Why the World Feels Like a Pantry Clean-Out
I have spent almost every Monday night for the past ten years meditating with moms from Houston. We meet online and one of the moms joins us from her pantry because that’s the only place where her young girls won’t find her and she can meditate with us for ninety minutes of peace.
Now this mom is an awesome woman. And this is in no way a commentary on her pantry or her awesomeness. I simply mention her because her pantry is the inspiration for the metaphor and the mantra that is getting me through as I watch what is unfolding in our country and our world:
The Pantry. The Pantry. The Pantry.
Full Disclosure
She doesn’t need a new pantry. I love her pantry. It’s full of all the things a young thriving family needs. We are just going to pretend she does.
We’re going to pretend:
- The family has outgrown the little pantry.
- Their needs have changed with the times.
- They need more space and more of the organizational options available in the 21st century that weren’t available when the house was built in the 20th century.
The Clearing-Out Process
Everyone of us knows that the very first thing that has to happen is to clear out the old stuff that’s already in the pantry. This means discovering all kinds of things that are outdated, no longer useful, missing parts and pieces, not to mention those old rotten things that are hiding out behind or underneath things.
And we all know the process of clearing all of that stuff out of the pantry makes a HUGE BIG MESS all over the kitchen. Right?
Then, as you look at the empty pantry you realize that pulling out those old shelves to make space for newer, more versatile shelving that makes for a much better, more easily organized pantry, isn’t going to be as easy as you thought. The effort to pull out the old shelving leaves big holes in the drywall and now you have an EVEN BIGGER MESS… EVERYWHERE!
The Metaphor
This is what’s going on with our country and the world right now.
We are clearing everything out of the pantry so we can see the rotting potatoes, moldy bread, outdated cake mixes, the petrified raisins, the broken appliances, and the old containers that are missing lids and handles and just need to be thrown away.
We need to find out what has been hiding behind all the pretty yummy goodies we love seeing on our pantry shelves.
Are you with me? This is a metaphor for the country finally looking at the:
- Facebook and Google having all our information and all those privacy issues
- The role of the media in our culture.
- Vast gap in income inequality.
- Police violence.
- Outdated attitudes towards homosexual love and relationship.
- Role of government in our lives.
- Inhumane treatment of immigrants.
- The vulnerability of our democracy.
The list goes on and on and on….
Why Is This Happening?
And that could all be a real downer if we don’t stop and look at why.
Why is this happening?
Because it’s the “Pantry” story playing out on a bigger stage. It’s our country clearing out its pantry so we can rebuild it into a new, beautiful, fully functional pantry that fits the world of the future.
If we want to build a world that has more compassion, kindness and wisdom, we need to see what’s really going on so we can decide what treasures are worth keeping, what needs to be released, what needs to be changed, and then—and only then—can we with wisdom decide what’s the best way to put it all back together so we can move fresh, clear and effectively into a better future for everyone.
A New Pantry, A New World
I believe something new and beautiful is going to come out of this.
We are entering the Age of Aquarius—are you old enough to remember the song? Harmony and Understanding!
This is not permanent. This is not forever. This is not ruining the world for our children and grandchildren.
This is about flushing out and bringing into the light what isn’t working so we can move forward and create a new pantry that will fit the needs of the 21st century world family.
The Question
The question is: What is your role?
If you want to know how meditators navigate difficulties in the world and in their lives, join us in a group meditation!