  Spiritual
This week: We Are All in the Same Boat Edited by: Sophy  
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Hi, I'm Sophy ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter. This week we'll explore our interconnectedness.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book "Finding Your Religion," compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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We Are All in the Same Boat
You are me and I am you.
It is obvious that we are inter-are.
You cultivate the flower in
yourself so that I will be beautiful.
I transform the garbage in myself so
that you do not have to suffer.
I support you, you support me.
I am here to bring you peace
you are here to bring me joy.
~ Thich Naht Hanh ~
One day when I was sitting quiet and feeling like a motherless child, which I was, it came to me: that feeling of being part of everything, not separate at all. I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed. And I laughed and I cried and I run all around the house. I knew just what it was. In fact, when it happen, you can't miss it.
~ The Color Purple, Alice Walker ~
This week we return to our occasional series based on the Spiritual Literacy Alphabet, reflecting on the letter C for "connections" or more specifically, our interconnectedness. Here is how it is described on the Spirituality and Practice web site:
Separateness is an illusion. That's what we learn through the spiritual practice of connections. Everything is interrelated - in time, space, and our very being. Both religion and science reveal this truth - Hinduism's image of Indra's net, Buddhism's understanding of interbeing, the experiences of the mystics, the teachings of ecology and physics, even the Internet. One definition of spirituality is "the art of making connections." There are certain givens: The one is made up of many. One thing always leads to another. Everything is related to everything else. You practice connections, then, by consciously tracing the links connecting you with other beings. Any point is a good starting place - your family line, your work, your back yard. Watch for the moments when the separations disappear. And don't be shy about naming mystical experiences as such when you experience them. The practice of connections reinforces holistic thinking and our awareness of how the spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of our being interpenetrate and nourish each other. It enables us to see the big picture.
For better or worse, whether we like it or not, the plain truth is that we are connected, not only to our family, friends, and this community of writers, but also to all of the residents, animals, and trees of our cities and towns, to the cows, chickens, and pigs on farms in the surrounding county-side, to the soldiers and citizens in Afghanistan, and to the humpback whales who breed and breech off the coast of Maui every winter. We are a part of and connected to every other part of creation, every being - past, present, and future.
Both religion and science reveal this truth. For instance, from the world of religion, Paul's letter to the church at Corinth offers his understanding of our connectedness as being part of one body, through Christ, in need of all the other parts. And the Buddhist / Hindu myth of Indra's Net also provides a perfect allegory of this interdependent organization. This net exists in Indra's palace in heaven and extends infinitely in all directions. At each node of the net where threads cross there is a perfectly clear gem, which in turn reflects all the other gems in the net. As each gem reflects all the others, so too are we affected by every other system in the universe. Thus when we learn to recognize what Thoreau referred to as "the infinite extent of our relations," we can trace the strands and discover the glittering jewels of our global neighbors.
From the world of science we have, among other things, the butterfly effect. The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear (or, for that matter, prevent a tornado from appearing). The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. In other words, had the butterfly not flapped its wings in that time, in that place, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. There are numerous other examples of interconnectedness in the world of physics and ecology, and even the Internet is a great example of our connections to each other in a global sense.
I think it is vital for us to be intentionally conscious of the reality of our connectedness; to be aware of what we are putting out there in the universe and how it may affect others. The Spirituality and Health web site says that modern humanity has a tendency to compartmentalize our experiences, to put them into neat little boxes instead of seeing them as parts of a whole, which is a cultural as well as a personal habit. In addition, the history of our world is plagued by dueling dualisms: mind vs. body, humans vs. nature, God vs. the world, science vs. religion, country vs. city, male vs. female, Republican vs. Democrat, us vs. them. Paying attention to our connections instead of our differences erases such arbitrary and unnecessary distinctions and reminds us that we are all part of the same whole, and reinforces our awareness of how the spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of our being interpenetrate and nourish each other. In other words, it enables us to see the big picture. I especially like how Lawrence Kushner puts it, "The more we comprehend our mutual interdependence, the more we fathom the implications of our most trivial acts. We find ourselves within a luminous organism of sacred responsibility."
Perhaps you can exercise your "connectedness" muscle by writing about our connections with the rest of the universe. The "Spirituality and Health" web site offers these helpful suggestions for journal writing as one way to write about this practice.
• One of the most common demonstrations of connections is the experience of a synchronicity or a meaningful coincidence, when we realize that two apparently random things have happened together for a purpose. It might be meeting someone at just the right moment, a dream that comes true in waking life, or a communication with the dead. Describe one of these experiences and assess its impact on your life's direction.
• The butterfly effect is a term used to describe how an interconnected universe responds to particular actions; if a butterfly is hurt here, the effect is felt even in distant galaxies. Write about how one of your deeds might reverberate in a distant place.
If you come up with something, pass it on to me for sharing in the July newsletter. Until then, Write on!  Sophy
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Below you'll find some offerings from other WDC members about connectedness. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review.
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|  | The Circle (E)
This poem is close to my heart and expresses my Native American beliefs.
#1299827 by PolarB  |
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A poem about the connection between the human heart & the spiritual aspects of the ocean.
#1025956 by Shiana |
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Now for a few comments about my last newsletter about the importance of doubt as part of our spiritual journeying:
From From johnny1209
Hi Sophy. Well written.. nice job. I had a time of grief after my baby daughter died. I questioned God and, at times, felt abandoned by Him but I don't think I've ever doubted His existence since I became a Christian. Enjoy the newsletter.
John, http://www.jwmcministries.com
Thank you for your kind comments. The loss of a child is so devastating it's no wonder one would question God in the midst of loss and pain. Blessings to you on your path.
    
From From Zeke 
Doubt is a tool Satan uses to make us substitute our pitiful reasoning in place of the inspired word of our Creator.
Zeke
Thanks for weighing in -- obviously we disagree about this. I believe doubt is the "ants in the pants" of our faith, which keep us moving forward and make us stronger. Blessings to you on your path.
From From dawsonjohn
Thank you Sophie - a thought provoking newsletter. In our journey towards wisdom we come to realise what we don't know - less is more! Keep up the good work :)
Thanks so much for your kind words!
From From salliemoffitt
Wonderful newsletter! Thank you for sharing your feelings about doubting the existence of a god. I believe many people feel as you do, but we are the silent majority, not the vocal minority.
Sallie
Doubt journeys with us and keeps us moving forward -- I much prefer spiritual searching over religious certainty, and my path has been made all the richer for it. Thanks for reminding me that there are many of us in this same boat.
From From intuey of House Lannister 
Sophy,
Thank you for your personal, passionate and opened comments in this NL. I am a firm believer in God, but there are times I too doubt- it may be only passing, but it's still there. I use to worry about possessing these doubting thoughts, until a well-liked preacher (Joel Osteen) announced one morning in his sermon (or inspirational speech) that even he had doubts at times. He said we all did, because we're human, and doubt is a human emotion. His confession I feel was a direct answer to my prayer the night before, over my concern of having such doubts.
Thanks for a great NL.
I wish you the best on your journey 
Tracey
Thanks so much for sharing you comments, and the words of Joel Osteen. Of course doubt is normal and human -- it's what we do with the doubt that matters.
From From J.Cat
Doubt as a companion? Thank you for the suggestion. Its a reality, like fear, uncertainties, whatever. I've also heard somewhere that doubt is the beginning of wisdom, and thanks for suggesting as a companion, and welcome it in real living.
Thanks for your comment and sharing about doubt as the beginning of wisdom, which is so true. Only when we let go of our certainties can we really start to learn ...
From From GRAMPA ED
I enjoyed this article on "doubt" and I myself in the past have had doubt in my life. My biggest doubt was "Why did God take someone so young?" Then start doubting, "Is there a God?" Then when I layed in the hospital for weeks and had a lot of time to think, I realized there is a God and he wanted me to write and do other things for him. The doubting disapeared and I am now doing things I never dreamed of doing years ago. I do believe Satan puts a lot of doubt into peoples minds. Thanks for letting me sound off.
Glad you enjoyed the article -- thank you for your comments and sharing part of your journey with us.
From From
Hello,
I've just submitted a poem about seeking guidance from God that ties in with the topic in the recent newsletter about doubt. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did reading it.
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Thanks for sharing your poem with us, and I'm glad it inspired you.
From From Ron Henry
Dear Sophie,
I want to commend you for taking on the subject of Doubt in the most recent spiritual newsletter. I have been around many people who claim absolute certainty about their beliefs and this has troubled me very much. I appreciate you publishing varied takes on this difficult subject. Your introductory essay on the subject was outstanding. I live right next door to a Bible seminary. The folks there are wonderful in many ways, but I cannot engage many of them on religion. They "know," so what more is there to say? Enthusiasm for one's faith is great, but there is so much to learn in life, including about the spiritual. We don't know it all.
I appreciate also you including me in this edition.
Thanks for presenting this subject so well.
Best to you,
Ron
Thank YOU for your kind words and thoughtful comments. Truly, the more I learn the less I know, and hopefully, the less obnoxious I am, lol. And yes, enthusiasm for one's faith is great, but if it turns people off or shuts down open communication and searching, it does no one any good.
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming, they are greatly appreciated!
Until next time! Sophy
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Spiritual: June 30, 2010 Issue [#3830]
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