To drop into being means to recognize your interconnectedness with all life, and with being itself. Your very nature is being part of larger and larger spheres of wholeness.

— Jon Kabat‑Zinn

Greetings, Inspired Seekers:

This is the time of year when we return, whole-heartedly, to the earth. We bask in the sun, run through the waters and reap the harvest from the gardens we have lovingly tended. And so, during this time, our focus – intended or not – is on the reciprocity of Nature and, by extension, the Universe.

I was thinking of this when a new friend generously offered me a gift of basil and jalapeños that she had grown in her communal garden. I was delighted with the fragrance that I knew would be transformed in deliciousness. I baked some loaves of bread, filled with the bounty of her treasures, and shared them with her. The circle of generosity, completed, the vines that connect us all, strengthened.

Our Indigenous brothers and sisters have always honored this reciprocity and the generous sharing of the Earth's sacredness; practices that are rooted in their world and in other faith traditions as well.

But do we practice this generosity daily? Do we honor the vines that connect us all in our speech and in our actions? I am keenly aware, at the end of each day, that, in some cases, I have fallen short. In those quiet moments of meditation and reflection, I sigh, I pray, I vow to do better. And, sometimes, through grace, I do. In those moments I grow a bit in my awareness of the ground of our existence and of my being in it. Precious moments, indeed.

Whenever we give, whatever we give, from the heart, is an act of generosity and awareness; we recognize our place in the tangled vines of the Universe that we share with all others.

We are the guardians of our world and its succession. The gardens will produce goodness as long as we tend them – as will our hearts.

Go! Plant something today!

Grace, Always Yours,
Reverend Deborah

Question of the Month: What seeds of generosity will you plant this month?

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington provides Interfaith Chaplaincy services that connect all peoples. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com or 215 260 1611.