Spiritual Wisdom of the Week
by: Rabbi Michael Lerner on February 3rd, 2010 | 2 Comments »
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This week’s spiritual wisdom is from Reverend Father Thomas Berry (1914-2009):
You see we are at the terminal phase of the Cenozoic, the last 65 million years. We’re not just passing into another historical period, or another cultural modification, we are changing the chemistry of the planet. We are changing the biosystems. We’re changing the geosystems of the planet on a scale of hundreds of millions of years. But more specifically, we’re terminating the last 65 million years of life development. Now a person would say, “Well, where do we go from here?” To my mind we go from the terminal phase, if we survive it, … into a really sustainable world.
We will be passing from the terminal Cenozoic into what I call the Ecozoic. And the primary principle of the Ecozoic that we have to learn, I’m saying, is that the universe (and in particular planet Earth) is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.
If we don’t learn that, nothing is going to work…The universe has to do something about itself. But it has so committed itself to the human mode that, as regards to planet Earth, that it has to function through the human at this stage.
Whereas all this beauty of the universe that we see about us came into being without human consultation, from here on, the universe will never function that way again.
- 1991 dialogue with Ram Dass, New York
There’s beauty and profound love in his words. We are in fact approaching a momentous turning point in the history of man on this planet called Earth. We cannot fool ourselves anymore: Either we begin to share equally what’s there or must perish. If we choose wisely, we can and will build up a civilization that really deserves its name. I am sure we will opt for Life after a long, long doze and thus can look forward to seeing it begin in our lifetime. In the process of our re-awakening, we must lift the veil ourselves. Each and every one is needed. Fortunately we got help and guidance. There’s some great spiritual beings who work in our midst since eons. Remember, it’s not a coincidence that all major faiths are awaiting a spiritual teacher at the end of a certain era, sooner or later. And if such a being exists, he will be a teacher for all humanity, regardless of faiths, and must step forward when we most need him. That time is now, I believe.
I find Father Thomas Berry’s words inspiring and, essentially, I agree with his supposition that, if we make it through this period of rapid change and uncertainty, a more sustainable, hopeful world will emerge.
I do shrink from Berry’s insistence on the universal centrality of humanity, however. Of course, we must live and act as though we are the agent of G-d’s continuing teleological evolution, but we should always keep in mind, too, that we (and, indeed, our solar system, our galaxy) are but an infinitesimal part of the Everything, of Ayn Sof.
A statement included in the Reform Jewish siddur, Mishkan Tefillah, is called to mind: “Pray as if everything depended on G-d. Act as if everything depended on you.” Perhaps rigorous, open-hearted prayer and meditation are essential, humbling, embarrassing (in Heschel’s conception) activities, activities that reduce ego while also feeding our souls…and fortifying our resolve to affect change?