What Are We To Do?

The question comes often enough. “Should I take action, or wait for guidance?” It’s an expression of the inner conflict many of us experience when we are caught in the dualism of faith versus action.

Recently, a woman who considers me her mentor asked me for guidance, though she comes not from the world of faith, but of science. At the same time, Neha has a healthy appreciation for what she and I might call the Tao, or flow. There is always a Way unfolding, and we are wise to be aware of it and to cooperate with it.

Neha was having little luck in a job search after having her career path disrupted by losing her work visa and having to leave the country. Obviously that makes for a serious matter. Yet, she wondered whether to keep trying to find work when there is simply no sign of progress. She could not decide if she should pursue her interests in art instead.

I shared with her that in my experience, Spirit, or Tao, or the Force (call it what you will) tends to work more readily upon us when we are in motion. At the same time, some of the greatest awareness and insight arises in the Silence, or Prayer, or Contemplation (call that what you will). I’m convinced by my practice that there is value in seeking Stillness in whatever forms work well for us, then moving into Action with whatever intuitively arises. As an aside, this is very much in keeping with Father Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation.

I’ve also learned to let go of expectations. Much of what arises and is put into action does not seem to bear fruit, though admittedly the benefits may not be evident. We cannot know what may come, or in what ways it may come.

Then we must repeat, repeat, repeat. Back into Silence, then again into Action, letting go of expectations over and over and over again.

Neha reflected my own words back to me with the comments of a bear named Boboso in my book, My Name is Wonder. “The path is made with every step.”

I laughed. Sometimes it is when we are mirrored that things make the most sense.

Then I told Neha. “Sometimes Spirit is an initiating force that is in constant play with Spirit as action, and we are the playground.”

That seemed like an excellent point to lapse into Silence and allow the conversation to wane. Then again, we could just have easily launched into still more play.