If you have been listening to what is happening in the world around you, you may have heard about Waking Up or being Woke. But what does that really mean?
Following is a quote from Franciscan friar and ecumenical teacher Father Richard Rohr called Growing Up, Waking Up and Cleaning Up
By Waking Up we are speaking of any spiritual experience which overcomes our experience of the self as separate from Being in general. This is variously referred to as enlightenment, awakening, or unitive consciousness, and it should be the full Christian meaning of salvation. Unfortunately, we pushed all waking up into something that would hopefully happen later, in heaven or after death, or as a reward for good behavior in this world. This was a major loss and defeat for Christianity and a disastrous misplacement of attention. We became a religion of religious transactions more than spiritual transformation.
I joined the New Thought Movement because I wanted to experience a spiritual transformation within myself. The teaching at CSL (Centers for Spiritual Living) encourages transformation through classes, spiritual practices, and learning to change within.
But, as I observe from the outside, there is a trend to marry religion with politics, moving us backward in time to a place that Fr. Rohr describes as practicing religious transactions. In other words, we earn our way to heaven by being and acting ‘holy’ rather than transforming by being aware of ourselves and others around us. I left traditional Christianity because it was so focused on working our way to heaven rather than learning to live peacefully and productively on earth.
Many make fun of “Woke” people. I see being woke as being aware of all people and their needs, not just my own. Part of being woke is seeing the world around us and working towards making it better for ALL people.
But when we marry religion with politics, we create a disaster.
Rev. Dr. Michelle Wadleigh touched on this in her article called: Hold on to Each Other.
Her insights are as follows:
We need to pay attention to what is going on behind the scenes at the national level and we definitely need to pay attention during this election season and PROJECT 2025. Please click on the hyperlink to see what is going on.
We, you, me, your family, neighbors and people on both sides of the political isle need to pay serious attention to the freedoms we have enjoyed in this country – no not everyone, but the threat of losing many of the rights that we now enjoy are hiding in the shadows of the intentions of a number of right-winged, Christian Nationalists efforts. There is a movie on Prime which you might want to watch, it is called BAD FAITH. It costs .99 to rent, a tiny price to pay to be informed. Women’s rights are threatened from abortion rights to sex education. Rights for our LGBTQ family are threatened with more than 400 bills across the country waiting to be passed. And there are even bills to ban DEI programs which would clearly empower the people of color in our country. We are a hot mess.
I recommend reading her article as it is one of the best I have seen that addresses the problem. She also offers ten steps to help change the energy of our count. I might even print and post her suggestions!
Join me in Waking Up now while we still can.