There’s a lot to be said about spiritual practices of surrender, or acceptance, or patience. And a lot that has been said. But these days I’ve been spending more time thinking about spiritual practices of resistance.Not just that, I’ll admit, but also the spiritual practices of anger, of resoluteness, and of action.
It’s been a powerful couple years out here in British Columbia, as we’ve witnessed a growing movement of resistance, resistance to environmental destruction and corporate greed, but also resistance to those who dare tell us that our dreams are too big for this economic system. That we can’t afford to care about one another, that we can’t afford to protect the land.
I’ve been part of various social movements in my young life, and something about this feels different. Partly it’s different because of the incredible way in which Indigenous leadership has risen, and that non-Indigenous leaders are (sometimes slowly) learning to share the mike. It has a different emotional landscape too. When he spoke at a Spirited Social Change dinner last Spring, Tseil-Waututh Sundance Chief Reuben George said, “We aren’t just thinking about our own children, we’re also thinking about the children of those we oppose, we want goodness for them too”. It’s a loving anger, and a stubborn kind of righteous, spirited resistance.
It reminds me of feminist author Sharon Welch, who in her book A Theology for the Bearers of Dangerous Memory, write about the power of saying “Your Pain is Real, Your Cries are Heard, Your Anger is Just, and Along with You are many Others who Mourn and Rage”.
As Welch says, “This power of compassion and anger is holy”.
And with that, Happy Holidays. May they be full of life.
Chris
Trade School Vancouver
Following the wide success of barter-schools in other areas, Trade School Vancouver is launching, and they are looking for teachers. Anybody can teach a class, and students sign up for classes by agreeing to bring barter items that the teacher requests. Trade School celebrates practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange. It is a place of learning, connecting, and sharing, based on the belief that everyone has something to offer. Interested in offering some popular education? Perhaps on a topic related to spirituality / social change? Read more and contact them via their website.
Reconnecting to Life
This powerful weekend retreat is being offered again, January 19th + 20th at Royal Roads University on Vancouver Island. The Work That Reconnects is a pioneering form of group work developed by eco-philosopher Joanna Macy. For more than three decades, it has helped many thousands around the globe find insight, solidarity, and courage to act. Begin your New Year with a transformative group retreat to enliven and deepen your motivations for creating a just and sustainable world. Find out more and register here.
