Connecting to the sacred

How can the divine Oneness be seen?

In beautiful forms, breathtaking wonders,

awe-inspiring miracles?

The Tao is not obliged to present itself

in this way.

If you are willing to be lived by it, you will 

see it everywhere, even in the most

ordinary things.

Lao Tsu

Not too long ago, 15 or 20 years maybe, things that we took to be bedrock of life in the U.S., like the right to vote, democracy, civility in public discourse, racial and gender equality, self-determination, healthcare, public education, economic stability, climate stability, those things we understood to be the “American Dream,” while not perfect, were shared ideals and values that we built our lives upon.  Collectively as a country and culture we held these ideals and values to be true, and so they were.  We created communities and developed a culture based on them. Currently, politicians, “news” outlets and private citizens (with the help of social media) are fabricating a steady stream of lies that are eroding these shared ideals and values. This has created a toxic atmosphere, where more and more of the country questions its own truths and even begins to change its mind. Our truths dry up and fall away just as assuredly as the leaves fall from trees in autumn.  We are left in disbelief as our assumptions about reality fall away. There’s a feeling of being in freefall, frantically reaching for something sturdy enough to catch us as we fall through layer after layer of the fabric of our society that once held us together.

The pandemic has only accelerated and intensified this process because simple movements of everyday life such as grocery shopping, sending kids to school, getting on an airplane, or attending a concert suddenly have life-threatening risks associated with them.  As the leaves of our culture dry up and blow away, it’s hard to not feel unsettled, stressed, depressed, anxious, and asking ourselves “When will this end?” and “When will we go back to ‘normal’?”  We are looking for something solid that we can count on to support us while we catch our breaths, rest, and begin to rebuild. 

We are living in a unique moment in time and evolution to consider what exactly is this “normal” we are yearning for?  A better question might be, What does it truly mean to be a human being on the planet at this time?  There is very little that is “normal” about a species assuming extreme superiority, recklessly tearing ahead on a dead-end path of consumption and pollution, destroying its home, and that of all other species.  And yet when we experience the laughter of a youngster, gasp at an amazing sunset, get choked up by exquisitely moving music, reach out to comfort a friend, share a meal with family, smell a baby’s hair, or spend time in the garden, we feel something True and Real in those moments.  Our hearts swell and we feel connected to something greater than ourselves. It is in this connection of the inner world of our hearts to the outer world of ordinary life that brings us into the realm of the Sacred. 

The Sacred is a state of being rather than an object outside ourselves.  It is a state of reverence and wonder, a moment when we feel connected to the Divine in creation. This state is a basic, instinctual part of how humans are made. We can observe it in very young children who are amazed and wide eyed at the ripples made in a puddle by raindrops, tiny ants busily carrying crumbs to their burrow, or butterflies sipping nectar in the garden.  As adults, we explain these things to children in terms of science and think we are educating them when, in fact, if we can slow down for a moment, it is they who might educate us.  Sadly, our explanations strip that sense of wonder from daily life and leave us in a barren landscape, devoid of this most essential daily nourishment for the soul.  It is no surprise that so many people feel depressed, lost, and anxious and engage in all kinds of unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to nourish this most basic of needs.  Ironically, we often look to our doctors to prescribe a pill that covers up the awareness of the need for this essential nourishment so we can “function” in what now has become an unnatural existence.  

It is at this intersection that we lose one of the most fundamental aspects of what it is to be human.  The connection with the sacred is essential nourishment for our souls because it is the connection between our souls and creation, between our souls and the Divine, between our lives and the source of all life.  The ability to be in conscious awareness of the Divine in creation, in awareness of the Sacred, is a unique and essential role of humanity in the ecosystem. It allows our planet to work the way it’s supposed to work. We are the only creature that has this innate ability, and part of our role or purpose in the ecosystem of the planet is to consciously participate in the connection between our souls and the soul of the Earth. It is the loss of this most basic connection that has given rise to the environmental destruction, chaos and societal breakdown in which we now find ourselves. 

Because being in connection with the Sacred is so basic to being human, it is something we can re-remember and re-cultivate. It can never be taken away no matter how crazy the world becomes. It is something we can do to be of service to the suffering Earth.  It is a true structure that we can build our life around and know we are on solid footing. So, how do we do that? By consciously seeking childlike wonder in everyday life. There are places and times where this is easier to do, like walking in a beautiful natural setting, or experiencing moving art.  With a little attention, we can create the opportunity in the seemingly mundane moments of our daily lives. Remembering that the carrot you are chopping is a particularly wondrous manifestation of sun and soil that someone planted and cultivated and brought to market so you could have it on your cutting board is quite different than furiously chopping to get it in the pot as quickly as possible.  Admiring the miracle of the little plants growing up between the cracks in the sidewalk is quite different than marching along listening to a podcast so you can log your 10,000 steps. Doing the dishes with the gratitude that you have them to wash at all, along with the hot running water with which to wash them is quite different than rushing through clean-up to get to the next, more interesting thing. And, as always, do it with an awareness of breath because it helps you to be present with the carrots, tiny plants or dishes. There are opportunities to be with the Sacred in every moment. The more we cultivate the habit of spending time with the Sacred, the more it can nourish us, the more the Divine can show up in Life, and the more we can do for our suffering planet Earth.

For further reading: Seasons of the Sacred: Reconnecting to the Wisdom Within Nature and the Soul by Vaughan-Lee, L. (2021).