PEACE AMID CHAOS

“Preserve your inner peace at any cost. Do not trade your inner peace for anything in the world. Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you.”

ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN

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   We are living through unsettled times. The other day, I described it as a “mosh-pit of trauma.” The swirling winds of chaos that incite fear and uncertainty threaten the safety of so many who feel vulnerable to the political whims of those in power. Security feels less secure. What can we do and where can we turn for help?

   Many feel the urgency of advocacy for the poor and those most in danger and they are right. Many feel the need to join local protests, rallies, and marches to bring a collective voice of opposition to the tyranny, oppression, and violence that are very real. These efforts too, are good and right.

   I feel strongly that the church not only has something to say to the world right now, but an obligation to do so, as the unfolding events in America and around the world are in opposition to the spiritual principles of most every major spiritual or religious tradition – principles such as kindness, fairness, compassion, truth, justice, peace, and love.   

   In the tradition of Twelve-Step Spirituality, we adhere to the principles that our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern, and additionally, our common welfare must always come first. Oh, how I wish the institutions of government would heed this wisdom.

   One thing that I feel is being overlooked in Today’s mosh-pit of trauma is the value of meditation and contemplative practice amid these disconcerting times. The sense of grounding, clarity, and peace that are the fruits of meditative awareness can be a real gift to us and to the world if only we open our hearts to the wisdom of our inner life.

   This does not mean that we put our head in the sand to down-out the chaos. Instead, we open ourselves to a deeper awareness of truth and peace that only comes from a heart opened in hospitality to the language of the soul that comes from God in center of our being. It is from this quiet, sacred space that all forms of activism find richness and relevance. In this way, instead of knee-jerk reactions, we can respond from a place of peace and truth. This quiet, peaceful response is often disarming to those intent on aggression.

   Dame Julian of Norwich, the 14^th century anchoress and mystic who lived during the horrors of the Black Plague and the English Peasants Revolt, once said “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” (Revelations of Divine Love). Her life was marked by intense experiences of ill health, war, and societal turmoil. And yet, she found deep peace. One might say that she experienced the peace that surpasses all understanding that Jesus offers us.

   We must learn how to preserve our spiritual balance and it is peace that awaits us when we give ourselves to meditation and contemplative practice. This is the gift that we can extend to the world with our quiet, steady presence that stems from a peaceful heart.

Namaste / Shalom  

Brother Dennis