direct Steps
to Becoming
a Sacred Activist
1. Write down one thing that has
made you feel grateful to be alive
today. You will discover that this
reminds you of how blessed you
are just by being alive in a world
6. Make a real commitment to a change in a pocket so that you can
full of ordinary wonders.
spiritual practice. If you do not yet always give something to one of the
2. Write down—just off the top of
have a practice, start now with a thousands of homeless on Ameri-
your heart—10 things that are
simple meditation. Over time, this ca’s streets.
sacred to you. In the act of writ-
meditation will awaken you to your
10. There are people around you who
ing, you will start to be inspired by
own deepest sacred desire to see
are suffering. Make a commitment
your deepest values, beliefs and
all beings consciously living in
to find out who they are and what
sources of emboldening joy.
harmony, and to your sacred cour-
they need, and invite six of your
3. Think of someone who has hurt or
age to express this desire in action.
friends to make a commitment with
betrayed you, and make a com-
7. Strengthened by prayer, practice you to begin supplying it. In acting
mitment to work on forgiving him
and inspiration, turn now to your like this, you will be helping to ani-
or her. Imagine this person in front
life and the people in it. Everyone, mate the heart of your community.
of you, surrounded by light, happy
especially in a time like ours, has
11. Make a commitment today, even
and well. Pray for this person to
friends who are grieving or ill or
if you are experiencing financial
realize his or her life’s purpose.
looking for a job or in financial dif-
difficulties, to tithe between five
4. Read a short text from any of the
ficulty. Commit now to ringing one
and 10 percent of what you earn to
world’s spiritual traditions that
of them up and asking him or her
a cause of your choice. Over time,
inspires you with the love-wisdom
what you could do to make the
tithing will give you a great and
of the prophets and mystics who
burden easier.
healing sense of being useful. The
know God directly.
8. Make a commitment to skip one cause you are helping will become
5. When the text you have chosen
meal in the coming 24 hours and increasingly precious and personal
starts to light up your spirit, pray
send a check for the money you to you until you will wish, naturally
a short prayer that aligns you with
would have spent on it to a reputa- and simply, to do more.
the pure deep love that is longing
ble organization dealing with world
to use you as its instrument in the
hunger.
Source: The Hope: A Guide to Sacred
world.
9. Make a commitment to keep small
Activism by Andrew Harvey
14 www.VOFLnatural.com
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40