SUNDAY LECTURE | Holding Hope and Realism

ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life

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Summary for November 8, 2020

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Dear Folks -

This week in Ordinary Life is really one of those times where the audio version deserves your attention. I will include the text we had in front of us but the places where we went “off script” contain and convey some important content. What we attempted to do is speak to the division that exists in this country. This division is seen in the results of the presidential election. The title we gave the time is

Holding Realism and Hope
in Our heads, Hearts and Hands

The title was inspired by a sentence I read from the writings of Pico Iyer. Without paying attention to “what is,” it is so easy for us to lose ourselves. One aspect of our spiritual work is to remain mindful of both what we are capable of and what is at stake. Holly talks about what it means “to belong” and what meaning the notion of indigenous has for us in our current circumstances. She quotes James Cone who said, “The cross was God’s critique of power with powerless love snatching victory out of defeat.” It is a fact that we as a nation have not paid attention to the consequences of systemic racism for ages. Our present time offers us the opportunity to grow the circle of healing to include all of creation. We need “beginner’s mind” to see many possibilities. We have to live together with both realism and hope. If we can’t figure that out, we are going to keep getting what we’ve got.

That is a very brief summary of our time in Ordinary Life this week.

You can find the text we had in front of us, the presentation slides and the audio version of the talk using the links below.

Also, be aware that we have instituted a weekly podcast. It is called “In Between.” You can access this through the Ordinary Life website.

If you would like to know how to make a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here for video instructions.

If you are reading this, I want you to know how grateful I am for and to you.

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

In order to read or download the text of the talk, click here.

In order to view or download the presentation slides, click here.

In order to listen ot or download the audio version of the talk, use the link below.

Download or listen to the audio of today’s class by using the player below.

Watch the video of the class using the YouTube link below.