our world has erupted.
after months of sheltering, the death of a black man in the united states has created a volcano of expression.
certainly there is violence. certainly there is anger and pain.just as certainly there are creative thinkers who see this moment as a pivot point, a moment of potential for great change….a shift in policing, a change toward a green economy, a moment where centuries of inequity might be shifted.
as elders we play an important role in this shift. while we may not be on the streets (though some of us certainly are!), we too are part of the change. we can hold the still point.
“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
t.s. elliott tells us that there is a place from which everything moves and evolves, everything is potential. from the still point all is possible, not fixed. the still point is the present moment into which the dance unfolds. the still point is the place from which consciousness changes, from where we perceive, understand, act differently than we did before. the still point is transformative. at the still point we find our activism…be that on the streets or as spiritual activists.from here elders can find their power along with the youngers who have taken to the streets, at risk of their lives, not only from police brutality but also from the brutality of a sometimes deadly disease. they are acting for us all and they stand on the wisdom of their elders. we can hold the space for their dance. this is a legacy all of us can provide, whether we have children/grandchildren or not.this is the space we hold where “past and future are gathered”.may we use it well.