We find ourselves on a profound journey of self-discovery and purposeful living. At the core is the question that beckons us: “What is our lever and place to stand?” This inquiry cuts to the heart of how we can bring our unique gifts to bear on the immense suffering, injustice and brokenness in the world around us. We know that the needs are overwhelming and no single person can “fix” everything. Yet we are called to discern what is ours to do, trusting that our individual contributions make an invaluable difference when woven together.
This path of discernment has been nonlinear, with seasons of clarity alternating with periods of disconnection and doubt about whether we are truly living our calling or vocation. We have learned that this ebb and flow is normal and to be expected. The key is to keep returning to the question, staying faithful to the process of inner listening and outer engagement required to find our way.
As we reflect on our childhoods, we see signposts and clues pointing towards the work that is ours to embrace. Perhaps it was an insatiable curiosity to learn, or a love of swimming that became a space to process our interior worlds. Maybe we fashioned “schools”, not to teach others, but to construct the very thing that now allows us to guide people into the depths. Our childhood dreams, though ridiculed by others at the time, contained seeds of truth about our yearning to live as “hobo artists”, inspiring contemplative wanderers connecting with the spiritual across landscapes.
Our cultural upbringings awoke in us a profound sense of interconnectedness –between humans, nature, and the divine. This knowing births both a sense of responsibility and an ethic of reciprocity that we seek to embody. We witnessed in our families a spirit of selfless generosity, hospitality, and compassionate caring for anyone in need. These seeds were planted deeply, calling us to share the gifts we discover at every stage of our unfolding lives.
Our own wounds have been fierce teachers, shaping our wandering and our wondering. Struggles with learning differences, faith deconstruction amidst devastating loss, brushes with depression and dark nights – these have been brutal initiations into the wisdom that becomes the medicine we now carry. The pain we could feel is the pain we can heal in others and in the world. Our unique stories write the prompts for the questions we are devoted to living into.
Across disparate paths, a common chord resounds: There are no permanent answers, only an ever-evolving practice of listening and responding to the invitation that arises in each new context and season of life. How can we show up as our most authentic selves? How might we join in the holy conversation that is perpetually unfolding, meeting the world halfway while allowing it to meet us? There is a kenosis, a self-emptying, inherent in the work – a letting go of personal constructs and opening to what wants to emerge from the ground of mystery.
Increasingly, we realize our “lever and place to stand” is not a final destination to arrive at, but a way of being and a lifelong engagement. It is living in perpetual discernment, assuming a posture of openness, presence, awe and deep gratitude each day. It is cultivating a generous spirit, letting our wounds lead to wisdom that bestows healing wherever we go. It is showing up authentically to play our part in co-creating a world where all people, all beings, all things belong.
The path is humble, anchored in the awareness that our individual contributions are just one strand in a vast tapestry. Yet it is also supremely dignified labor, directly participating in the work of tikkun olam, the healing and repair of the entire world. Together, with our intricate ribbons of uniqueness woven through the whole, we midwife a vision of wholeness that can transform the landscape of existence. This is the invitation to which we ache to say yes.
Summary
Consider the question “What is my lever and place to stand?” which centers on recognizing one’s unique way to contribute to healing injustice and hurt in the world. Discovering this has been a non-linear process, with seasons of clarity and disconnect, finding clues in childhood loves and dreams. One recurring theme is wounds leading to wandering life paths, shaping one’s questioning, wisdom gained, and ultimate work of bestowing that wisdom as medicine to the world. Interconnectedness, responsibility, and a spirit of generosity are instilled from cultural upbringings and parental modeling of service. The nuance is realizing it’s about living the discernment question daily through practice, authentically showing up in the conversation of what wants to unfold, allowing the world to meet you as you meet it. The overarching idea is that together, through self-discovery and giving one’s unique gifts, everyone can play a part in creating a world where all belongs.
Key Points
1. Considering the question “What is my lever and place to stand?” which is about recognizing one’s unique contribution to healing the world, despite the overwhelming amount of hurt and injustice.
2. Discovering our “lever and place” is a non-linear process, with seasons of clarity and disconnect. There are clues in our childhood loves.
3. We might connect it to childhood dreams and kindling the contemplative life. Our vocational call also includes, for example, being a parent raising changemakers.
4. Upbringing instills a sense of interconnectedness and responsibility. Parents model generosity and service. It’s about living the question daily through discernment and practice.
5. Some see it as showing up authentically in the conversation of what wants to unfold.
6. Wounds lead to wandering, wondering, wisdom and one’s work of bestowing that wisdom as medicine to the world. For example, wounds around learning difficulties and faith deconstruction led him here.
7. The overarching theme is finding one’s unique way to be a force for good and healing in the world through self-discovery, everyday practice and generosity of spirit.