Peaceful, Centered + Connected
Given the state of the world, I imagine there is a part of you that feels deeply moved to respond and take action. With so many issues, where do we begin?
Just as anger and sadness land about some atrocity and the heart begins to gasp, another situation in the global litany of fear and division finds its way to headlines and our hearts. Repetitive gasping is not how we are designed to breathe.
Deep inhale.
Full exhale.
With each revelation, a return.
Recently, I spoke as part of a panel on the topic of the breach in society. The keynote speaker had us sit with a passage from Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail, and lately I have found solace and a home in one specific passage and one hyphenated word.
“In any nonviolent campaign, there are four basic steps: 1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; 2) negotiation; 3) self-purification; and 4) direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham… Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States…We were not unmindful of the difficulties involved. So we decided to go through the process of self-purification.”
Self-Purification? I found this to be an interesting choice of words as a basic step in a nonviolent campaign during a time of division.
What do you think of when you think of self-purification? Perhaps what comes to mind is the eradication of something that doesn’t belong, like the blemish in a diamond that brings down its value, or the picking apart of oneself in order to be...worthy.
As I sat with this hyphenated word as a step in any nonviolent campaign, I found myself in reflection asking, “Who is the 'We in Birmingham' King is referring to that has gone through all of these steps?
He’s talking about the oppressed, the activists, the allies. The people who placed breath and body at counters for sit-ins, on buses for freedom rides, and found themselves at the receiving end of police batons during peaceful protests. He’s talking about the type of self-purification that is necessary and anchors you steadily in your inherent value and worth when the world repeatedly, figuratively and literally, tries to knock it out of you because of your
skin color
your gender
who you choose as a life-partner
your desire to have autonomy over your body
your demand for dignity and decency
and so the list and litany goes on.
King isn’t talking about the type of self-purification that strives to be worthy, but the strong establishment of the self that is worthy independent of conditions and circumstances (he's writing to church leaders by the way). The Self that is strong and assured, sitting at a counter they aren’t allowed to sit at. The self that will jumble up a bus at a time when law and order decided on your seat. The self being met with violence when it arrives in peace. The Pure Self. The True Self.
So while the tender parts of myself begin to move in response to all that is, I also choose to breathe deeply and hold center in the spirit of self-purification.
To be self-assured in spirit and return to my worth always.
This is who I am in my depths.
This is who we are.
Don’t let the world knock it out of you.
Grace + Ease,
Tia
Deep calls to deep
Psalm 42:7
New Good Things
Save the Date: Winter Solstice Examen, December 21
This unique session invites you to embrace the tranquility of the day of the longest night and the contemplative practice of Examen, offering a guided exploration of the past year's joys, challenges, and growth. Connect with the profound significance of the winter solstice while delving into the transformative power of introspection. This gathering creates space for personal insight, fostering a sense of renewal and readiness for the year ahead.
More details coming soon.
