November/December 2004 Editor's Viewpoint
From the Editor: Chaos and Creativity

Miriam Knight

As I write this, the election is still a week away. I have had the sense for some time that we are moving into a time of increasing chaos, whatever the outcome, Last month I had the great pleasure of hearing a talk at the Spiritual City Forum by Matthew Fox. Hi is, a spiritual theologian and former priest who was silenced by the Vatican, later received as an Episcopal priest and then went on to found the University of Creation Spirituality (UCS) in Oakland, California.

As I write this, the election is still a week away. Whatever the outcome, I have had the sense for some time that we are moving into a time of increasing chaos. Although Fox too felt that we are heading into a time of chaos, his message was positive and enheartening. "Don’t underestimate our species," he said, "our strength is in our hearts." Fox doesn’t feel that chaos, per se, is evil, as we have been taught. "Chaos," he says, "leads to the door of creativity, and creativity is just about the only thing that our species has going for it." But both too much order and too much chaos are dangerous. We need to "find the balance and dance the dance."

We are all acutely aware of the enormous challenges we face as a society on the spiritual, social, economic, environmental, and political fronts. We have too oftenlook looked to our leaders for paternalistic solutions; for assurances that our comfortable lifestyle will not be threatened. But tThe role of leaders in the coming time needs to be different, Fox suggests. The new role will need to be to "midwife the emergence of creativity." Fox went on to state that the task of such leaders will be "to bring back a sense of the sacred." That is one of the most profound comments on the role of leadership I think I have ever heard – to bring back a sense of the sacred. Imagine a leader capable of inspiring others to feel that we are all a part of the same whole – and that the cosmic web of life that gave birth to us and sustains us is a precious gift for which we are all collectively responsible.

The coming times will demand thinking outside the boxgreat creativity to and coming come up with innovative solutions that are win-win for humanity and the planet. Such solutions can and must be integrative of Solutions must integrative, recognizing the needs, concerns and capabilities of all. In this election, more than any in my memory, the politicians have played on the single note of fear, because they knew how powerful an emotion it is.

Matthew Fox quoted a Lakota saying: "Fear is a door in the heart that lets evil spirits in. All prayer is to strengthen the heart."

Whatever we might think of those on the other side of the political spectrum from us, we are talking about fellow citizens of our country who have just as much a right to their beliefs and preferences as we do. Rather than using contentious issues as political footballs, we need to be able to honor and try to understand the passions aroused by them. What we need is to move to a higher order perspective and To find solutions that can be broadly supported, we need a higher order perspective that encompasses all concerns.

Now is a time to rise above the things that divide us Let usand to be compassionate towards eachother one another, because, in our own way, we are all groping our way in the dark towards enlightenment and trying to understand what the creator wants of us. And while we start our soul journeys from an infinity of placesNo matter what our starting point, our destination is same.

What is the way forward? I don’t have a crystal ball, although I have asked some leading psychics and astrologers to prepare predictions for our next issue. I can, however, state with absolute certainty that leadership based on fear and anger will generate only impotence, greed and destruction. It takes strength and courage to lead from love, and generate a climate in which creativity can flourish and all humanity prosper. Let us all pray to strengthen our hearts and close the door of fear.

Now, as we head into a season of holidays of light and gathering together, let us reach out to each other and focus on the only thing of lasting true value – human relationships. Let us cherish and nurture our family and friends (and progressively broaden those categories.) These are the support networks that will sustain us through whatever may come.

Love & light,
Miriam