Oh Great Ordinariness
You who kindles the sun's rays
and lets the day be day
and night to follow
Oh Great Ordinariness
You who lets the children down the ladder of sleep
and wakes them in the morning
You who keep my feet warm in winter
and allow my body to do what it needs
You who make the bread rise
and the baby squirm in its parcel of skin
You who move mountains one millimetre every 300 years
who sends the millions to work
and brings them home
You who drops words in my mouth
and silence when required
who lifts me up
and lets me sink into my dark unease
You who tumbles empires
and gives birth to prophets
Oh Great Ordinariness
How I've known you
as I count the days
as I watch the lichen on my neighbour's wall
as I watch the smile of my sleeping lover
as I feel your soft grip in every moment.
Sunday 30 October 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
Occupy or perish
Last month in this blog, before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I wondered what was to come from the transition of the old order, symbolised in the decline of the world’s most powerful and richest ever nation, the USA, and the new global reality that is to emerge. I asked: “Can the unleashing of forces at a time of great change be harnessed to the creation of the new order?”
A few days later, Occupy Wall Street appeared. It has now touched off an international chain of protest with, at its core, a rejection of the crisis-ridden political and economic model that emerged out of the process of industrialisation and has everywhere been dominant since the latter part of the 20th century. The dynamic of this model is the generation of monetary wealth and a constant expansion, a never-ending growth of that wealth. The complex needs of human beings and the planet as a whole figure only in relation to the primary drive of economic growth.
Despite the confusing array of demands and slogans of Occupy protesters, the essence of what they stand for is a humane system that privileges human and environmental concerns above the narrowly economic. And that means opposition to the present form of capitalism, overstretched and floundering as it butts against the reality of finite global resources.
There is a spiritual dimension inherent in the opposition to the current order. As protesters seek justice, a fairer system, they are essentially looking to establish what some spiritual teachers describe as "right relationship". This is a mid-point where material reality accords with Spirit, where the inner needs of the human being for love, security, meaning and community are reflected in the social, political and economic structures. Life flows from the soul into the world. This might sound like naive and idealistic ballyhoo, but small concrete examples abound in the everyday world. Think of the radiant smile of a baby, or a loving relationship between two people, or a stranger helping an old woman off a tram - ordinary instances of the soul radiating outwards. Right relationship establishes a balance where everyone's needs are taken into account within the needs of the whole community and the planet. Justice or fairness is about creating the conditions in which each individual and the entire community can develop to their full potential. Without justice there is suffering, and when injustice is set into the structures of society the potential for suffering is immense.
Perfection is the not the goal of right relationship. We don't have to imagine a utopia when thinking of a balanced, harmonious society. A loving relationship also has its ups and downs and is not without pain, yet the core of the relationship is inviolate. So too with larger systems and structures. It is possible to imagine and achieve a new global order with justice and fairness at its centre that is not perfect and where people disagree and make mistakes. Ultimately transformation occurs when enough people with enough balance and maturity create the right conditions for long enough. I'm very hopeful for the Occupy movement, even as I hear that here in Melbourne the authorities are breaking up the vigil in the city centre. The seeds are sown - let love triumph over greed!
A few days later, Occupy Wall Street appeared. It has now touched off an international chain of protest with, at its core, a rejection of the crisis-ridden political and economic model that emerged out of the process of industrialisation and has everywhere been dominant since the latter part of the 20th century. The dynamic of this model is the generation of monetary wealth and a constant expansion, a never-ending growth of that wealth. The complex needs of human beings and the planet as a whole figure only in relation to the primary drive of economic growth.
Despite the confusing array of demands and slogans of Occupy protesters, the essence of what they stand for is a humane system that privileges human and environmental concerns above the narrowly economic. And that means opposition to the present form of capitalism, overstretched and floundering as it butts against the reality of finite global resources.
There is a spiritual dimension inherent in the opposition to the current order. As protesters seek justice, a fairer system, they are essentially looking to establish what some spiritual teachers describe as "right relationship". This is a mid-point where material reality accords with Spirit, where the inner needs of the human being for love, security, meaning and community are reflected in the social, political and economic structures. Life flows from the soul into the world. This might sound like naive and idealistic ballyhoo, but small concrete examples abound in the everyday world. Think of the radiant smile of a baby, or a loving relationship between two people, or a stranger helping an old woman off a tram - ordinary instances of the soul radiating outwards. Right relationship establishes a balance where everyone's needs are taken into account within the needs of the whole community and the planet. Justice or fairness is about creating the conditions in which each individual and the entire community can develop to their full potential. Without justice there is suffering, and when injustice is set into the structures of society the potential for suffering is immense.
Perfection is the not the goal of right relationship. We don't have to imagine a utopia when thinking of a balanced, harmonious society. A loving relationship also has its ups and downs and is not without pain, yet the core of the relationship is inviolate. So too with larger systems and structures. It is possible to imagine and achieve a new global order with justice and fairness at its centre that is not perfect and where people disagree and make mistakes. Ultimately transformation occurs when enough people with enough balance and maturity create the right conditions for long enough. I'm very hopeful for the Occupy movement, even as I hear that here in Melbourne the authorities are breaking up the vigil in the city centre. The seeds are sown - let love triumph over greed!
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