House Cleaning and Solidarity
Saturday morning house cleaning. Not the most favorite of activities for me. Because we do it every Saturday, it is down to a routine. Routines can feel boring. So, my mind tends to wander from the present moment, thinking about the future or the past.
When I notice my mind has drifted, I also notice that my body is more tense. My body actually feels like it is angry - about what I don’t always know. It is always an invitation to come back into the present moment.
My favorite practice is to remember that there were many persons among the “working poor” that served me this week - waitresses, housekeepers in commercial establishments, security people, etc. You know, the ones we tend not to notice because they kind of blend into the background. I imagine those individuals doing their work on all of our behalves at the very moment I am cleaning my house. Suddenly, I am back in the present moment in unity with others around the community and around the world. I am grateful for their presence and feeling at one with them.
It is a tricky way to bypass my ego and move into community with others, outside of a focus on myself. It is what we Christians might call an experience of the “body of Christ.”
What are some of your favorite spiritual practices regarding the poor?
Amen.
