Lovingkindness

You may notice that there have not been any posts in this blog for the last month.  There are, as there usually are, a variety of reasons for that.  We were travelling, I was sick, work started back up for the semester with somewhat more than the usual degree of anxiety, the new administration took up its strange way of governing by decree... so much going on that it was difficult to know from one day to the next what to do, or say, or even pray for.

All month long, I noticed that the 'tried and true' methods of prayer and meditation were not helping my peace of mind.  There are, of course, times when peace of mind cannot and should not be the goal of one's prayer life, and we may very well be living in such times.  I have, however, been searching for some authentic response to the times, some way to pray that joins head and heart in a meaningful way.  It has taken time, but a word has finally emerged that has begun to carry me forward: "lovingkindness."  In Hebrew, "hesed," the womb-love that God feels for God's creation, including God's people, sinners all.  Meditating with this sacred word allows me to receive God's deep care, and to aspire to convey God's love to others, and to dwell within the deepest, truest nature of the Divine.

The times we live in will require hard work, radical truth-telling, public witness and private wrestling.  If I am to do any of that at all well, I know I will need to root myself in God's lovingkindness.  I know it's got a bit of a Pollyanna-ish sound to it, but honestly, I don't see any other way to respond to anger, fear, and hatred that avoids spreading more negativity. It's the hard path, but it's the best one I can see at the moment.