“In times of change, learners inherit the earth,
while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped
to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
-- Eric Hoffer, philosopher
All the talk, now, is about emerging from the pandemic. Do we return to what was? Do we create something new? Where do we begin? If we want firm footing as we emerge, I would argue that there is only one place to begin, and that is with gratitude: gratitude that we are emerging at all. The list of entities to whom we could be grateful is long; in our minds and hearts we could start populating it now. A deep, meditative appreciation for them, every single time we see the case rate dropping and the vaccination rate rising, will start us off on the right foot.
Then, if our first step is one of gratitude, our second will inevitably be one of humility. It is not I who is responsible for this emergence, or at least not I alone. Clearly, I still have much to learn. Clearly, we all do.
And that’s when our true emergence can begin: not just the emergence of our bodies, but the emergence of our minds. Because the heart that starts with gratitude and humility will give rise, quite naturally, to the mind that is open and eager to learn. And it is this beginner’s mind (according to Zen Buddhism), or child’s mind (according to Jesus) that will best equip us for the change to come.
--The Rev. Barbara Talcott
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