream will eventually erode the hardest rock so love will eventually soften the hardest heart.” I still believe it. This is one way of answering "to what is god calling us?” Another way of saying the same thing is "to be holy people": "to love the Lord with all our hearts and souls and might and to love each other as ourselves". We have a higher purpose. Its time we start living it. Can you honestly say that God is calling you to something different? If we seek that infinite spirit we will find a peace beyond words. Nothing else is better - nothing else really matters.
Lets use this as an opportunity to let go of any "us vs. them" thinking, work together for good.
Lets stay as grounded as we can in the Spirit.
Lets keep our hearts open.
Lets appreciate the abundant blessings that are all around each of us.
Lets visualize the cleansing power of Living Waters and the healing of our souls, healing of our hearts and healing of our communities and healing of the world.
Lets stay strong and trust in that Power. It will not let us down, of that I am certain.
And finally, lets be optimistic. I think its quite possible that we are here and now at this place because God has a purpose for us. What a wonderful thing! We could be the perfect people at the perfect time to bring the perfect solution,
God willing.
So be of good cheer,
- breathe in, breathe out, hold each other in the Light.
In search of that perfect Love and Light and place of peace,
your
Rachel
"May the angel Michael; the strength and power of God be always at your right, may the angel Gabriel; the messenger of God be always on your left, and may Raphael; the healing power of God be always behind you. May Uriel; the Light of God always be before you and be your guide. And may above your head always be the Shechianah, the divine inner and outer presence of God surrounding and covering you with peace. For now and for ever, if it be God's will, let it be so" - for us all.
Thursday
Friends, a Metamorphosis
Friends, a metamorphosis is taking place. This is a critical time. Its like the transition from a caterpillar into a butterfly. What does a caterpillar know of life as a butterfly? It is so foreign to a being whose life is on the ground or in the somnolence of a cocoon as opposed to in the air with wings. Like the caterpillar, for us it can be very frightening to leave the comfort of what is familiar. It takes strength and patience to realize our struggles are just part of this process and to be with each other in gentleness and support.
This is our opportunity to rise to be better, more wholly spiritual and lead our communities to the same. To do this we need to take concrete action to get closer to God and closer to each other - to be in Love. One of the most difficult parts of this transition is that in order to awake to this new life we have to be as clean and clear as possible of everything that keeps us separate. This includes speaking up when those around us act in hurtful ways. It also includes accepting our own unacknowledged benefit from oppression and the denial of our culpability and responsibility. Examples are that in one of the more affluent communities in this wealthy nation our sick, poor and elderly are left to die homeless on the street or warehoused in lonely over medicated stupors. Another is when we refuse to grasp that the mere fact of skin color drastically effects a person's ability to fully realize their potential (as does other arbitrary things like sexual orientation, gender, appearance, faith, etc). We also are separated by letting our desires for material comfort or dominance for ourselves and our families become insatiable needs which blind us to the issues and bind us to a caterpillar’s life. We need to wake up to some uncomfortable truths about our world and ourselves. We must wake up then stand up then soar to a higher sphere of consciousness.
Telling someone that they are defective is not what this is about. There is a difference between pointing out areas where we as groups need to work and include ourselves (we - our) and singling out another individual for attack or moral condemnation (you – you’re). It is easy to give up on each other or give in to the temptation to scapegoat. Sometimes this behavior is used as a substitute for giving up on or blaming ourselves. However, bringing the things we are not proud of in ourselves to the surface gives us the chance for correction and is simply part of the process of evolution. All this ugliness must rise to the light. We can’t clean up what we can’t see. There is no need for guilt.
Through experience of the Divine Within -- that everlasting spark -- we can see that the positive approach works best. Difficult, painful situations are perennial as the grass. In dealing with actions which seem inconsistent with higher principles we can share, in compassion and humility, our own understanding. We can say or keep in our thoughts something (anything) to affirm their innate goodness. Being truly with each other in the struggle is vitally important. No one is beyond the redemptive power of love. If an individual seems cut-off from their spiritual roots we can be the one to take the initiative and with respect and care, labor with them. They just might have something to teach.
To really be part of this work and be true peace makers we need to understand that "us" and "them" are really the same and try not to take the distress, projection and lack of spiritual maturity to heart. This is a time when all the nasty meanness has to come out. The brighter we shine the more this will happen around us. Nevertheless now is not the time to retreat. Yes its painful but we can be as ducks whose beautiful feathers let the water just roll off. We can hold oneself above the garbage in gentleness and patience.
We can also realize that it’s all about attitude and our attitude is something we have some control over. Holding onto anger does no one any good. Smile and breathe, laugh and touch. Relax and be happy. This is a challenge when things are hard. The process of the butterfly transition is not going to be pleasant, either in our interpersonal interactions or in the physical world. Upheavals will continue and intensify. We are poised for some country taking the war nuclear, bird flu, a worse than 911 type terror attack, an asteroid of ice falling into the Atlantic, stock or housing market crashing, an earthquake sending the coast into the sea, other catastrophic natural disasters or any sort of combination. The most important thing we can do to prepare is remember we are aligned with the Creator and the deep goodness within each of us. Lets be part of a rebirth of peace, respect and harmony between us. Lets be open and fearless in our search for truth. Lets together resolve that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Lets together nurture healthy communities and relationships. We are all called to a sacred purpose. Lets make a commitment to have our work be of service, trusting that this Power will work in each person. Our time is limited.
Each of our traditions has instructions - follow them (without using religion as a shield or weapon to justify negative judgments). Each of our hearts longs to connect with others in love. Do it - let go of all that keeps us separate. Act out of our higher selves; out of that place of kindness, forgiveness and forbearance and call others to the same. In this way I believe we can truly be the beings of our destiny.
Poem by Kabir ( 1500's Indian mystic/poet)
Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables,
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
(day 22)
This is our opportunity to rise to be better, more wholly spiritual and lead our communities to the same. To do this we need to take concrete action to get closer to God and closer to each other - to be in Love. One of the most difficult parts of this transition is that in order to awake to this new life we have to be as clean and clear as possible of everything that keeps us separate. This includes speaking up when those around us act in hurtful ways. It also includes accepting our own unacknowledged benefit from oppression and the denial of our culpability and responsibility. Examples are that in one of the more affluent communities in this wealthy nation our sick, poor and elderly are left to die homeless on the street or warehoused in lonely over medicated stupors. Another is when we refuse to grasp that the mere fact of skin color drastically effects a person's ability to fully realize their potential (as does other arbitrary things like sexual orientation, gender, appearance, faith, etc). We also are separated by letting our desires for material comfort or dominance for ourselves and our families become insatiable needs which blind us to the issues and bind us to a caterpillar’s life. We need to wake up to some uncomfortable truths about our world and ourselves. We must wake up then stand up then soar to a higher sphere of consciousness.
Telling someone that they are defective is not what this is about. There is a difference between pointing out areas where we as groups need to work and include ourselves (we - our) and singling out another individual for attack or moral condemnation (you – you’re). It is easy to give up on each other or give in to the temptation to scapegoat. Sometimes this behavior is used as a substitute for giving up on or blaming ourselves. However, bringing the things we are not proud of in ourselves to the surface gives us the chance for correction and is simply part of the process of evolution. All this ugliness must rise to the light. We can’t clean up what we can’t see. There is no need for guilt.
Through experience of the Divine Within -- that everlasting spark -- we can see that the positive approach works best. Difficult, painful situations are perennial as the grass. In dealing with actions which seem inconsistent with higher principles we can share, in compassion and humility, our own understanding. We can say or keep in our thoughts something (anything) to affirm their innate goodness. Being truly with each other in the struggle is vitally important. No one is beyond the redemptive power of love. If an individual seems cut-off from their spiritual roots we can be the one to take the initiative and with respect and care, labor with them. They just might have something to teach.
To really be part of this work and be true peace makers we need to understand that "us" and "them" are really the same and try not to take the distress, projection and lack of spiritual maturity to heart. This is a time when all the nasty meanness has to come out. The brighter we shine the more this will happen around us. Nevertheless now is not the time to retreat. Yes its painful but we can be as ducks whose beautiful feathers let the water just roll off. We can hold oneself above the garbage in gentleness and patience.
We can also realize that it’s all about attitude and our attitude is something we have some control over. Holding onto anger does no one any good. Smile and breathe, laugh and touch. Relax and be happy. This is a challenge when things are hard. The process of the butterfly transition is not going to be pleasant, either in our interpersonal interactions or in the physical world. Upheavals will continue and intensify. We are poised for some country taking the war nuclear, bird flu, a worse than 911 type terror attack, an asteroid of ice falling into the Atlantic, stock or housing market crashing, an earthquake sending the coast into the sea, other catastrophic natural disasters or any sort of combination. The most important thing we can do to prepare is remember we are aligned with the Creator and the deep goodness within each of us. Lets be part of a rebirth of peace, respect and harmony between us. Lets be open and fearless in our search for truth. Lets together resolve that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Lets together nurture healthy communities and relationships. We are all called to a sacred purpose. Lets make a commitment to have our work be of service, trusting that this Power will work in each person. Our time is limited.
Each of our traditions has instructions - follow them (without using religion as a shield or weapon to justify negative judgments). Each of our hearts longs to connect with others in love. Do it - let go of all that keeps us separate. Act out of our higher selves; out of that place of kindness, forgiveness and forbearance and call others to the same. In this way I believe we can truly be the beings of our destiny.
Poem by Kabir ( 1500's Indian mystic/poet)
Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables,
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
(day 22)
Holy Obedience: From Worship to Witness
(The following was published onthe front page of
"The New England Friend" Spring 2006 issue
http://www.neym.org/NewEnglandFriend/index.html)
“And the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of God, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind – an earthquake. After the earthquake – fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Ki 19:12) This was the experience of Elijah hearing and accepting God’s call. Its one thing to hear a voice. Its another to hear what is being asked and trust in the power. What did and does this voice ask? It did not say to Elijah that he should return and sit quietly in his cave or in my case a Friends Meeting simply connecting to the power of love and peace. He was told to make a huge nuisance of himself; charged with bringing the people to God or else they would perish. The prophets had intense struggles, they were ridiculed, attacked, many times having to flee for their lives. Prophetic mystery-ministry involves embracing the struggle. Not only what is seen in the outer world but the internal struggle as well.
Listening to “a still small voice” has been central to my being a spiritual person raised in a Quaker family. While the social concerns of Friends were important, I saw a sharp divide between those Friends who were peace activists and those who were mystics. I clearly and unequivocally identified with the latter. The first message I gave in a Meeting for Worship was in the beginning years of Framingham Monthly Meeting when we were meeting in peoples living rooms. I was twelve and simply said “God is Love”. This was so real to me. My spiritual obedience was and to a large part remains simply to love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soul and with all my might and do my best to love my neighbor as myself. It hasn’t been easy and I fail much of the time but being obedient, being faithful means to make the attempt even with all our sometimes way too humanness.
Twenty four years later after attending George School and worshiping in Friends Meetings up and down the east coast I returned to the Friends Meeting in Yarmouth where as a child I worshiped with my family during the summer months. I had a opening and gave the second message of my life. It was essentially the same. God is in essence love and its our job to manifest this in the world. What is wanted from us is to do our part to build a world of peace. The ultimate wish for us is that we live in such a world; a world of harmony, faith, beauty and joy.
I heard that alleviating the suffering of the oppressed is vital - that we are joined together; as one suffers so do we all. I needed to take appropriate initiative and provide unconditionally support for others; to learn and model being an ally. The impossibility of achieving a world of peace when any group has to deal with discrimination and violence grew over the next 4 years into a conviction that the necessary healing can not take place until the oppressor and those who let hostility happen learn they have a spiritual disease. It is an unfelt, invisibly but soul obscuring attitude. Thus in 1990 began the Clothesline Project, to bear witness to violence against women.
I devoted myself to this issue for five years but the still small voice was not finished with me. There was a repeated call, an opening waiting for me to unlock my heart. When I did I had a very rude awakening about oppression. The perpetrator was me. I was steeped in a culture of racism and benefited without awareness of white privilege. It was time for me to embrace the struggle in a different and scary way. The witness became two fold, a witness in the world and a self witness.
For me, now at East Sandwich Friends, the journey from worship to witness travels as a circle. Witness leads back to worship, worship to witness, all embraced in a mantle of holy obedience. All I have to do is get out of the way. Too often I am trying to lead the Light into my activities rather then let the Light lead me. Being obedient means surrender to a particular spiritual path united through the heart, sustained through the breath, the voice. If ever there was a time to work together its now. Our time is short. We are joined together in Light; in oneness, to heal in order to fully connect with that which is eternal. Trust God’s power with gratitude and love. Be ready to change.
Rachel Carey-Harper
"The New England Friend" Spring 2006 issue
http://www.neym.org/NewEnglandFriend/index.html)
“And the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of God, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind – an earthquake. After the earthquake – fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Ki 19:12) This was the experience of Elijah hearing and accepting God’s call. Its one thing to hear a voice. Its another to hear what is being asked and trust in the power. What did and does this voice ask? It did not say to Elijah that he should return and sit quietly in his cave or in my case a Friends Meeting simply connecting to the power of love and peace. He was told to make a huge nuisance of himself; charged with bringing the people to God or else they would perish. The prophets had intense struggles, they were ridiculed, attacked, many times having to flee for their lives. Prophetic mystery-ministry involves embracing the struggle. Not only what is seen in the outer world but the internal struggle as well.
Listening to “a still small voice” has been central to my being a spiritual person raised in a Quaker family. While the social concerns of Friends were important, I saw a sharp divide between those Friends who were peace activists and those who were mystics. I clearly and unequivocally identified with the latter. The first message I gave in a Meeting for Worship was in the beginning years of Framingham Monthly Meeting when we were meeting in peoples living rooms. I was twelve and simply said “God is Love”. This was so real to me. My spiritual obedience was and to a large part remains simply to love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soul and with all my might and do my best to love my neighbor as myself. It hasn’t been easy and I fail much of the time but being obedient, being faithful means to make the attempt even with all our sometimes way too humanness.
Twenty four years later after attending George School and worshiping in Friends Meetings up and down the east coast I returned to the Friends Meeting in Yarmouth where as a child I worshiped with my family during the summer months. I had a opening and gave the second message of my life. It was essentially the same. God is in essence love and its our job to manifest this in the world. What is wanted from us is to do our part to build a world of peace. The ultimate wish for us is that we live in such a world; a world of harmony, faith, beauty and joy.
I heard that alleviating the suffering of the oppressed is vital - that we are joined together; as one suffers so do we all. I needed to take appropriate initiative and provide unconditionally support for others; to learn and model being an ally. The impossibility of achieving a world of peace when any group has to deal with discrimination and violence grew over the next 4 years into a conviction that the necessary healing can not take place until the oppressor and those who let hostility happen learn they have a spiritual disease. It is an unfelt, invisibly but soul obscuring attitude. Thus in 1990 began the Clothesline Project, to bear witness to violence against women.
I devoted myself to this issue for five years but the still small voice was not finished with me. There was a repeated call, an opening waiting for me to unlock my heart. When I did I had a very rude awakening about oppression. The perpetrator was me. I was steeped in a culture of racism and benefited without awareness of white privilege. It was time for me to embrace the struggle in a different and scary way. The witness became two fold, a witness in the world and a self witness.
For me, now at East Sandwich Friends, the journey from worship to witness travels as a circle. Witness leads back to worship, worship to witness, all embraced in a mantle of holy obedience. All I have to do is get out of the way. Too often I am trying to lead the Light into my activities rather then let the Light lead me. Being obedient means surrender to a particular spiritual path united through the heart, sustained through the breath, the voice. If ever there was a time to work together its now. Our time is short. We are joined together in Light; in oneness, to heal in order to fully connect with that which is eternal. Trust God’s power with gratitude and love. Be ready to change.
Rachel Carey-Harper
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)