ENLIVENING RESPONSIVENESS
One of the rewards of treading the spiritual path is the growth of what we call sensitive responsiveness. This encompasses a sensitivity to both the inner environment of the soul and the spiritual will as well as the landscape of events, people and life in our external environment. For most of us these days, this means the world as a whole. As we develop this sensitive responsiveness, our previously thick skins become exquisitely attuned to the energies and forms around us.
We once lumbered through life, generating many unintended consequences, a few surprisingly good, but most, in hindsight, deeply regrettable, causing much suffering to others as well as to ourselves. Thankfully our old and unthinking habits in the veils of illusion are increasingly being relegated to the past. But we must be grateful that they developed in us a capacity to be wise after the event, for this is actually helping us to develop a real and practical wisdom with regard to life now. We are becoming proactive, not simply reactive. We are learning to anticipate the possible outcomes of various courses of action. We are developing a capacity to respond to life as it is – warts and all, as Cromwell insisted. In humanity, both the good and the bad, as well as the huge grey areas of mess and mixed motives in between are becoming transparently obvious.
Thus, we are cultivating a real spiritual motivation that will govern not just our actions, but more importantly the thoughts, feelings and desires that we have – after all these are what lie behind all outer activity and appearances. Our response is becoming one of non-judgemental love. We see the chain of cause and effect that has produced life as it is now, and we also see and urgently know that by living a spiritual life – which means above all a life of selfless service – we can help bring to bear a superior cause – the “love that underlies the happenings of the time”. This is best thought of as a redemptive Will expressed through an illumined mind and a loving heart. This triangle of energies takes things and people where they are and as they are and infuses them with a vision of the divine plan – of how things can be, and eventually will be. In doing so it is bringing to the surface everything in humanity that needs facing up to and resolving – lovingly, skilfully and effectively.
The wonder of our time is that so many individuals and groups know this and are doing what they can to act on it. They are fostering a deep desire for the necessary radical changes – particularly in the social, economic and political field. This is a desire motivated by a love of the whole and powered by a will-to-succeed which can shatter the obstacles on the path for us all as we strive for a changed and redeemed world.
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