Second in a series of reflections on the questions posed in The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent, Prairiewoods’ Spirituality in the 21st Century facilitator, April 28–29, 2023
Where am I? Literally—I am sitting in my family room, a comfortable place surrounded by the familiar. Double glass doors open to the back yard; a view that brings peace into my being, into my soul. I like to think I have a relationship with my backyard—I know the plants that live there and I’m sure we’ve lived through many generations of the squirrel family now present. The sweet juncos, plumped in the cold morning air, have joined me this morning. I belong here. I am one part of this house/yard system. It’s my responsibility to live in relationship with these systems.
Widening my lens a bit, this house is one of eight in my cul-de-sac neighborhood. We are eight distinct families, and we are a neighborhood. We are in relationship; and we have a pretty close relationship with get-togethers, sharing tools, and rescuing when computers go crazy, or a derecho devastates the area. Because of our physical proximity we are a neighborhood each functioning in ways that give life, and these eight families have chosen to enhance the physical relationship. The closeness is not automatic, it takes a desire and commitment from each participant—it means paying attention and recognizing that we are better together, that we fit together maybe in ways we had not thought of. I feel a bit safer and less anxious knowing it is a short reach for help and for company. This is not to say we all think alike or agree on all issues, but we have committed to the neighborhood and the commons we share. I belong.
Widening the lens a bit more, it becomes easier to recognize the pattern of keeping a balance between order and chaos. Cities, like Cedar Rapids, work to make a life for their people, to support those who work and live within them. The laws, local economics, businesses all help keep the order and encourage people to grow. The system organizes itself so the parts can grow. Each part of the system plays its part in growth. Humans band together because instinctively we know we depend on each other—very few of us live a solitary lifestyle. We seek company, as well as the reciprocity of each contributing to the whole—and realizing the sense of belonging and purpose. From the smallest town to the largest urban areas, there is a pattern of a balance between order and chaos working to be a whole. I belong in this pattern. I am part of the working of these patterns, of these self-organizing systems. I belong.
These systems are interdependent—we are all needed to do our part in life—recognizing the relationships and connections, acknowledging we have no way of knowing what will be in the future but committed to being part of the whole.
So, where am I? I am in the system called a universe and am part of the life of that self-organizing system. I know I am part of many relationships that support life. A question that arises from this understanding has to do with my level of consciousness in this system. If I know where I am, what is my responsibility to the system—to life? Human consciousness has widened as we have made choices to use resources in certain ways. My being interrelates with all the relationships I have where I am; so do the choices I make reflect my understanding of the relationships and interconnections in which I find myself because I am part of the system.
Reflecting on this question, “Where am I,” has increased my awareness and therefore I am no longer ignorant of all the ways I belong. My journey into an ecological civilization is continuing.
—Ellen Bruckner
image is Rebirth by Linda Allison, as displayed at https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/fractal/impacts/
Jeremy Lent is Prairiewoods’ Spirituality in the 21st Century presenter April 28–29, 2023. His book The Web of Meaning is broken down into six parts: Who Am I?, Where Am I?, What Am I?, How Should I Live?, Why Am I? and Where Are We Going? Ellen Bruckner’s blog series focuses on these six topics. To read and discuss these topics with Ellen and others, join our Web-Weaving program on Feb. 21. To join us for Spirituality in the 21st Century, visit www.Prairiewoods.org/spirituality-in-the-21st-century.