Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Reflection: A Sense of Connectedness

Susan Owicki
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Palo Alto, CA

Sometimes, when bad things happen, people find themselves being good to each other. It’s as if we suddenly notice that we are members of the same human race and decide to act accordingly.

In our meditation group last Saturday, Jack Bradley talked about driving down El Camino after the 1989 earthquake. All the traffic lights on El Camino were out, and traffic should have been a mess. But it wasn’t. Everyone was courteous, people were willing to yield. No one was in too much of a hurry.

As I heard Jack’s story, the words that came to me were “we’re all in this together.” “We’re all in this together.” When I feel that, it’s as if we are all part of a larger whole, and each individual’s well-being depends on the well-being of the rest. Treating other people well isn’t separate from taking care of myself. It’s all one.

The Buddhists talk about interdependence and how we are all connected. Other traditions have similar ideas. Interdependence is a concept that I can grasp at an intellectual level. But I’ve struggled for a while to “get it” at an emotional level. I’ve had the sense that if I ever did “get it,” it would have an impact on the way I experience the world.

Jack’s simple story made me realize that there are times when I do have a gut sense of what interdependence means — times when I know that we’re all in it together. And knowing that does have a positive impact on how I feel and how I act.

It seems that times of crisis can evoke this sense of connectedness. I don’t often have that awareness of interconnection in my everyday life. That seems a shame. I wondered, as I thought about this reflection, whether there was any way that I could experience that sense of connection in normal times.

And then I realized something. Last week, sitting around the circle in meditation group, we were all in it together. As we talked about the day’s readings and how they related to our lives, we wove a fabric that was richer than any of us could have created alone. We each contributed our part, and each of us took away whatever we wanted of our joint creation. I just didn’t notice that happening.

So, for now, I’m thinking that maybe I don’t have to make that connectedness happen more often. Maybe it will be a good start just to notice when it already does.

Thanks, Jack.

 

Sermon: The Voice in the Whirlwind by Rev. Eva Českava