“This is not a time to live without a practice. It is a time when all of us will need the most faithful, self-generated enthusiasm... in order to survive in human fashion.”
I agree with Alice Walker that this is not a time to live without a “practice”- a spiritual practice, a religious practice. But I’m not so sure about the phrase “self-generated enthusiasm” in her words above. Kids may be great at that, but I suspect that many of us adults aren’t feeling all that enthusiastic some days. Quite possibly, that’s one reason why we haul ourselves into Sunday services: because we know that in times like these, solo spiritual practices are not enough. We need group-generated enthusiasm.
I felt some of that group enthusiasm last Sunday- or SUN day. For those who missed it, we noted the autumnal equinox. We reflected on balance in our lives (or the lack thereof), the ways our society and earth are currently off-balance, and the power and potential of ordinary people to harness the sun and help re-balance the earth’s climate systems. Thanks to all who signed the petition to allow balcony solar in MA. If loving the earth and preserving a habitable planet is part of your spiritual or religious practice, our climate justice group would love to have you.
Alice Walker’s words above are almost two decades old. They come from her 2006 book We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness. A longer version of the quotation goes like this: “This is not a time to live without a practice. It is a time when all of us will need the most faithful, self-generated enthusiasm (enthusiasm: to be filled with god) in order to survive in human fashion. Whether we reach this inner state of recognized divinity through prayer, meditation, dancing, swimming, walking, feeding the hungry, or enriching the impoverished is immaterial. We will be doubly bereft without some form of practice that connects us, in a caring way, to what begins to feel like a dissolving world… Take some time to contemplate what sort of practice appeals to you.”
Don’t really have a practice? I beg to differ. Being part of a congregation and coming to services on a regular basis is a foundational spiritual practice. And if you’re looking for more, ask me about our small groups that set aside time and space to enthusiastically support spiritual practices such as creating, singing, reading, reflecting, listening, meditating, gardening, serving, offering public witness, etc. There’s no need to navigate these days while feeling alone.
Yours in the midst of the Days of Awe,
Rev. Lee
P.S. Some of you engage in the autumnal spiritual practice of choosing a “Tree of the Day” to appreciate and thank. It’s time!