The Soul Matters theme for the month of November is “Holding History.” Of course, one must ask: whose history? Over the course of the last year, I have observed that everything from the earth’s history, to cultural history, to personal history, has shifted. Let me be a bit more expansive.
In very recent times I heard about Göbeckli Tepe. This is a place in Turkey where archeologists have unearthed buildings which they have dated to around 12,000 BCE. It has carvings, buildings, and designs that rival anything which the Greeks and Romans had and it predates them by thousands of years. But wait …. I thought that there were only primitive peoples around at that time who were incapable of such feats. Whose history had I known? Another discovery and another thing to ponder.
On the level of political/cultural history, let’s look at the matter of voting rights, to mention only one thing out of multiple issues. Didn’t all peoples have the right to vote in this, our democracy? The truth of this history is beginning to come out as we see how things were done/are done. As painful as it may be, we are beginning to see the whole story. Whose history did we learn? Another discovery and another thing to ponder.
In recent times I have reconsidered my own history and the decisions I have made. Some of them have proved good and some not. But wait …. does that mean I should feel badly about my ‘mistakes’? Well, to quote Alexander Pope: “One should never be ashamed to own that one is wrong, which is but saying in other words that one is wiser today than yesterday.” So whose history was I holding? More discoveries and more to ponder.
As we hold history and make discoveries, may we not let our own self-pride get in the way of truth. These discoveries are a part of the process of becoming whole as a civilization. Sometimes the journey is messy because our perceptions get altered, and that includes our own self-perception.
There are great doors that are opening at this time. They are letting the light in and we are beginning to see more of the inherent potential that we have as human beings. I am grateful that we can ponder together and discover together and heal together.
So may it be.
Rev. Ed
