There didn’t
seem to be much of a transition from summer to fall this year. One day we were swimming in the lake and the
next we weren’t. It happened so fast!
Some
transitions are like that- a blink of an eye, a beat of a heart – and life has
changed. Others, like the leaves turning
colours or children growing up, feel more drawn out with time to prepare for
what’s coming next.
Transitions
are happening at all levels of life, all the time, all around us. From the
inhalation and exhalation of our breath, to the gift of the seasons, to the
changing of the epochs. At some level,
things are always shifting.
The 5th
Dimension sang a song about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius – with harmony and
understanding, sympathy and trust abounding. Some argue this transition, from
the Piscean to the Aquarian Age, happened in 2012, others say it comes in at
the spring equinox next year, and still others say it won’t be until 2597. To me, it feels like we’re going through
something sweeping right now– sweeping back and forth, back and forth and
moving things forward, moving things toward a more heart-centered way of
living.
Although the
news giants like to show us devastation of all kinds, the stories that go viral
on the internet are the human kindness ones, like the prom king who knelt down
and offered his crown to his friend because he thought it would uplift him, or the
young man who, instead of going on a fun-filled spring-break, donated bone
marrow to save a dying man he didn’t even know.
There are so many ‘small’ stories that happen, even here in our
community: winter coat drives, volunteer-led cultural events, and helping hands
in parking lots. Our hearts have a need
and desire to nurture all life; this is who we are. This is what’s at the centre of our
existence.
That being
said, sometimes the signals are sent but not received, and human kindness is
the least of our concerns. Sometimes
being safe or being right is far more important. The head thinks it needs to take control and
steer clear of perceived danger, absolutely sure that is what’s necessary. Meanwhile, the heart patiently admire us.
In between
the head and the heart is the throat, and that’s where the blockage
happens. Not surprising, lack of
communication seems to be the root of most conflict. If we only had the confidence and grace to
speak clearly, harmony and understanding would abound.
Using our
voice and singing together is a powerful tool.
Protest songs from Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, to name a few,
drove the 1960’s Civil Rights movement. Now hip-hop artists are carrying the
torch with Public Enemy, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z voicing the emotions of the
Black Lives Matter movement. In these
evolving times, speaking out and singing out creates much needed understanding
and connection.
Coming
together in song strengthens us not only in times of frustration but also in
times of love and sorrow. Lullabies and
hymns bond us when no words seem appropriate to carry our emotions. At the hospital bedside of loved ones, what
else is there to do but open our hearts and sing or hum.
Keeping the
channels between the head and the heart clear allows a stream of insights to
continuously flow back and forth. Once again, it’s not about one being ‘better’
than the other, but rather about using all that’s available. It’s possible to get around on one foot, but
look at all the other choices we have with two feet to carry us.
Our humanity
depends on the wisdom of our heart flowing to our head because the alternative
is acting like a fact-processing computer. We consider soulless people animals, but
that’s not accurate as animals have compassion and empathy. Soulless people are more like one-footed robots,
disconnected from the flowing tides of life and love.
Perhaps Sri
Chinmoy’s words - I meditate so that my mind cannot complicate my life - can be
modified to: I sing so that my mind cannot complicate my life. What a wonderful
thought – singing to dislodge over-thinking.
We live in
shifting times, alternating between great waves of love and great waves of concern. What washes in and takes hold in the new age
we can only hope is a pulse, a song that, from the centre of our heart,
radiates strong and free:
Nurture All
life, Nurture All life,
Nurture All
life, Honey…
Nurture All
life.
Imagine…
