Thankful for these planned excursions and chance encounters, I wondered:
- What have I missed...?
- Why did I not see...?
- How can I stay open...?
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| Am I open to Light brightening my Darkness? (St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City) |
As I "stay at home" in this COVID era, I have been reflecting on these travels and lessons learned. Each layer of 2020 seems to be calling attention to our individual responsibilities and our interconnectedness: the Sacredness of Self and Other.
As I listen to family, friends, coworkers... and stay updated on worldly affairs, several questions rise out of my darkness:
- What does wearing a mask symbolize?
- How can I physically distance but stay socially connected?
- Do I protest the inequities in our lived systems?
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| Do I allow colors from differing views touch me? (Sagrada Familia, Barcelona) |
One answer surfaces more than others:
Ask the other person what s/he sees, feels, thinks, and experiences.
It seems that sacredness is rooted in vulnerability.
- Can I admit that I don't have the answer -- or that I was wrong?
- Am I willing to listen -- and accept another point of view?
- Do I open myself to others -- and help them achieve their dreams?
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| Will I allow sacred moments to rise this day? (Sunrise at Sea) |
Dialogue invites us to create safe spaces -- Sacred Spaces -- where we accept that each person is holy; each person has Sacred Worth and Value; and each person encounters and understands Life differently. The value brought to Dialogue is when we slow down, listen, and say:
- I don't understand...
- Tell me more...
- Help me...
As we begin each day, may we expect to learn anew, seek to understand, and embrace and share our vulnerability.
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| Larry Gardepie (click on link for website) |
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