october_2015_gv_newsletter

Autumn Musings

It hardly seems possible that November is already knocking on our door. It almost seems that just a few days ago we were sitting in Kansas City talking about crossing boundaries and exploring our role in the lives of our community and world. And yet, here we are.

I find that this time of year is a good time to stop and take stock. I ask – how have I been challenged to grow the past 6 months? What have been the graces? What is calling to me now?

One thing that has been extremely helpful in this reflection is a small faith-sharing community to which I belong with several co-workers. We’re reading a book entitled, Fields of Compassion: How the New Cosmology Is Transforming Spiritual Life by Judy Cannato. Now, I have to be honest with you all. I’ve never been a fan of what we’ve coined as the “new cosmology.” It always seemed just a little too theoretical and esoteric for my practical sensate mind. However, the text we’re exploring together has opened my mind to the possibilities held therein.

Our small faith-sharing community reads only a couple of chapters at a time for discussion and processing. In one of our recent chapters Cannato explores the call we all have to freedom. She states, “Freedom is the ground upon which all other virtues dance.” It’s a lovely image, is it not? And the more I’ve reflected on the statement, the more deeply it affects me. Without freedom there can be no possibility of love or compassion or justice. We were created for freedom… and we were created to help others be free – free to be fully alive.

It begs further questioning – By what am I held bound? What keeps me from being fully alive? How am I enabling others to live in freedom? How can I be an agent of God’s freeing love?

As we transition into this time of giving thanks let us also take some time for reflection. Just as in many places trees are about to let go of their leaves, may we also let go of what keeps us from being free – for we were called to freedom!