Spirit: The Fifth Sacred Element

UU Church of Berks
Spirit: The Fifth Sacred Element
August 21, 2011
Rev. Sandra Fees
On its 20th Anniversary, Parabola Magazine, a magazine of myth and tradition, focused
on the archetype of the elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The editors noted that
despite advances in knowledge and science, humans continue to puzzle over “the
human condition and our place in the cosmos.”
The elements do indeed speak to some of our biggest and most persistent religious
questions. Where do we come from? Why are we here on this planet? What gives
shape and meaning to our existence?
For Unitarian Universalists, earth-centered traditions with their emphasis on the
elements offer us some clues as we reflect on and strive to answer these questions.
Environmentalism and feminism, as well as paganism and other earth-centered
traditions, have contributed to these reflections. Some of these traditions share roots
with Unitarian Transcendentalism. These spiritualities and philosophies have stimulated
a growing earth consciousness among us.
They have cultivated an earth consciousness to the point we can rightly say earth
spirituality is part and parcel of the way we do religion, part of the way we are religious
together. This is reflected in a love for nature, reverence of it, and the desire to care for
the earth and all life. According to Forrest Church, earth-centered traditions hold “a
primary place in our faith’s typology.” For us, a sense of the earth is “a touchstone of the
sacred.”
Last Sunday, Worship Associate Lisa Frank led us in a sensory experience of the four
classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I can still imagine the smell of sage, the
wind blowing through a field, the feel of lavender oil on my palms, and the healing
power of water. This week is a continuation of her reflection with a focus on a fifth
element: spirit.
Now spirit is an interesting word. It gets used a lot in a lot of different ways. Spirit of Life,
Holy Spirit, Great Spirit, to name a few. To the ancient Greek philosophers, it had a
particular meaning. The Greek philosopher Empedocles who lived circa 490 to 430 BCE
originated the cosmology of the four classical elements. It was Aristotle who added the
fifth – the "quintessence," often referred to as ether, or spirit. While earth, fire, air, and
water were considered temporal, he believed the heavens were made of spirit, an
unchangeable and celestial substance. The stars were believed to be composed of it. In
medieval times, the Catholic Church actually supported this Aristotelian concept. It
coincided with the Christian concept of earthly life as ephemeral and heaven as eternal.
In earth-centered traditions, specifically contemporary paganism, spirit also has a
particular meaning. Spirit is at the center of the other elements. It is what holds them
together, connecting them in sacred relationship. The elements don’t exist in isolation.
They are connected in sacred patterns. Spirit is what connects them in these sacred
patterns. And these patterns can help to give shape and meaning to our existence.
The pagan activist and author Starhawk, writing in her book The Earth Path: Grounding Your
Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature, says, “The center where the [four] elements meet is the place
of spirit, of change and transformation, the timeless place, the heart.” According to Starhawk,
by understanding those patterns we can develop a deeper appreciation of how things work in
the natural world, and also how these patterns impact our human culture. Spirit, as Starhawk
observes, is the place of the whole not just the isolated parts. Spirit is where transformation
and change occurs.
Earlier this summer, I spoke about why things happen and whether they happen for a
reason. At the root of it, we humans want to make sense of what happens to us.
Whether we are encountering losses, dealing with relationships, or moving through the
day-to-day flow of living, we need ways to put our struggles, joys, and experiences into
context. Learning to identify patterns in our lives can help us do that. A deeper
awareness of the pattern of connections and relationships in our lives can cultivate a
greater sense of purpose, more hope, and a justice-seeking perspective.
A few weeks ago, I attended a neighborhood meeting with representatives from the
electric company. I live over near Glenside Elementary in the Berkshire Greens area.
The company has plans to remove trees behind about five houses in a stretch of
easement that abuts Route 12. The trees are growing under or very near main power
lines. The company has been given the legal rights by the developer who owns the
easement. That’s another story.
The removal of the trees will affect all of us because the trees help provide a sound
barrier, as well as a visual barrier and environmental buffer from Route 12 noise,
pollution, traffic, etc. Due to all kinds of regulations and company policy, only what they
call “compatible” trees will be allowed to remain within a certain footage of the wires. All
“incompatible” trees will be removed. At present, there is no plan for replanting.
We had at least 60 to 75 community people at the meeting, including our Reading City
council representative, council president, the city’s managing director who also lives in
my neighborhood, and a representative from state senator Judy Schwank’s office. You
might think with all that local clout, the neighbors have the inside track, but, in truth, the
electric company has the law on its side. At the meeting, it became clear this was a
done deal. The company already has an established policy, and we were being
informed, actually educated, not consulted.
Most of us would be quick to see this organizational structure as a hierarchy, maybe a
bureaucracy. I lost count of how many times the person presenting to us said, “I can’t
answer that. It’s not part of my department’s responsibility.” Now don’t get me wrong.
Not all hierarchies are inherently bad. Someone has to be in charge and make
decisions. Hierarchies can be very efficient and they actually derive from one of nature’s
patterns, from branching. But when the branching gets distorted and abused, when the
nutrients in the system are not distributed equally, people’s voices are silenced and they
are excluded.
The gathering of neighbors relies on a different approach than the one used by the
electric company. We are striving to create a web of connection and inclusion in order to
identify solutions to benefit everyone, including the utility company. After all, we really
don’t want power outages. We have a stake in the company’s effort to keep the wires
clear and the power running smoothly – no matter how frustrated we may be with their
approach.
At the moment, we are researching the possibilities of erecting a sound barrier and
doing replanting, and we’ll meet again in a few weeks. It’s not clear how this situation
will turn out. But a few months ago the community came together and in doing so was
able to prevent a billboard from being located along that route.
When the interdependence of individual humans, trees, companies, communities is
recognized - when there is a holistic view of doing things - we can develop more sustainable,
more earth-friendly, more supportive environments.
Permaculture design is a great example of this. It is a sustainability model built on
patterns that exist in nature. The word “permaculture” was coined by Australians Bill
Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s from the words “permanent” (meaning
sustainable) and “agriculture.” Permaculture observes simple principles that make natural
systems endure and mirrors them in the design of gardens, farms, buildings, woodlands,
communities, business, and cities. (Mother Earth News) These simple principles can be
applied to any environment.
The web of life takes a holistic and sustainable view. Unitarian Universalists have
intentionally and explicitly included the web of life in our approach to religion and life.
Our seventh principle is “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we
are a part.”
The circle is another powerful symbol that we have integrated into our religious life. It
appears in our sixth sacred source: “spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions
which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the
rhythms of nature.” Ann Myers, our small group ministry coordinator, talked about circle
groups earlier this morning. These small groups enable us to build intimacy and
friendship, and to deepen and nurture our spiritual lives. They are modeled on nature’s
own design – on eggs and seeds, which nurture and protect.
There are many other patterns observable in nature. These include the spiral, which is
seen in snail shells, coiled snakes, and tornadoes. The spiral dance and labyrinths are
modeled after it. Randomness provides yet another pattern. It’s another way that I find
has strong resonance for us. Of course, it seems ironic to think of randomness as a
pattern. But envision the arrangement of leaves as they fall to the ground in autumn. Is
this really random? Some patterns may appear random but may actually have an
underlying design.
Some things really are random. Let’s not be too quick to try to banish randomness. One
of the important contributions of randomness is the sense of freedom and movement it
can offer. It upsets the balance and overturns the expected order of things. Sometimes
we need that movement. As a freedom-seeking and freedom-loving religious bunch,
we’re typically pretty okay with that.
Patterns can be found in our work places, families, and spiritual lives. An awareness of
them can bring us greater insight into areas of creativity and growth that we can build
on. We can also see when patterns have become destructive and are ruining lives.
Addiction is one example. It can leave a wake of destruction and injury. Neuroscience
has discovered that addictions create actual changes in the brain. Interestingly,
neuroscience is also finding that mindfulness meditation and talk therapy create
changes in the pleasure circuitry of the brain that can actually help counteract the
patterns created by addiction (The Compass of Pleasure, David J. Linden). It’s a terrific
example of how science can provide tools to uncover those patterns, and how patterns
can be altered to improve lives.
When we are aware of patterns around us and within us, we can begin to replicate
those that are inspiring, healing, and justice-oriented. We can learn to incorporate the
patterns we experience in nature in our day-to-day lives and in designing communities
or systems. And we can seek to counter and replace those that are damaging with more
sustainable options.
May we each strive to see the sacred patterns in our lives. May we form circles of
inclusion that can provide safety and intimacy. May we learn to weave connections of
strength, communication, and care. May our actions in the world create ripples of
compassion.
Amen. Blessed be.
Resource: The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature by Starhawk