Relationships can definitely be complicated. Now when I say complicated it is not to say that they are not worth the challenge, the exploration, and the growth. Complicated in the sense that I have to untangle myself from the stories I create in my head, from the fears that keep me from showing up authentically, and the judgments that form walls between myself and those around me. So you see, doing all that can indeed be complicated, but it can also be filled with possibilities. Imagine an experience of life where authenticity is the norm, learning from our own rough edges and the edges of others is the pinnacle of success, and the idea of “us and them” is a distant memory. I think we are all being called to a new level of “relationship”. Relationship with ourselves, relationship with those around us, relationship with the very earth beneath our feet. We are at a pivotal time in history, as Miriam Greenspan says, “where we will either destroy ourselves or find a way to build a sustainable life together.” This sustainability requires of us to explore the inner caverns of our own self, open our eyes to the experiences of others, and forge a new resolve to cultivate collective empathy, connection and belonging. This will be our salvation, not in the redemptive sense, but instead it will be our path forward. We can become wayshowers to what is possible, examples of that which we yearn for, in essence the very activity of the divine.
Rev. Ryan