Today’s Church of the Saviour Inward/Outward reflection really caught me:
“As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world—that is the myth of the Atomic Age—as in being able to remake ourselves.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
Washington, DC is a place where people try to remake the world. It is a place where that is possible. Assuming the change is positive, that is a good thing.
But we could do even more good by being in touch with ourselves and the change needed within. What if the energy we expend trying to control things around us, or convincing ourselves we are in control, was applied to inner work that we can better control? What if we believed that humanity’s greatness does rely on remaking ourselves? If we focused on our deepest selves with the dedication we bring to understanding the world, there would be good remaking.
People spend a lot of time reading every word of every available newspaper or website. Knowledge is great and empowers us, but not if it comes at the expense of reading between the lines of our own lives. We often focus so much on knowing the world that we miss opportunities to experience ourselves. Increasing awareness of self can change us and the world - but in ways that are different and less measurable that those we are conditioned to crave. To trust that is an act of faith.
We need balance between world and psyche; spirit and soul; light and dark; right and left; upper and lower (Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft). We need balance between remaking the world and remaking ourselves.
How is your balance? Do you believe that nurturing your spiritual, emotional, and mental health can change the world? What do you need to help you shift?
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi)