What is spiritual activism?
INSIDEout change
No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it (Scientist, Albert Einstein).
We live in challenging times. The winds of change are squalling. Global social, economic, and climate conditions are converging to create a perfect storm, generating unrest among individuals, communities, societies, and planet Earth. As a result, there is a pressing need for profound change in how we live and act upon our world. However, a significant change in our behaviours will necessitate a transformation of our cultural identity. Why? Because our shared identity determines our collective behaviours. How? Our identity determines our purpose. Our purpose determines our values system. Our values system shapes our behaviours. In short, significant behavioural change will require the transformation of our cultural identity, or in Einstein's terms-- a new consciousness. The call of our era is for change from the inside . . . out. This is the domain of spiritual formation.
INSIDEout change is what spiritual activism is all about. Spiritual activism encompasses and transcends social activism, striving to alleviate the symptoms of an unjust world by addressing and transforming the underlying cause. It integrates the inner work of lifting our collective gaze toward a new identity with the outer work of behavioural change. More specifically, the inner spiritual work generates the outer behavioural change. A new shared identity will be founded on interconnectedness through unity with diversity, rather than individualism. Individualism fostered a values system geared to the flourishing of the individual or elite groups of individuals. In contrast, an identity founded on interconnectedness through unity with diversity will foster a values system that seeks the flourishing of all planetary life.
In short, spiritual activism seeks outer change through inner transformation. This is a new collective spiritual arc for Western societies.
