June 2026

Perhaps it is just me, but does it feel to you that the pace of life seems to be increasing exponentially? There are more things to do than time to do them! At the same time, the scale of injustice in our world seems to have a parallel exponential increase.

Amid this reality, my heart keeps coming back to this question: how much spaciousness is there in my life? Perhaps that feels too naïve or too micro a question given the many macro urgencies that call for our attention.

As I pay attention to the life of Jesus, however, I see boundless spaciousness. Surely with all the miracles, he had countless people clamoring for his attention. And yet, in the middle of the crowd, he notices one woman touch the fringe of his clothes. “Someone touched me” Jesus says, “for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” (Luke 8: 46)

In another large crowd, Jesus notices a man of short stature who has climbed a tree to get his attention. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus says, “hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19: 5)

When I think about cultivating the kind of spaciousness that Jesus had, I reflect on the rhythms of my life. I remember the wise saying of Paramhansa Yogananda that “environment is stronger than will power.” I cannot create a wise, compassionate spaciousness on my own in the current climate we live in. I hold my spiritual life in the hands of a loving God, and share in that journey with supportive spiritual community that encourages, uplifts, and inspires me.

Creating this spaciousness isn’t selfish or navel-gazing. In my life, it creates the spaciousness within me where I can be more present to you. As I open myself to the still, small voice within that calls me beloved, I realize that sacred presence is in you too. You too are called beloved. I cannot treat you as separate. The deeper I go into spaciousness, the more I realize that separateness is the illusion. Separateness fuels the impetus for me to profit at your expense. When I can breathe in spaciousness, I realize that, as Martin Luther King Jr. said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” In other words, we are One. One body, many members, says Paul.

In the words of Richard Rohr: “Wisdom is a way of being… to see in such a way requires the hard work of keeping all our inner spaces open- mind, heart, and body- all at once.”

This truth is simple to understand, but much harder to live out. To truly live out our oneness is a multi-faceted approach to spiritual living. It involves faithfulness to the rhythms of our own spiritual practice and rest. It involves attentiveness to the ways we are being fed in spiritual community. And it involves expanding our circle of care and compassion, taking the time out of our urgencies to listen to the narratives of others not part of our immediate circles. I only begin to realize that we are one when I see my story in your story. In our interconnectedness, we begin to realize that we are all a part of God’s shared story.

In that spirit, we invite you to come to Bethany House and the Chapel of Saint Anne Monday to hear Episcopal priest Rev. Leyla King, author of the book Daughters of Palestine speak on “Memoir as Discovery: How an Immigrant Story Informs the Present.” Bethany House will soon be entering our own summer rhythm of rest, but we look forward to sharing with you soon about exciting programs to come in the 2026 - 2027 year.