Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, C. S. Lewis, Lao Tzu.
These are but a few people who have been able to powerfully speak into society and culture, bringing about change.
If you look back at their lives you will notice a recurring theme; they learnt from the collective wisdom of humanity through wide study and reading. They were also influenced by engagement with their contemporaries and the spiritual wisdom of their own belief system. In doing so they were able to discern lessons and principles that they applied to their time.
It is worth pointing out that by ‘collective wisdom’ I mean to describe wisdom, from both our forebears; those who have walked the path before us, and our contemporaries; the fellow pilgrims we share this journey with.
Our development depends on us not missing what is being revealed, nor being so arrogant as to assume that we know better than those before us. It is vital that we make use of this collective wisdom lest it be lost, or forgotten.
Accessing ‘collective wisdom’, however requires us to be willing to learn from others, which is easier said than done.
Learning from others, requires us to think of them and their truths as highly as we think of ourselves and our truths. This necessitates not only humility but courage to let our defences down and be open to being influenced by them.
This vulnerablity with others opens up the possibility of being hurt; and herein lies the real challenge to our spiritual development.
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“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.“
Ecclesiastes 1:9
WIDE OPEN PLANES 