UU spiritual 1%

In our second reading this morning, Mary Oliver’s fox says,
“…I see you in all your seasons
making love, arguing, talking about God
as if he were an idea instead of the grass,
instead of the stars, the rabbit caught
in one good teeth-whacking hit and brought
home to the den. What I am, and I know it, is
responsible, joyful, thankful. I would not
give my life for a thousand of yours.”

All too often, we UUs engage in passionate debate, philosophizing and arguing and talking about God as if she were an idea instead of an active force evolving in and through us, changing us in ways we cannot change ourselves.

What if all our many theories were real? What if we took ourselves seriously?! What if we stopped mentally attaching “if” or “maybe” or “this is only my opinion” to all of our theological musings…what if we allowed ourselves to feel the full miracle of the caring, vibrant community around us?

If we really opened ourselves both to the precious wonder of this congregation, and to the great need in the lives of the people around us, how would we respond?

I think we’d be shocked. I think, if we truly awoke to the fact that in spiritual matters, we are the one percent, then our inborn compassion would flood over and we would naturally begin to share our religious riches with our neighbors, the lonely and disconnected 99% around us…


(original post at So May We Be)