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I said to the almond tree,
“Speak to me of God.”
And the almond tree blossomed.
— Nikos Kazantzakis |
In this issue…
“Gathering to a Greatness”
Elders and the Transformation of the World |
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 “Since
time immemorial,” writes Eckhart Tolle in his book, A New
Earth, “flowers, crystals…and birds have held special
significance for the human spirit.” They point to the
possibility of radical transformation. For each realm —
vegetable, mineral and animal — their emergence represents
an interruption in predictable evolution: “a
leap to an entirely different level of Being and, most
important, a lessening of materiality.”
Expanding
the meaning of the word “enlightenment,” Tolle suggests we
might look on flowers— “on that explosion of color and
scent” after millions of years during which only green
vegetation covered the planet — as the enlightenment of
plants. Similarly, rock might be said to experience a
similar enlightenment when its dense impenetrable
mass undergoes a molecular change, “turns
into crystals and becomes transparent to the light.” Though
most reptiles have remained unchanged for millions of
years, some grew feathers and wings and turned
into birds, “They didn’t become better at crawling or
walking, but transcended crawling and walking entirely.”
The
question for Tolle is whether humanity is “ready for a
transformation of consciousness, an inner flowering so
radical and profound that compared to it the flowering of
plants, no matter how beautiful, is only a pale reflection?”
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We know that enlightenment is a human
possibility; the potential of
such transformation is a central teaching of all the great
wisdom traditions. We think of such enlightenment as rare...
AND as a possibility for individuals. Tolle sees it
as
a possibility for the human species: in the poetic
language of Gerard Manley Hopkins, the aggregate of consciousness in
the
 world gathering to such a greatness that it flames out like shining from shook foil.
In seeing humankind as poised on the brink of a
momentous transformation, Tolle joins his voice with those of past visionaries — notably,
20th century French theologian/anthropologist
Teilhard de Chardin who posited an “Omega
Point” toward which all evolution is converging —
and current writers, like David Korten and Paul Hawken.
Korten, in The Great Turning,
finds “cause for hope” in a “global cultural and spiritual
awakening [that is] birthing of a new
era of Earth Community based on a radically democratic
partnership model of organizing human relationships.” One
specific source of Korten's optimism is the
growth in the percentage of elders in
the population [that results in] a rise in the
percentage of the population that has achieved the
maturity of a Cultural or Spiritual Consciousness. There
is [also] growing interest in the potential benefits of elders
making their experience and wisdom available for the
larger society through their continued active
engagement, particularly as teachers and mentors (p.
322).
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Over a decade ago, another visionary,
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, found similar cause for
hope. In his seminal book, From Age-ing to Sage-ing, he wrote
 “The modern world is
going through an unprecedented shift...that will reweave humanity into the fabric of
nature as its consciousness and guardian. This ecological
sensibility inspires us to make political and consumer
decisions with seven generations in mind. As elders make
their inner riches available to the world, they can help
midwife this process and safeguard the survival of the
planet. Moreover, during this time of accelerated cultural
transformation, elder wisdom can help heal intergenerational
strife within the family and regenerate our social and
political institutions. As the spokespersons for [Earth] and
her many peoples, elders can [champion] a world of
sane consumption, social justice, and spiritual renewal [as
they] serve as leaders in
giving birth to a more humane planetary civilization”
(p. 238). |
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The articles in this Summer Issue of
Itineraries
explore the call to elders to work in the world as agents of
social and cultural transformation.
Sara Pines inspires us with her story of the
Friendship Donation Network. Rich Henry, in
recounting his personal encounter with cancer, teases out
the transpersonal commitments his experience evoked. Claudia Horwitz and
Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey explore how organizations can
deepen competencies and develop tools for effective
“spiritual activism.” And, finally, Barbara Kammerlohr,
Second Journey Book Page editor, provides a thoughtful
review of the books by David Korten and Paul Hawken
mentioned above.
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Second Journey founder Bolton Anthony,
the author of this article, is the
editor of Itineraries. |
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A Woman Who Saw Hunger And Tried to End It
 Nineteen years ago I visited a migrant labor camp where I encountered sub-standard living conditions and rampant hunger. In contrast, over the years, I observed the waste of thousands of pounds of all kinds of good, nutritious food: the daily discards of farms, schools, university dining halls, restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries and food wholesalers. I decided to do something about
the problem...
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The author Sara Pines,
who lives at the EcoVillage of Ithaca, is the founder of the Friendship Donation Network, a food rescue program
now in its 19th year of operation. |
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| My Story, Our Story: A Journey of Healing
 I
have a story to tell you. It’s my story, and it’s also
much larger, demonstrating that what is most personal is
most universal. You could even say that this is our
story, and by “our” I mean a very large “our,” one that
encompasses you and me, all humans, in fact all life on
Earth. But let’s start with my story. ...
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Author Rich Henry,
who lives in the Seattle area, is the co-founder of For The GrandChildren, “a global network of all people committed
to unleashing the power and joy of generational
responsibility.” |
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Spiritual Activism and Liberation Spirituality
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There is a new culture of activism taking form in the
world — a new paradigm for how we work, how we define
success, how we integrate the fullness of who we are,
and what we know in the struggle for justice. Activists
are being asked to examine our current historical moment
with real intimacy, with fresh eyes, fire, and
compassion. Many of the once-groundbreaking methods we
know and use have, however, now begun to rot. Many of
our tactics are now more than simply ineffective — they
are dangerous...
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The authors, Claudia Horwitz and
Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey,
work with
stone
circles, a nonprofit organization that sustains
activists and strengthens the work for justice through
spiritual practice and principles. |
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Becoming a Force for Change
in the World
Recent books by three
authors have a similar message: Earth is at a crisis point.
As a species, we can still “turn it around,” but that
will require deep and lasting change. Individually
committing ourselves to just one small piece of the
waiting work can lead to a lifetime of service and elder
wisdom... |
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Author
and reviewer Barbara Kammerlohr is the Book Page
editor for Second Journey. |
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