Western societies are suffering from a troika of malevolent dynamics. At once, we are more disconnected, suffering from the long-term effects of a global pandemic, and without the broad spiritual safety net relied on during prior travails.
Our disconnectedness comes at the hand of being digitally connected. The shallow nature of online interactions is deleterious to our natural needs for real one-on-one connection. Distracted constantly and in need of solace, we turn to the quick hits of dopamine that social media provides. I'm as guilty as anyone, enjoying various fishing, cat, dog, shorts on YouTube. I've had to resort to committing to distraction-free mornings. No distractions are allowed until after lunch, and even then, let's keep it to chess.com.
For many of us, our connection to a higher power was ingrained in our family life. Every Sunday, I came to love the peace and centeredness that came from church. Later in life, I found the same through a different denomination. For me, the services were instructional, but the silence in the presence of others gave me that sense of calm. It was meditative and restorative. And today, we have less and less of that.
Sunday is still a day for deep reverence. It is a day where everything slows down. You see it in the lack of traffic on a Sunday morning. You find some sense of peace with others at farmers' markets or some other gathering. This slowing down is a chance to be mindful and present and to take stock. It's a chance to create a greater sense of aliveness.
Our aliveness defines our existence. But, we can find lots of reasons to be alive. Our connections form our existence. We find great settings, but we are detached. Our growth justifies our existence. But we react rather than pro-act. It is mindfulness that elevates the meaning of growth, connections, and life itself to the divine. Mindfulness brings us awareness of our breath and our posture. It enhances every moment so that we live in the now.
Eckhardt Tolle, the great contemporary spiritual teacher, writes with timeless and uncomplicated clarity of the ancient spiritual masters and imparts a simple, profound message. There is a way out of suffering and into peace through mindfulness and presence. He says, "make the Now the primary focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and paid brief visits to the Now, have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to the past and the future when you are required to deal with the practical aspects of your life situation. Always say yes to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what it is. Say yes to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you."
Before Covid, Suki and I visited Memphis and had the honor of attending Reverend Al Greens Full Gospel Tabernacle Church. The Sunday we attended was the end of Elvis week, and as fate would have it, Pricilla Presley sat right in front of us. It was a celebration of power and faith with a deep sense of congregational connection. Yesterday I started looking for local full gospel baptist churches I want to attend once in-person services start again. Yeah, I can practice forest bathing, in-home meditation, reflective walks to the beach, but nothing beats the power you get when you worship with other people. And frankly, for this, Zoom doesn't cut it.
Be well, dear reader.
