Walking the LIne

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Originally uploaded by Firespiral Arts.

I spent time this weekend thinking about consciously creating community, and how to open the hearts of people around me. Sometimes I want to walk up to people and clap my hands and yell "Wake Up!" So many people are just walking the line, stepping through their lives, not really questioning, or opening themselves to the Deeper parts of life. I wondered about doing a sermon at my UU congregation about Taking Risk and Intimacy. I wanted to ask people if they, too, had deep, sometimes ugly feelings about what it means in their lives to take care of their elderly and sick, or if they, too, had issues with raising children who are so vastly different from themselves that they find themselves loving, but not really liking them. I know I am not the only one who has these life feelings. I know that there are people sitting there pretending. I wonder how many of those who, like me, question the ability of our group's ability to EVER get to a cohesive Loving Place without taking risks.

Coffee hour is more about Dodge and Parry, hit and run, "Hi, I'm FINE" than touching someone deeply even if it is just to acknowledge the difficult times and give hugs.

I NEED a community of like hearted souls to commune with often. And then I ask myself, "how exclusionary is that?!" I want to have people around me who are like me, who make me feel comfortable. Like the Boy Scouts who don't want gay people to join???? That, too, is walking the line. Taking risk for me may just involve opening up to people who are NOT like me, finding the Tender Place inside for everyone, not just "My Tribe"...

I refuse to live an unexamined life. And I don't want to pry people open like oysters. I want to find people who want to ask questions of themselves, of me. Not that everyone has to be on the Growing Edge all the time. Just sometimes...

Ask yourself some difficult questions. Then ask someone you care about. Then take a risk and ask someone you don't know well. See what happens.

Intimacy necessarily involves Risk.

Don't just walk the line.