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SUSAN
 Questions on a Friday morning: August 28, 2009
A Message from Spiritual Director Susan Rosen
I’ve been watching the coverage about Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family. Looking at old clips of speeches by Jack, Bobby and Teddy I was reminded that though they came from financial affluence they spoke to and for the poor, the sick, the least educated, the “untouchables” of America. And I wondered who speaks for America's untouchables today? And even if a few of us do speak, who listens? Teddy has been talking about health care for the past 40 years!! Most of the speeches about the haves and the have nots are still applicable right now. Have we become abundantly more narcissistic in the past 40 years? Has the division between the rich and the poor scared the middle class into such extremism that all that is visible is “what’s good for me?”
Where is the dialogue that promotes true listening (with the intent of being influenced by the other) and willingness to walk a mile in the other's shoes? Why is being right more important than compassion? Compassion is not about feeling sorry for another. Compassion is opening one's heart to the situation because the other is me. It is a full circle of self love that radiates out to others with the willingness to come together for the good of each other. Where are the win/win scenarios? Has politics overridden dialogue and caring? Is it more important to argue for the sake of winning?
Where are the institutions and organizations that promote this kind of discussion? How do we hear more about them? Can we start our own news channel? Is it even necessary to become more organized around these themes? Is it possible that by becoming “real” citizens, “real” communicators, “real” human beings that we might start to investigate and explore these questions inside ourselves and start to live our lives as if living mattered? For instance, if I’m aware that some part of me craves agreement and acceptance from others, and as I notice this pattern working from my unconscious to consciousness in my day to day life, am I able to practice my communications differently? Can my feelings become part of the compost of my actions instead of my reactive choices? Am I willing to be that vulnerable? Can I admit that this journey is mine and I don’t have to tell others what to do? Do I even know what is honest for me as opposed to my mind's idea of honesty? Can I move through the world without much preference, realizing that what is manifest is Divine? How can that be when there is so much suffering? And what part does suffering play, and how do we stay in a different relationship to it so we are not run by our emotions and our reactivity? Do we still try to change the world? Do we still try to change the world as we learn about ourselves?
I'm interested in continuing the exploration through discussion.
Our Theme for 2009:
The Transformational Power of Chaos
Our themes for each year usually come to me in a kind of a flash or even in a dream. This one came to me from my personal experience this past year. 2008 was to say the least a difficult one. Its challenge provided me with an opportunity to stay connected to what was happening — realizing how my defenses and denials wanted so much to change what I was suffering into warmer and fuzzier feelings! Yet, to the extent I could stay with my Reality, I was able to open more to self-love and self-compassion, not especially easy things for me to experience.
So I looked at how chaos was informing my life almost on a daily basis. If I went with my old patterns I would try to "fix" what was ailing me or even try to "understand" it (so I could change it and make it go away!). But as I awakened to a more unified state which accepted everything as absolute truth, I watched how chaos was a necessary part of breaking down this order I counted on to stay safe and asleep and challenge myself to receive the gifts of how life was living through me. Then I saw how disorder was a necessary part of engaging my own undiscovered creativity. Disorder was necessary for me to inhale after exhaling (or vice-versa). I've said for years that everything manifests with its opposite and that holding paradox was what is necessary for our next phase of transformation and evolution. Now I'm actually experiencing this phenomenon. There is no transformation without chaos.
Yet to actually engage these forces it is important and essential to have a safe and sacred space to practice. Miriam's Well has been that space for me and many others. Miriam's Well opens its arms to those who are willing to experience these difficulties and possibilities. It's a space where those who want to awaken can accept that nothing really needs to change for us to be in relationship with the absolute truth of Reality. From this place compassion, healing, innate harmony, and unconditional love can become manifest within and without. I hope you can join us on our journey.
Blessings,
Susan
Rosen
January, 2009
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