When we explored the familiar “crab basket” metaphor at Sunday’s Climate Justice Revival service, we noted that there are differences between crabs and people. One difference we didn’t name explicitly is that crabs in a basket didn’t get put there by other crabs. The unjust systems we talk about dismantling—the societal habits and assumptions that cause pervasive harm—those were created by people. Many of our human ways of being hurt human beings. 

We considered the possibility that what’s needed is not just getting crabs out of the basket, but tipping the basket over entirely. That probably feels like a lot of work, even if we agree that it’s a valid approach. And even if the Social Change Map from Deepa Iyer really resonates with us, it might feel like a lot of effort just to find all the collaborators we might need to effectively change the way our human systems operate. Wholeness and well-being and mutual thriving sound great, but they might seem far-fetched or elusive. 

And yet, can we say that a commitment to Liberating Love calls us to anything less than wholeness, well-being, and mutual thriving? How can we get our arms around such a big vision? Maybe there are some practices that can empower us to more fully embrace our potential to shape our lives and the world around us.

In the month of October, we’re going to explore one possibility with the practice of Deep Listening. While it may seem like a pretty basic thing, listening deeply to one another seems desperately lacking in the world around us. If we can practice a deeper way of listening—to ourselves and to others—maybe it will be easier to foster the kind of wholeness, well-being, and mutual thriving we envision.

So, this Sunday (October 6), we begin by considering how we listen to ourselves and others as full and complete beings, incorporating our physical selves into our spiritual identities. Specifically, we’ll be lifting up the reasons we welcome a ministry like Our Whole Lives in Unitarian Universalist spaces.

Next week, our Pride for All Ages group will lead a service around Why This Election Matters to Me. And on October 20, we’ll have the opportunity to experience some different ways of listening (and responding) to ourselves and others. Finally, we’ll explore how our congregational covenant offers some guidance around creating safe and graceful space for deep listening on October 27 with the Tending Covenant Team. 

Throughout the month, you’ll also be able to contribute some decoration to a congregational “talking stick” to indicate when you feel deeply heard by someone. More on that visual and tangible communal practice next week!

How does the call to listen deeply feel challenging to you? Where do you find it easiest to be fully present in your listening? What might stand in the way of deeper listening for you? I’ll be curious to know if any of these things evolve or shift as we explore this practice together in the month ahead.    

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