Spiritual is one of those hot button words. Its meaning is inclusive (New Age thought, mainstream religion, Indian ashrams, the self-help movement, holistic health practices, astrology, psychic surgery secretly performed with chicken giblets, meditation, etc.) and yet imprecise.
But for a moment, uncouple the word ‘spiritual’ from religious-ness.
Consider one teacher’s expanded definition:
“We have to understand that the word spiritual means the active betterment of life for all people, for most people… Anything which is towards the betterment of humanity is fundamentally spiritual; it is not only a religious thing. The religious path is only one path.” – Benjamin Creme from The Ageless Wisdom Teaching.
What if there was some kind of intentional dance between green/political activism and this updated version of spiritual? Could they at least meet for coffee?
Three Avenues into Social Justice
We seem to be approaching an evolutionary tipping point:
Climate change will eventually render us extinct if left unchecked.
Donald Trump, and just as critically, his thuggish supporters, could fast-track the USA to become a global pariah.
Third world poverty exists in part because of first world lending policies.
Wars, both literal and cultural, tragically undermine the safety and dignity of innocents.
However, in this time of upheaval and despite Big Media’s relentless promotion of click bait (i.e., negative, sensational news items) there are plenty of clues that social justice is thriving despite the extremes all around us.
Evidence is as close as our Facebook feeds. As private citizens, we naturally curate articles and a point of view through our online behavior.
‘Spiritual’ people might post research from the HeartMath Institute or inspirational quotes from Eckhart Tolle. Politically alert people agitate to get corrupt judges removed or expose a candidate’s track record with undeniable facts. Green activists raise awareness about the toxicity of fracking and the dangers of privatizing water.
The Art of Making Distinctions
Spectrums are my favorite way to illustrate a range of quality. Let’s talk about chocolate: you can either crack a tooth on a hardened, year-old Mars bar you purchase in the subway or visit a Belgian chocolatier and collapse from joy.
You decide.
I’m not about to denounce the goddess Cacao just because of a few waxy, low-end misfires.
In the same way, these three subcultures live on a gloriously wide spectrum. If you’re not paying attention to the high-end, you may be overly influenced by the crummy outcomes on the low-end:
“Green” can mean the soda giant that lied about its so-called environmentally safe bottling, casting real doubt on the sincerity of corporate sustainability…
…or it could mean that Dutch young man, so distressed by the masses of garbage we dump into our oceans that he created an elegant device to sweep plastic from the sea.
“Political activists” might mean ISIS, including homegrown American members with a legal right to purchase as many weapons here as they want…
…or it could mean Amnesty International, which fearlessly promotes human rights. Or Doctors Without Borders. Or Habitat For Humanity.
“Spiritual” can mean self-help gurus whose followers die during a fatally managed weekend program intended to improve lives…
…or it can mean Harvard University’s Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneering cardiologist and fervent proponent of meditation. Dr. Benson is dedicated to using scientific inquiry to deliver “spirituality and healing into medicine.”
Is there a broad range of ethics and maturity within each subculture?
You bet there is, and it’s up to us to develop the ability to distinguish between a velvety truffle and a disposable, chalky mint.
Don’t let the duds influence you to disregard the benefits of an entire cultural practice.
People Power is Gaining Traction
One unmistakable, growing outcome of activism is people power, the massing of educated public opinion.
It’s a rebuttal to unsustainable political and business practices and it’s doing its job of reporting on and facilitating justice.
For people power’s engine to become unstoppable at this most critical time, we must unite, even if that unity only exists on a thoughtful, intellectual level. Why?
There is some mutual support between the green and political communities, and sometimes between green and spiritual.
But political groups with a sharpened intellectual focus may not always respect or even acknowledge modern spiritual communities as relevant or practical.
Likewise, spiritual centers and expos keep their attention almost exclusively on self-care and consciousness, not on external political issues that urgently affect everyone’s lives.
Yet we all need each other.
At its best, spirituality reflects the inner world (love, compassion) and activists represent the outer world (mass demonstrations, legal action to ensure justice). Shouldn’t one support and inform the other in the name of maximum public benefit?
Is Social Evolution Even Possible?
To feel cynical at the idea of genuine transformation is almost expected.
“How the hell is that one kid going to clean up an ocean?”
“There have always been haves and have-nots throughout history; that’s just how the world works”.
But remember that here in the West we’ve been deeply acculturated to live and breathe in a competitive, market forces-based economy. That competitive system, where valuation is rooted in profit margins and not public benefit, is so ingrained that it inhibits how we view the potential success of fiercely original thinkers.
Although all three groups seek alignment and truth, there is an artificial schism between political activists, environmentalists and spirituality. Let’s recognize that fact and make room for each other.
What if.
What if the great systems that run the world – that is, the economy, healthcare, food distribution, education, and housing – remained practical yet were transformed into intentional systems, systems redesigned by experts in their respective fields but infused with good will? Can you imagine the kind of global shift that could take place?
Time is of the essence if we’re to transition from darkness to love.