Sacred Purpose, Sacred Activism

"...All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" - St. Julian of Norwich Every Sunday we conclude our service with a collective prayer which ends with the words, "all is well." How is it that we can justify such an overarching statement of well-being as a community affirmation? Are we ignorant, or in strict denial, of the human suffering in our midst? Neither is true. We are not immune from the travails of the human life. Among us are many who have suffered loss, small and great. Some have lost small fortunes, others face life-threatening illness, and some grieve the death of loved ones. How then, given our losses, can we express such a collective appraisal of wellbeing? The answer is not in the circumstances of our lives, but in the context in which they arise. We believe in a greater reality beyond form that holds us in its loving embrace. Beyond appearances of limitation and loss, we seek to know the infinite presence of Spirit within us and around us that remains undisturbed, and imperturbable through it all. Rather than denying reality we are determined to see reality as it truly is-determined to awaken to God's irrefutable presence in the midst of our challenges rather than waiting for heaven in an afterlife. We do this with feet planted solidly on the ground of the present moment, standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow human beings, joined by our human vulnerability and spiritual strength. In this collective posture, we muster the resolve, to look courageously into the face of our human dramas and affirm together: And all is well! We then leave our sacred sanctuary and enter in the world to face the vagaries of life, the challenges of the human condition, the evidence of love made manifest, and the troubling outpicturing of fear and enmity, lack and ignorance. What are we to do in this world that seems to so out of alignment with our sacred ideals? Many of us face this question with a sense of heightened poignancy and urgency at this time. The answer emerges in remembering that we are first spiritual citizens, which demands that first and foremost we be true to our deepest nature. That translates into sacred purpose as the foundation and motivation for sacred activism. As spiritual beings the primary purpose of life lies in the finding and creating opportunities for the Good that is the infinite Love of God to express--- to bring the kingdom of heaven into expression here and now. Remain true to our sacred intention, centered in our Wholeness and Love, and we cannot err in our works. Our deeds will be motivated and guided by the best in us. That is what is being called for now, what we are being called to serve today, and whatever tomorrow may be.