O our mother the earth, O our father the sky,
...weave for us a garment of brightness
that we may walk fittingly where the grass is green
--from a Tewa Pueblo Prayer
Last week we observed Easter and Earth Day. Both are occasions to celebrate the return of life to the earth after the darkness and cold of winter, and the warm sunny skies in Baltimore lent themselves especially well to that celebration this year. Both also remind us, however, of our rightful place in our world. Easter marks the victory of life over death not only in nature but in our own hearts, offering us a chance to begin again to be in right relation with each other and with creation. Earth Day calls upon us to remember the destruction humankind has done to our world, and to pledge to walk gently upon the earth and heal those wounds.
With this week's study group we enter into a month of reflection around the quality of humility. We live in a society where this virtue is not highly valued. Pride has become a catchphrase for us. From a young age we are encouraged to show pride in our schools, our sports teams, our city, our nation...and the list goes on. Too often that pride becomes arrogance and self-righteousness. Rather than seeing ourselves as part of this earth, we give ourselves the right to dominate. And that domination leads to injustice, cruelty, and destruction.
Humility is an antidote to that cycle. If we think of humility not as self-abasing servitude but as an awareness and respect for our rightful place on this earth, we begin to treat every creature with respect. We begin to become aware of how our actions affect the whole. We begin to sense with awe and gratitude the glory of creation and the miracle of our place within it. We allow ourselves to become the instruments of Divine healing and love.
Come and begin to explore the role of humility in your life this Sunday, April 27. Study group meets at 4 p.m. Sadhana begins immediately following at 5:45. Both gatherings are at Hill House, Ruscombe Community Health Center. Download study group resources on the Study Group page of our web site.
...weave for us a garment of brightness
that we may walk fittingly where the grass is green
--from a Tewa Pueblo Prayer
Last week we observed Easter and Earth Day. Both are occasions to celebrate the return of life to the earth after the darkness and cold of winter, and the warm sunny skies in Baltimore lent themselves especially well to that celebration this year. Both also remind us, however, of our rightful place in our world. Easter marks the victory of life over death not only in nature but in our own hearts, offering us a chance to begin again to be in right relation with each other and with creation. Earth Day calls upon us to remember the destruction humankind has done to our world, and to pledge to walk gently upon the earth and heal those wounds.
With this week's study group we enter into a month of reflection around the quality of humility. We live in a society where this virtue is not highly valued. Pride has become a catchphrase for us. From a young age we are encouraged to show pride in our schools, our sports teams, our city, our nation...and the list goes on. Too often that pride becomes arrogance and self-righteousness. Rather than seeing ourselves as part of this earth, we give ourselves the right to dominate. And that domination leads to injustice, cruelty, and destruction.
Humility is an antidote to that cycle. If we think of humility not as self-abasing servitude but as an awareness and respect for our rightful place on this earth, we begin to treat every creature with respect. We begin to become aware of how our actions affect the whole. We begin to sense with awe and gratitude the glory of creation and the miracle of our place within it. We allow ourselves to become the instruments of Divine healing and love.
Come and begin to explore the role of humility in your life this Sunday, April 27. Study group meets at 4 p.m. Sadhana begins immediately following at 5:45. Both gatherings are at Hill House, Ruscombe Community Health Center. Download study group resources on the Study Group page of our web site.
RSS Feed