Two weeks back I went to visit a friend on the Smith College campus later on a Saturday night and came across the scene of a bicycle accident at the bottom of Northampton's busy main street. As I was stopped at a red light, I took in the sight; it was upsetting. I thought about the bicyclist and prayed for the next two days when I found out that he was a teenager from my town. I continued to think of him and pray for him. Today I read in the paper that he died.
The loss of a young life is always something we call tragic and this particular accident makes me think of a dearly beloved young woman, a yoga student of mine, who was killed many years ago by an armored truck while bicycling near Smith College.
These events grieve me, and I can taste only the smallest amount of sorrow the families must feel. What is left for us to do? Can we only pray and send good wishes?
No, there is more we can do, much more.
A couple of years ago I was asked to officiate at the memorial service of an infant who passed on at three days old. I spent some time talking with the little girl's mother. She felt a sense of urgency about the teaching power of her daughter. To the question, "what can I do? What can we do?" she had this to say: "I want those who have babies and children to hold them closer, love them more because of my daughter's passing, savor their days together in gratitude."
My New Haven yoga teacher used to often regal her classes with woefully upsetting true stories like the ones I have just shared with you. I can still remember a few of her gruesome tales. But she was not a newspaper reporting the facts. She always brought home the redemptive message: be grateful that you are alive!
More than that, I want to say today to all of you, and to myself, THIS is the day! This is the day to let go of the past, to forgive yourself, to forgive someone else, to love truly, to step out in faith and away from the distractions that do not serve you into the life you have been called to live (even little ones like the pressure to have a clean house or keep up with Joneses or excel at work you do not have the call to perform). This is an urgent message, because life is powerful and it is yours right now.
The wonderful poet Mary Oliver is often quoted for her line: "what will you do with your one wild and precious life?" Of course I love her work and this line, but I am thinking today of this question: "who will you be in your life?" So many of us are absolutely overwhelmed with the quantity of DO-ING in our lives and I do not want to ask you (or myself!) to do another thing. In fact, it may be time to stop doing a few things that are not part of your calling. It is so cliche to simply say if this were the last day of your life, what would you do? But the "tragedies" around us are not merely grief-stricken moments, particularly when they do not belong to us, when we are, as I was the other night, a silent witness. We can seize the sympathy and sorrow and do as my friend who lost her baby so earnestly and poignantly wanted--love more deeply, live more truly, rise up in gratitude, let go of what doesn't serve us, and move quickly and faithfully into the life in which are being-ness is a gift to others and ourselves.
THIS is the day! Maybe start small. Let go of one unnecessary task that does not serve you. Forgive one person. Live alive and honor those who have gone on before us with your vitality and passion.
Rev. Sam Wilde
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Meet in Your Hearts
On a recent dive trip to the Carribean, I learned the importance of going with the flow, focusing on the heart, and opening to perspectives differing from my own as an important part of the spiritual path. Spiritual Path meaning a path toward deepening in love, peace, and compassion.
During this extremely polarized period in American politics between
Conservative and liberal thinkers, we can find ourselves experiencing
Strong antagonism toward human beings believing in views opposing
Our personal beliefs and sentiments.
On my trip, I was assigned to room with a woman scientist who did not believe in global warming, who blamed every challenge the USA faces on liberals, who believes that the New York Times is devoid of credibility, and who was comfortable with the way banks and cooperations manage their power. She is conservative in her perspective. She belongs to the religious right. I do not share her views.
She triggered strong reactivity inside of my body. I saw that I was emotionally attached to my "open" perspective. I noticed that to live in love and to create a harmonious relationship that we needed to meet in our hearts and not in our heads. My yoga teacher, Swami Satchidananda used to say that people will find it easier to meet in their hearts. Minds tend to focus on differences.
Acknowledging that ultimately we are ONE in spirit, I tried to breathe, to stay open and to listen to my roommate.
Trying not to shut down and tune her out, became my daily practice for the week we were together. Seeking to be present to my roommate instead of invalidating her, I chose to appreciate her good sense of humor, her generosity and her considerate actions. We lived in peace. We enjoyed our time together. Agreeing to disagree and setting boundaries when I felt that I needed personal space, we had a supportive and loving relationship sharing a room together.
Our world is suffering tremendously from the inability to rise beyond polarities. When spirit comes into form there are automatically two Entities. On the simplest level,there is form and no form.
As form divides there are two and then form grows into the infinite. Spiritual vision honors the forms while maintaining the awareness of the one spirit dwelling in all form, in all that exists.
Rev. Supriya Swerdlick
During this extremely polarized period in American politics between
Conservative and liberal thinkers, we can find ourselves experiencing
Strong antagonism toward human beings believing in views opposing
Our personal beliefs and sentiments.
On my trip, I was assigned to room with a woman scientist who did not believe in global warming, who blamed every challenge the USA faces on liberals, who believes that the New York Times is devoid of credibility, and who was comfortable with the way banks and cooperations manage their power. She is conservative in her perspective. She belongs to the religious right. I do not share her views.
She triggered strong reactivity inside of my body. I saw that I was emotionally attached to my "open" perspective. I noticed that to live in love and to create a harmonious relationship that we needed to meet in our hearts and not in our heads. My yoga teacher, Swami Satchidananda used to say that people will find it easier to meet in their hearts. Minds tend to focus on differences.
Acknowledging that ultimately we are ONE in spirit, I tried to breathe, to stay open and to listen to my roommate.
Trying not to shut down and tune her out, became my daily practice for the week we were together. Seeking to be present to my roommate instead of invalidating her, I chose to appreciate her good sense of humor, her generosity and her considerate actions. We lived in peace. We enjoyed our time together. Agreeing to disagree and setting boundaries when I felt that I needed personal space, we had a supportive and loving relationship sharing a room together.
Our world is suffering tremendously from the inability to rise beyond polarities. When spirit comes into form there are automatically two Entities. On the simplest level,there is form and no form.
As form divides there are two and then form grows into the infinite. Spiritual vision honors the forms while maintaining the awareness of the one spirit dwelling in all form, in all that exists.
Rev. Supriya Swerdlick
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