Beloveds,
The first sentence of Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese is the opposite of what society embeds in us. From early on we are imprinted with do’s and don’ts, if’s and when’s, be good and do good. When we follow the rules, we should be happy.
And yet, many are not.
In this week’s chapter of Gifts of the Dark Wood: Seven Blessings for Soulful Skeptics (And Other Wanderers), Eric Elnes suggests that a temptation to do good may not serve us, especially when it is not ours to do. You know the phrase, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Mary Oliver continues her poem, “You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
The writers ask us to question societal expectations of perfection and what others define as good. We are called to use our imagination and intuition to find for our joy, that which connects us more deeply to God, which will lead us to do GOOD rather than doing a lot of “good” things. Your list of accomplishments might be shorter, but they will be greater.
I will be pondering this as I prepare for Sunday. I pray that you will too. I look forward to seeing you on 1130 Balclutha, Zoom, or Livestream at 10 am. Invite a friend.
Imagine!
Rev. Michael