Sunlight emerges from clouds… sprouts emerge from seeds… deer emerge from the forest… While these situations are all different, in each illustration of emergence, the unseen has become visible — cloud movement reveals the light that had been temporarily hidden, the expanding life within a seed breaks through the outer casing for growth to continue, the deer move from their place of concealment to a place for grazing.

Sometimes our lives are graced with illumination simply because the “clouds” hanging over us have now moved out of the way.  But often a lot of stuff has grown up around us, so that, like living in a very built-up city, sometimes we need to do the moving if we want to feel sunlight on our faces.  Frequently, inspiration and ideas are just waiting to be recognized, just waiting for us to move into a position where we can see them.

A similar metaphor of personal growth can be found in the sprout emerging from a seed.  Whenever our beliefs and opinions become firmly set, they tend to form a casing around us.  We then face the challenge of breaking open that shell so that we can grow into a larger understanding and a new way of being in Life.   As “seeds” of possibility drift our way, Life is best served by our offering a nurturing space for such seeds to crack open and grow.

All this shifting, moving, and making space happen best when we live in anticipation, when we are welcoming of change, when we bring a mindful appreciation and sense of wonder to our daily living.  In community we can help each other find and hold such alignment…. And together we can offer the world love that is joyful.

The April Soul Matters packets offer materials to explore the meaning of “emergence” – as we consider how we experience it in our lives and how it is a part of our experience in community.   The Soul Matters resource packet can be accessed here.   If you need a printed copy, please feel free to take one from those available in the fellowship room or ask for a copy, if they have all been taken.   You might also like to consider joining a chalice circle to share your insights and hear what others are saying.

Wishing you joy in community,

M.E. Tanabe