- by Dorothy LeBaron and Mark McAlister
Dorothy LeBaron and Regine Kurek led us through a process
with conversation and painting groups.
In the course of the afternoon, we were challenged to loosen up
established patterns and explore new social processes. The following is a summary of comments from
participants.
Behind all our work is the recognition of the human being
at the center, the striving for a human way of working. We need to develop new capacities of
listening and heart thinking – these will give us the flexibility to cope with
the dynamic equilibrium of inner and outer movement. They will also generate the courage for us to
trust in the ever present help of
the spiritual world.
It is amazing that our Charter was founded in 1953 by
three housewives. What a wealth of accomplishment has come out of this initial
group. We honour them. We have inherited riches and fruits from them. It feels
like the first 60 years have been a gift. Now it feels like something else is
required of us. We have the responsibility to do something with what we have
been learning. We need to reach into the
future. We need to cross the threshold.
In the artistic process, we took a step, faced this
threshold. Rather than just having a discussion
about the purpose of our Society, we engaged in an artistic process. At times,
it was painful experience - it felt like it was beyond our capacity to be fully
in it. We had to let go, to sacrifice
everything to do with our selves, and have the trust of not knowing.
We stepped into something that is really alive.
It felt like we
were responding to the conditions of today.
What is possible now socially? How can someone new connect to us (the
Society) and find a space? It can be challenging. In one of the painting
processes, some judgments kicked in. An attitude of “we know how to fix this”
was there. How much is this a reflection of an attitude in our Society towards
the world?
Can we learn to move between I and We – to find a
rhythm (expansion and contraction) between the self and the community. I will always need a social context to fulfill
my destiny. Respecting and giving room
for the other raises our consciousness. Working together redeems the separateness and loneliness of the individual – Together
we create a harmonizing, a powerful force.
Can we learn to be inclusive but not intrusive? To
understand the many individual reasons why someone would step into this
experience? How do we create safe spaces for others – in which
they are free to BE? Are we prepared to
recognize and meet the Double when he appears?
These social processes always seem disjointed at
first. The painting activity helps to
find a unifying gesture that can pull it all together.
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