Visioning the Circle of Life: Our Oneness
In these days of harvest time we enjoy the abundance of earth’s gifts that have come to fruition through the labors and hopefulness of our farmers and gardeners. These people bring us back to an appreciation of our earth and its faithfulness in providing for our many needs.
Thanksgiving comes naturally at this time of year that is so filled with sharing and giving as friends and neighbors bring gifts of the harvest, apples, squash, tomatoes, potatoes and so much more to our door. Our annual Thanksgiving Day brings to mind the gifts that our American ancestors received from the people they met in this new land. We often think of the food such as corn that came from native experience of the earth’s producing capabiities. Recently, in listening to a reading from Black Elk Speaks, I was reminded of the gift of wisdom that has also been given to us by many Native Americans in their spiritual visioning.
As we strive today to come to a new appreciation of the oneness of all peoples and our global community needs, Black Elk has left us a vision to ponder and hold close to lift us beyond our divisions to see again who we are as one people of our Creator God.
Black Elk Speaks:
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“Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there, I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy.”
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Truly a gift to us in our troubled world; let us ponder the message and give thanks as we treasure these words that challenge us to a new visioning of the holy.
"Visioning the Circle of Life: Our Oneness" by Marguerite Samz, OSM.