Finding our place of belonging
a deep connection with our inner self and our external world
“The human heart longs to belong. We long to discover who we are . . . Yet if we cannot find a shelter of belonging in our lives, we can become a victim of our longing.” John O’Donohue, Eternal Echoes: Exploring our Hunger to Belong
Since ancient times, we humans have been Storytellers. According to the late Thomas Berry, our Story comprises, "The account of how the world came to be and how we find our place [of belonging] within it." Belonging refers to a deep connection with our inner self and our external world. We experience belonging through a particular Story or sacred narrative that gives meaning and purpose to our existence and mortality. Our intrinsic need to belong drives our Storytelling. When our sacred narrative is coherent with current lived experience, knowledge, and beliefs, we experience belonging. We feel at home in our world.
A sacred narrative may sit within one of the established religious/spiritual traditions, but not necessarily so. The sacred narrative of the First Nation’s people of Australia is The Dreaming. Also, an increasing number of individuals are now searching for their sacred narrative within a secular context.
Questions . . . questions . . . questions . . .
Our sacred narrative holds our response to the time-honoured meaning-making questions we pose. Questions like:
Who am I/we?
Where did I/we come from?
What becomes of me/us when I/we die?
Why am I/we here?
How/where do I/we fit in?
What is life all about?
Is there a God or gods? And if so, what is my/our experience of and response?
Why is there good and evil in the world?
What are my/our values?
Is there something more than the material world?
Throughout history humankind has sought responses to such questions; responses that resonate within specific historical contexts. Across time and place, responses have varied, often dramatically. Does this mean a sacred narrative is simply fiction? No. A coherent sacred narrative holds validity concerning meaning-making and in turn, generates an authentic experience of belonging.
Crisis of meaning
Our time in Western history is characterised by an ever-expanding knowledge about the nature of being human in an emergent universe. Such new understandings have called into question many of the beliefs held within our current sacred narrative. Perhaps that is why Berry wrote in the 1970s that we were culturally in between Stories. Berry wrote:
“The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, is no longer effective. Yet we have not yet learned the new story. Our traditional story of the Universe sustained us for a long period of time. It shaped our emotional attitudes, provided us with life purpose and energized action. It consecrated suffering and integrated knowledge. We awoke in the morning and knew where we were. We could answer the questions of our children. We could identify crime, punish transgressors. Everything was taken care of because the story was there.”
So, for an increasing number of individuals within Western societies, the current Story has fragmented and no longer generates genuine meaning and belonging. Hence the cultural crisis of meaning.
Fear not - all is not lost
Yet, all is not lost. It appears we are no longer caught between Stories. As we search for responses to our spiritual questions within the context of our current knowledge and beliefs, a new sacred narrative is emerging with momentum and clarity. This narrative offers a fresh perspective on our place in the world, fostering a renewed sense of belonging. A new sacred narrative is, in the teachings of Loch Kelly, “no longer showing us how to transcend or escape the human condition, but helping us discover how to live a fully intimate human life.” And so continues the sacred work of being human . . . continuing to re-visit and re-vision the way we find belonging in our world and developing a language that gives meaningful expression to such a stance.
Exploring a new Story
Presented below, is a personal reflection on themes emerging within a new sacred narrative of being and belonging.
We humans are part of a much larger Universe Story
Our current Universe Story turns on a systems view of evolutionary history. This view posits that the universe originated approximately 13.8-billion-years ago. Since that time, countless changes and developments have occurred to ensure the survival, adaptation, and thriving of life itself. The nature of Reality comprises interconnected systems within systems. Each system is an entity in its own right comprised of numerous components. At the same time, each system is interconnected and functions as part of a larger whole. According to a systems view, the ongoing evolutionary process of being and becoming has taken place due to the cooperative relationship between the entities. As for the origins of humanity, it would seem that the modern human being is somewhere in the range of 200,000 years old. Quite a young system really!
Earth is now the place we call home
As a young Christian, I remember singing hymns at church like, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." It was almost as if life on Earth was simply a staging post before our real home. Our real home was in the afterlife. Our real home was in heaven, an elsewhere community. In a new Story, Earth is home. And while not denying death, a new Story is life-affirming.
We are all in this together: unity with diversity
When contemplating pictures of Earth from a distance, we may be struck by two realisations. The first is the minuscule size of our planet compared to the vastness of the Universe. The second is the visual realisation that no borders, state lines, or national boundaries exist. We see that we truly are all in this together. Even though Earth has various bio-regions and we earthlings do have various cultural and religious traditions, we are all one. This is one reason why waging war against each other truly makes no sense at all.
The meaning of life: simply to be
The meaning of life is to be - no more, no less. The deeper we allow this understanding to sink into the marrow of our very being, the more profound the sense of liberation, joy, awe, and inspiration. Life simply is! Life calls forth life for no other reason than it can. This understanding, however, leads to the question: "How does human meaning-making emerge within such a context?"
Life and death are two sides of one coin
In the previous Story, death was viewed as a human predicament. Death was viewed as an enemy to be conquered. In a new Story, life and death are two sides of one coin. Therefore, death is no longer viewed as the enemy. Rather, death is viewed as a sad but natural part of the emergent nature of Life Itself. In this way, a new Story reframes our understanding of the nature of death.
A new understanding of ourselves
How do we now understand ourselves in response to the preceding themes within a new Story?
Humankind is now de-centred
In the previous Story, we viewed ourselves as central to the overall Story. In a new Story, humankind is de-centred. No longer are we the centrepiece of the ongoing Story of Life Itself. As a result, we now know ourselves to be one species, or system, among many. Such an understanding can be a bitter pill to swallow.
We belong because we are here
As insignificant as we are in the emergent nature of Life Itself, we do belong. Brian Cox writes, “We humans are not a mistake or an accident.” We belong, because “conditions were sufficient to bring us into manifestation.” Or in the language of Anne Hillman, “We are life itself.” Which means that we are one manifestation of Life itself.
A unique trait of human beings
Lonergan argued that humankind can question, wonder, and discover responses. Such a capacity enables us to break through and transcend the limitations of a current Story. Lonergan names this process as conversion, or transformation. Transforming our Story is an intrinsic, ongoing dynamic within human consciousness.
At the heart of transformation is what could be named the un-storied Self. Even though we are a species who live meaningfully through Story, we are also more than our Story. The more than is experienced as a deep, open state of awareness; the quality of which is 'to be'. The more than, or un-storied Self, is experienced as an inner resting place. The un-storied Self enables us to recognise particular Stories, as well as listen for the primordial call towards transformational shifts in our view. Such transformational shifts allow us to transcend particular Stories that have now become obsolete.
We experience the un-storied Self through practices such as stillness meditation; watching a sunrise; walking in bushland; listening to music; creating works of art . . .
Taking up our new place of belonging
In light of a new Story as presented, how may we now take up our place of belonging? The mood is one of confidence and hope. According to Thomas Berry, we can place our trust in the dynamic process of Life’s ongoing being and becoming.
The holon - a metaphor that grounds our explorations
One cultural metaphor that can ground our explorations into a new place of belonging, is that of the holon. According to Diamuid O'Murchu, a holon is a “whole made of its own parts, yet itself is part of a larger whole. And each holon has two opposite tendencies: a self-assertive desire to preserve its individual autonomy and an integrative tendency to function as part of the larger whole.”
For O'Murchu and others like Ken Wilber and Joanna Macy, the holon metaphor is supplanting the machine metaphor that previously gained prominence during the Industrial Revolution. How does the holon metaphor assist us in taking up a new place of belonging? The holon reveals an understanding of both/and, which is in direct contrast to the dualistic notion of either/or within the previous Story. In response to an understanding of both/and, we may live together in unity with diversity. Such unity with diversity acknowledges that Western culture is unique in itself, yet also intrinsically connected and responsive to the wider community of life.
Active participation
Within an understanding of unity with diversity, we may now become active participants in the ongoing Story of Life Itself through the following two ways:
Bearing witness - deep listening
Firstly, we continue to bear witness to the emerging new Story. What does it mean to bear witness? Denise Ackermann maintained that bearing witness, “is not a passive stance, for a witness is not simply an observer.” Rather, to bear witness is to be "drawn in affectively, intellectually and imaginatively." Such an act of bearing witness to a new Story necessitates, "the giving of the undefended Self in the act of listening.” To/for what are we listening? We are listening for a new language of belonging to emerge. Such listening “is grounded in hope” . . . and practised. . . “before uttering a word." Similarly,Margaret J Wheatley contended, “Listening reweaves the world into wholeness and holiness.”
Continuing to dream
We are invited to continue to dream. We are invited to continue to imagine a future of possibilities. We are encouraged to ask open-ended questions and, echoing the sentiments of cartoonist Michael Leunig, to "undertake the journey without knowing the destination."
Resources
Anne Hillman Awakening the Energies of Love: discovering fire for the second time
Thomas Berry The Dream of the Earth
Thomas Berry Dreamer of the Earth edited by Ervin Laszlo and Allan Combs
Thomas Berry The Great Work: Our Way Into The Future
www.thomasberry.org
http://www.wheeloftheyear.com/reference/ChristianPrayers/ThomasBerry12Principles.htm
Loch Kelly, Shift into Freedom: The science and practice of open-hearted awareness
Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen Human Universe
Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen Wonders of Life
Joanna Macy and Molly Brown Coming Back to Life
Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone Active Hope: How to Face the Mess we're in without Going Crazy
www.joannamacy.net
Diarmuid O'Murchu Quantum Theology: Spiritual implications of the New Physics
John Philip Newell The Rebirthing of God
EarthSong Project
earthsong.org.au
Ken Wilbur et al Integral Life Practice
Ken Wilbur et al A Theory of Everything google evolutionary Christianity or see evolutionarychristianity.com
David Whyte, CD: A Great Invitation: the Path of Risk and Revelation
Willigis Jager, Search for the Meaning of Life
Trumpeter Journal of Ecosophy
Denise Ackermann, 'Reconciliation as Embodied Change: A South African Perspective."
CSTS Proceedings 59
Brian Swimme The Universe is a Green Dragon
Brian Thomas Swimme & Mary Evelyn Tucker, Journey of the Universe
Margaret J Wheatley, Turning to one another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future