REFLECTION: ‘The prophets are on the streets. And they are proclaiming that ‘another world is possible’. This tagline of the Occupy London site at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2011 would have been recognized by the prophets of the Jewish scriptures. The way things are is not the way things always need to be. There are other possibilities! And we can begin to change the world through our imaginations. Not imagining as pretending, but imagining as thinking, as believing, as yearning, as praying and as acting, bringing into being something new…’
PRACTICE: ‘So how do we work out what we could or should be doing to Re-imagine the World? There may need to be an element of self-education here. We may need to engage with the media to understand the issues that are around. If you do that don’t rely on one source of news alone. Research the different views present in the media, see what’s getting covered (or missed) in social media, and if the issue has a local aspect try to engage with it on the ground where you are. Also take time to ponder on whatever your own story may be telling you. How might your life journey to this point have prepared you for a particular cause? What are you being called to do and to be as a joyful re-imaginer in tough times – bringing flowers and faces, stars and traces of light to your street? Let’s Re-imagine the World!’
©Ian Adams 2013 ‘Running Over Rocks: spiritual practices to transform tough times’ (Canterbury Press)
Look out for short daily posts around the week’s theme on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll be doing the practices wherever we are, and we’ll look forward to hearing how you get on – do let us know!
Unfurling: poems
Ian’s new collection of poems Unfurling is out now on Canterbury Press, also via your local bookshop, and all usual online sources including Book Depository with free delivery world-wide.