Exploring what's in us in the wake of the Earthquake

In Compassionate Conversations class tonight, we used Grok cards (nvcproducts.com) to help us connect on a deeper level with the feelings and needs that are stirring in us after hearing the news of the earthquake, tsunami, explosion @ nuclear power plant etc. Wow! I figured that people were reeling from this, but I must admit to being surprised by the depth at which the news was affecting people.

I realized that I have been in denial. I have quick answers;theological ones, rational ones, helpful ones. Although these answers have been useful to me in the past, I realized that now they were simply more thoughts that were standing in my way of being with "what is". Despite "knowing better," I somehow believed that I could be unaffected by recent news from Japan. I had been telling myself; "I have a lot going on, and just don't have space for this right now." As I listened to others, I not only connected to them but also to the grief, hopes and concerns that were already inside of me.

The first participant shared the thoughts that had occupied her mind. She gave us some clues as to her feelings. She said that she had stayed with people in Japan a few years ago, and that she had long been a believer in the safety of nuclear power. Now she felt overwhelmed.

As she spoke she seemed to connect with the pain that was insider her. And this seemed to bring life into her. When people reflected back the important things they heard her saying, she seemed to become even more present. Then suddenly, an idea flashed insider her. It was a simple idea but obviously meant a lot to her. She realized that she could and would try to the contact the people she had met in Japan. You could almost see the electricity move through her body, as she integrated her epiphany. Later she explained that she had been excited by the thought of them receiving her letters and hearing of her concern. She began smiling. There was a profound shift in her appearance.

We may tell ourselves that this is news from far away and is not affecting us. In the face of what has been visited upon the people in Japan, it's easy to dismiss as unimportant any effect this is having on us.

There exists in each of us, an unseen world. Waves of thought and emotion are moving through us. When we reflected and shared with each other what was stimulated by the news from Japan, this unseen world became visible- at least in part. We got a glimpse at what Echart Tolle calls "the pain body" traveling with us. Awakening to the waves of thought and emotion, we also became more aware of the bonds between us, and realized the connection of humanity that extends around the globe.

Becoming less numb, even to pain and things that are hard to be with, ... no longer turning away, opened a door from which a surprising guest entered. Beauty became our companion, as we saw more clearly the humanity in the room.

MLK "How Long?"

1-16-11
Again today I used my pulpit to preach the gospel of nonviolence. We were celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday. So it was a straight shot.

One of perks of preaching is that I get to keep what I give away. Today I gained encouragement, confidence and patience regarding the lag time between seeding and harvesting. Often that lag time is quite significant. It took 15 years before legislation to make King's birthday a holiday passed, 18 years before the first observance, and 32 years before the last state (SC) began observing the holiday.

But that's nothing. To the extent that Martin's message of nonviolence was inherited from Jesus, the lag time for fruition has been two milenium thus far. Christianity has itself ignored the centrality of nonviolence to Jesus message and ministry has been ignored for nearly 2000 years. By asserting that King's nonviolence was based in an understanding of Jesus's nonviolence teachings, I'm offering more evidence for how long it sometimes takes a long time for a message to take root.

those of us who seek to establish the consciousness and practice of nonviolence on a societal level, need to remember the magnitude of the task we've chosen. I'm not suggesting that we wait. I am intending to challenge the discouraged view that assumes "if it hasn't happened yet, it probably isn't going to happen."

Choices made by Martin Luther King continue to bear fruit. It is still early in the growing season. King said "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." He made that statement during the speech on the steps of the capital of Alabama after the successful completion of the Selma to Montgomery march.

If you want encouragement, watch 2 min from this speech, which has come to be known as the "How Long" speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAYITODNvlM

It may seem that the magnitude of the change is so great that there is little we can do. It may seem that we must wait until societal structures change. I've come to the conclusion that we must not only "keep our eyes on the prize" in terms of social change, but also do the work on our own heart and soul to become more effective agents of change. Dom Barter said that the biggest obsticle to our being effective in facilitating restorative circles is our own retributive justice consciousness. For us, who would create restorative systems, it may be neccessary to enroll in a long term education effort to shift our tendency from diagnosing what we see as right or wrong, good or bad. .. We can realize our own inclination to influence through reward and punishment, and begin to hear all communications as expressing a desire to make life more wonderful.

I have felt frustrated that I haven't created that RC system yet. Today reminded me that there is often a long season of labor before the harvest.