Eugene Hoiland Peterson, Presbyterian minister, scholar, theologian, and author of numerous books including The Message (Bible translation) once wrote: “we enter a world we didn’t create. We grow into a life already provided for us. We arrive in a complex of relationships with other wills and destinies that are already in full operation before we are introduced. If we are going to live appropriately, we must be aware that we are living the middle of a story that was begun and will be concluded by another. And that other is God.”
I really like this quote because it’s a reminder that life is not “all about me”. That none of us is at the center of the universe. In short, the world has, is and will get along just fine without me; without any of us. Life goes on.
Since last fall I have been part of a book club that has been reading a wide variety of excellent books by Indigenous authors and meeting once a month for discussion. One of the authors I have re-discovered and enjoyed reading more of is Richard Wagamese. In his book One Story, One Song, Wagamese recounts the experience of being out in nature as “feeling the power of the land reducing him to his proper size”. He goes on to say that “humility is at the root of everything” and that “to be in harmony is to recognize where the power is”.
It may seem shocking to our individualistic worldview and entitled sensibilities, but the fact is that there is a higher power at work in our midst; a story that was going on before you and I came on the scene and will continue long after we’re gone. Both Wagamese and Peterson offer a helpful perspective on this and although it can be uncomfortable for us to embrace, it can also relieve some stress, set us free and allow us to realize we are part of a Great Mystery which gives our little lives meaning and purpose.
Coming to terms with our rightful place in the world and remembering there is more to life than just what’s good for us as individuals, can inform right relationships and provide an appropriate framework for the way we walk through life. It can enable us to join hands and truly celebrate with those who are also part of this ongoing story of the world and those who are on this amazing journey with us.
Please know the book club welcomes you to join anytime in the reading and discussion of Indigenous authors. For more details about what we are currently reading and information about meeting times and places, check the Westminster United Humboldt Facebook page or contact [email protected]. Everyone is welcome!
“I join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, GOD. Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories.”
—The Message
