For all of us living here in Aotearoa – New Zealand life took one of those irreversible shifts last Tuesday when we heard about the quake in Christchurch.
Those who have lost loved ones or whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed, it is too soon to talk about the opportunities loss brings. Grief and mourning are a sacred process which unfolds over time and can’t be hurried. Likewise shock and trauma need time to heal.
Those of us who have been shaken, but not physically affected, are going through our own process each in our own way. The first question on most people’s lips is, “Do you have family and friends in Christchurch?” then, “How can I help?” and then “What does this mean for Christchurch and for the country as a whole? And inevitably, “Will there be another quake?”
At some fundamental level our sense of security is shaken and I venture to suggest that although this is grave, grievous and scary, we can choose to see it as an opportunity.
Papatuanuku, our Earth Mother, is shaking us awake and touching our hearts. She is speaking to us and through us. She is showing up in all our interactions. What do you hear her saying?
These are some of the things I am hearing:
1. We are all connected and we are all in this together.
In so many practical ways this crisis reveals the infrastructure we depend upon and take for granted: power, water, sewage, telephone, workplaces, schools, food transportation and storage, protection for crime, the regular rhythm of our day which keeps the economy and the country running. When these services are interrupted we have an opportunity to step back and see how many people we depend upon, just how interconnected we all are and how blessed we are.
2. The most important thing is to love and take care of each other.
When we are made vulnerable by loss and disaster the heart opens and we are more aware of our own feelings and more available to each other. This is a wonderful opportunity to let go of old hurts, judgments and resentments that have been keeping us separated from each other and to see each other anew. Have you been noticing these opportunities arising in your daily life? Are you feeling called to take more risks with friends and family in a gentle way? To break free of old habits which have kept you captive? Are you expressing more appreciation and gratitude of those you love?
3. We need to stay awake and alert and follow our own heart and truth.
The animals know when danger is coming and they run for cover. We humans have our own psychic radar that tells us where we need to be and what we need to do in any moment. At the time of the quake on Tuesday I was at Pupu Springs, the sacred waters of Golden Bay, with an overseas visitor who had flown up from Christchurch the day before. It seems this is a time when we all need to stay very attuned to what is right for us, not to be ruled by should and ought tos but to be moved by the heart. It seems important also to stay open to joy and to acknowledge all the gifts life is constantly showering upon us, in whatever form they come wrapped in.
4. We are One Global Family.
Our interconnectedness starts here at home and spreads out to encompass the whole world. The Earth Mother is erupting everywhere. The small community of Cockermouth in the Lake District was devastated by flood in 2009, floods came too to the people of Pakistan, Queensland, Europe, Bolivia; the people in the Gulf of Mexico suffered the most horrendous oil disaster; in Haiti a terrible quake took many lives; in Western Australia and California, fires raged; in Indonesia an awful volcanic eruption. The world is in chaos and sometimes there is just too much to respond to; we switch off, we go a little numb, we busy ourselves with what we can do. Yet right now is a moment to remember that we are all One Family. Despite all our different languages, cultures, ethnicities, colours of skin, religions, we are all more alike than different. As his Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “All human beings have two things in common: we all long to be happy and we all suffer.” What would it really mean to live as one human family? How would you live that on a daily basis?
5. This is an opportunity to rebuild in a new more humane and sustainable way.
One of my teachers, Joanna Macy, calls this the time of the Great Turning, others have called it the Great Awakening, or the Great Compassion. If we want a more humane world in which each one of us is honoured for who we are, living a whole and holy life together, it is up to each one of us to create that. It starts in the heart and we live it through all our relationships.
Namaste,
Rose Diamond.
P.S. If you are a woman living at the top of the SouthIsland of New Zealand, or indeed if you would like to come up from Christchurch, my one day Soul Sisters Retreats provide space for processing, connecting, deepening, community building and renewal. We will be meeting In Cable Bay, near Nelson on Sunday 13th March and in Tukurua, Golden Bay on Sunday March 20th. Genuine inquiries please leave a comment and your email address and I will contact you.
March 1st 2011
