Sacred Activism Love in Action Can Change the World by Judith fertig
T
he butterfly, a universal symbol of transformation, reminds us that becoming our best selves is an ongoing process. Yet these delicate, fluttering creatures are suffering a decline, especially the vivid orange and black monarch butterflies that depend on milkweed flowers for sustenance during their migration to and from Mexico and Canada. “When I heard about the monarch butterfly crisis, I also noticed that I had milkweed vines all along my back fence,” says Karen Adler, a Kansas City, Missouri, gardener. “In years past, I would have pulled them out because they can strangle other plants. But I talked it over with my neighbor and we agreed to let them grow. This year, we had more monarchs than ever.” These two women might not realize it, but they had engaged in spiritual activism. They became aware of a problem, approached it with compas-
sion, learned about the issue, realized life’s interdependence and committed themselves to positive action for a result that is good for all. It’s a process that Andrew Harvey first described in a 2005 talk he gave at the Santuario de Guadalupe, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that’s also reflected in his book, The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism. Born in India, educated at England’s Oxford University and in the religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, he now resides in Melbourne, Arkansas, where he’s founder and director of the Institute for Sacred Activism. The goal of his international travel is to bring concerned people together to proactively face global crises. Says Harvey, “Sacred activism is a fusion of two of the most powerful fires of the human psyche—the mystic’s passion for God and the activist’s passion for justice.”
Hallmarks of Spiritual Intent The Awakening – Progressing from concerned citizen to spiritual activist is a gradual process. It may begin with an issue to which one feels called. “Our life in the world is a continual call and response,” observes Kabir Helminski, of Santa Cruz, California. He authors and translates books on the Muslim Sufi tradition, which tends to have an open relationship with other religions, and is a core faculty member of the Spiritual Paths Institute, which encourages seekers to find the sacred traditions that speak to them. “Sometimes events are a waking dream calling for interpretation, and sometimes the heart is directly addressed from within,” says Helminski. Compassion – Once an event moves us, prayer can be a pathway that opens our hearts to compassion, according to Jagadish Dass, of Granada Hills, California. The healer and teacher wrote The Prayer Project: The 3-Minute, 3 Times a Day Solution for World Change, which encourages involvement with something bigger than ourselves. Dass maintains that praying for three minutes, three times a day, will help us transmute into expressing a quiet power. “As we take responsibility for our lives, a transformation occurs within,” he says. We begin to inspire others to also take up the cause of working for change and bringing more peace, joy and love to the world. Likewise, Harvey urges each of us to make a real commitment to daily spiritual practice on the road to spiritual activism. He suggests, “Start with a short prayer that aligns you with the pure deep love that is longing to use you as its instrument in the world.” Options include prayers from many of the world’s spiritual traditions shared in Dass’ book; a free download is provided at StewardshipOfTheSoul.com. Interconnectedness – Just as everything in the universe is connected by the simple act of being, like-minded people can connect to do good in the world. Sacred activists pursuing their own spiritual paths need to work with others, according to Harvey. “They form empowering and encouraging networks December 2014
37