I have been thinking about the word resistance. And yes, it is no coincidence that my exploration and reflections on this word have been catapulted by the current political state of the United States of America.
I know many in the communities I move through are hurting. I hope that you know that here, in this space, in this heart, and in the spaces I hold, you are not invisible. That I see the beauty and sacredness of your being. There are those who believe that spirituality and social action/justice don't or "should not" mix and that's so far from the truth. A mature spirituality is one that is integrated into our full sense of being. We lead our lives from that place of connection with the Divine, with Life, with a deeper sense of meaning, and/or with all that is.

Our spirituality and our beliefs are at the core of our being, whether we are aware of them or not. Our beliefs guide our everyday actions and our interactions with the world. Furthermore, if we look back at history and follow the paths of some foundational religious figures we will note that they, too, were engaged and aware of the social injustices of their times: the Christian Bible is filled with stories of Jesus pointing out injustices and tending to the needs of those in the margins while Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thrown into his spiritual journey after witnessing the suffering of others.
There are many other stories of deeply spiritual religious leaders and their fight for justice and the creation of a better world. What I am trying to get to is to the fact that the spiritual journey is inherently a path of resistance. A path of resisting the forces from without that try to pull us in a direction contrary to where our highest ideals are calling us to. Having clarity of what those ideals are for ourselves require that we stay connected to the movements of the present moment, because the present moment is never still, and to tend to our most immediate relationships with all beings around us.
Resistance as a spiritual practice means being attentive to what is motivating our actions, our words, our ways of being in the world. It is overriding the narratives of division that come from the media and that attempt to make us believe that there are degrees of value to our humanity based on the color of our skin, the accents in our voices, the abilities of our bodies, who we love, the way we decide to express our gender, our age, and all other misconceptions that dilute the greater truth that we are all worthy of love, dignity, and respect.
Resistance as a spiritual practice is staying attuned to the suffering caused by unjust systems. It's being willing to respond to their suffering in the unique way that we can: listening to those who are in need to tell their story, holding space for the pain, the anger and all the emotions people need to express, advocating for their rights, providing resources, etc. Each of us gets to identify our gifts and how we can best put them to work for the greater good.
Resistance as a spiritual practice is creating a list of our beliefs that can help us guide our everyday actions. It is asking ourselves, what does this matter to me? How can I show up to myself and others more authentically?
Resistance as a spiritual practice is choosing what will feed our spirits and staying away from the things that will make us more anxious, more reactive, and unable to respond to the real needs. Fear, anxiety, and reactivity make us less effective in our ability to be intentional about how we engage with the world.
Resistance as a spiritual practice is not giving up on the things that bring us joy and that feed our spirits: meditation, connecting with nature, connecting with others, dancing, singing, coming together.
Our coming together, creating community and caring for one another is the greatest way to resist a system that has, for too long, worked to make us believe that our individuality and tending to our own needs is all we need. The things we crave the most of life: love and connection, cannot be bought nor can they be created in isolation. We need others to reflect back to us all the things we cannot see within ourselves. We need others to teach us their own ways of understanding life so that our own understanding can be expanded. We need others to help us normalize our experiences, emotions, and even quirkiness.
We can be intentional about how we show up for one another, about how we stay connected, about how we create inclusive spaces, and about how we learn to overcome difficulty together. We don't know how to do this well yet, but we can learn. It is necessary that we take the first step to resist the need to isolate ourselves to avoid being hurt, because this isolation and division is causing more damage.
Those who are hurting and suffering are closer to us than we may think. They are our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and our family members. Whether you dream of the a world rooted in compassion an equity, the Beloved Community, or a world of peace and harmony, the work is to resist the powers that attempt to rob us of this greater vision, that attempt to make us believe there are disposable humans or that our well being needs to be at the expense of the suffering of others.
The spiritual journey of resistance is one filled with joy, connection, laughter, creativity, wisdom, and the vibrancy of being alive. I hold on to the vision of clusters of communities working together to build a more just and compassionate world for all.
***Let's start a conversation. I'd like to hear from your in response to this text, feedback, add your own thoughts. How are you understanding resistance? .
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