In Times Like These: A Reflection from Wisdom Tree Collective Instructors
We’re living in a time that feels increasingly chaotic. War, violence, political upheaval, and ecological crisis seem to surround us. In the face of so much disruption, how do we stay grounded? How do we keep choosing love, truth, and compassion?
Dear Kasey,
At Wisdom Tree Collective, we are feeling what many of you are feeling: anxiety, exhaustion, and uncertainty in the face of a world in turmoil. We see suffering and injustice rising. We feel the ache of our planet and the disorientation of our communities. We often walk around in a state of shock or numbness, and we don’t know how to respond or to react to what we are seeing and experiencing. It seems impossible to be truly grounded.
And so in times like these, we return to our vision—to remember who we are and what we are here for.
We envision a world where every person and every profession is tended to through the ancient art of soul care. A world where individuals and communities grow, heal, and walk together along Wisdom’s Way.
This is no easy path.
So how can we keep our fears, disorientation, exhaustion and isolation from overwhelming us, keeping us from becoming the people we want to become, catching us in a never-ending web of helplessness and hopelessness?
We begin by leaning on each other.
When we lose sight of hope, someone else often glimpses it and holds it for us. When we feel overwhelmed and isolated, we find people we trust who will listen and offer other perspectives on what’s happening around us. Community and faith become anchors in the storm.
We also turn to our contemplative practices to support and guide us. One of our favorite descriptions of contemplation is “a long, loving look at the real.” In chaotic times, standing in the truth becomes both an act of courage and of care.
If we’re looking for what is real, we want to choose how we get our information about events and be sure we receive information that is factually correct, accurate, and gives us needed context. We also don’t want to be watching, listening to, or scrolling through the news all day long. We must set healthy boundaries so that fear and anxiety don’t consume our attention or our hearts.
Contemplation leads us into discernment. It helps us sense how divine life might be inviting us to respond—not react—in the midst of crisis.
Many of our faith traditions offer the gift of lamentation: the sacred act of naming what is broken. Lament, during times like these, allows us to grieve honestly. It also helps us tap into the strength and surrender we need to move forward. As we lament, we realize both our helplessness to control and our deep dependence on divine presence, in its every form.
Finally, we ask: What might love be calling us to do right now?
Is it time to take action? To bear witness? To speak truth? Or simply to stay grounded in hope and compassionate presence?
The world is aching. But we are not alone—and we are not without a response.
Rooted in contemplative practice, sustained by community, and shaped by the ancient art of soul care, we can tend to what is right in front of us.
One person. One profession. One encounter at a time.
This, too, is healing. This, too, is enough.
Peace to you,
Sr. Mary Rose Bumpus, PhD and Kasey Hitt, MDiv
Year Two and Year One Instructors in WTC's School of Spiritual Direction
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A Blessing for Times Like These
May you pause long enough to hear your own heartbeat,
and the heartbeat of the world.
May you find one small way to love what feels unlovable.
May you tend to your inner life with gentleness,
and extend that gentleness outward.
May your questions be honored,
your grief be witnessed,
and your hope rekindled.
And when the world feels too heavy to hold,
may you remember:
you are not holding it alone.
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Would you like to deepen your contemplative practice in community?
Join us for our final June Tuesday TONIGHT at 7:00 pm CST as together we discern what kinds of programming would most deeply nourish the soul of Wisdom Tree Collective—and in turn, help us offer soul care more freely, faithfully, and fruitfully to others. |
