This past year has been hard on all of us. As much as I’ve seen it bringing the best out of many of us; I’ve also seen it bringing the worst out of many. I’ve witnessed the severing of relationships, breaking of family bonds, increased violence, mental illnesses, cruelty, disagreements, and heartbreaks… I’ve seen kinds of suffering I’ve never witnessed before – not the expected kind of grief over the sick and dying, but a totally different breed of suffering – suffering of aching souls, of loneliness, of greed, of selfishness, of arrogance and ignorance.
At some point, I was on the brink of despair. When you are surrounded by so many stories of darkness, your light gradually dims and fades.
But, then there was Margaret Wheatley’s book, “Who Do We Choose To Be?” I’ve read it three times during this pandemic. I needed to. It was my spark of light in the midst of the darkness. And, don’t get me wrong. It is not that fluffy, happy-go-lucky kind of pseudo-spirituality. It is real. So real to the point of depression some times. It acknowledges that, yes, this is where we are as humans at this point of our history. Yes, we degraded and disintegrated and sank so low; and yes, there isn’t much anyone can single-handedly do against the power and money of the mainstream propaganda and the stampede of the masses. But, still we have a choice! And, it’s time for us to stop, reflect, and make this choice.
Who Do We Choose To Be? Invites us to “use our influence and power to create islands of sanity in the midst of a raging destructive sea.” Wheatley calls us, “give your mind and heart time to dwell in the difficulties that lie ahead, and the frequent opportunities we will have to serve the human spirit.” She acknowledges that “we can’t change the world, but we can change ourselves so that we can be of service to this world.” As “spiritual warriors”, Wheatley states, “we offer ourselves not as activists to change the world, but as compassionate presences and trustworthy companions to those suffering in this world.”
Knowing ourselves is the best gift we can offer the world right now… When we truly know ourselves, we know God… We become humble before His Magnificent Wisdom and His Divine Order even if we fail to understand this Divine Order at times. Love and Service are the summery of our role on earth, my Sheikh taught me. And, there has never been a time in history that humanity was in more need of Love and Service as it needs them today.
May the New Year, 2021, help more and more of us become true “spiritual warriors” who compassionately love and serve the suffering souls.
But, then there was Margaret Wheatley’s book, “Who Do We Choose To Be?” I’ve read it three times during this pandemic. I needed to. It was my spark of light in the midst of the darkness. And, don’t get me wrong. It is not that fluffy, happy-go-lucky kind of pseudo-spirituality. It is real. So real to the point of depression some times. It acknowledges that, yes, this is where we are as humans at this point of our history. Yes, we degraded and disintegrated and sank so low; and yes, there isn’t much anyone can single-handedly do against the power and money of the mainstream propaganda and the stampede of the masses. But, still we have a choice! And, it’s time for us to stop, reflect, and make this choice.
Who Do We Choose To Be? Invites us to “use our influence and power to create islands of sanity in the midst of a raging destructive sea.” Wheatley calls us, “give your mind and heart time to dwell in the difficulties that lie ahead, and the frequent opportunities we will have to serve the human spirit.” She acknowledges that “we can’t change the world, but we can change ourselves so that we can be of service to this world.” As “spiritual warriors”, Wheatley states, “we offer ourselves not as activists to change the world, but as compassionate presences and trustworthy companions to those suffering in this world.”
Knowing ourselves is the best gift we can offer the world right now… When we truly know ourselves, we know God… We become humble before His Magnificent Wisdom and His Divine Order even if we fail to understand this Divine Order at times. Love and Service are the summery of our role on earth, my Sheikh taught me. And, there has never been a time in history that humanity was in more need of Love and Service as it needs them today.
May the New Year, 2021, help more and more of us become true “spiritual warriors” who compassionately love and serve the suffering souls.
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