Religion and Spirituality
Exploring
DSA: I was raised in the United Church of Christ. Which was a... pretty progressive Christian path. As a child, I would spend quality time with the Great Spirit. Um, I can remember conversations in my head and my heart and feeling a presence of something greater than myself. (Pause) And was gonna be a minister when I went to Hollins (loud burst of laughter), I was (laughing), I was gonna be a minister. So I was on that path. And then I jumped off of it completely and kinda uh, walked away from organized religion. And... I don’t think I’ve ever called myself an Atheist. Probably Agnostic would be closer to what I was for a number of years. And... uh, really for many years, my church was Nature, and uh, well, it still is. But that’s where I would feel the closest to um, the Great Spirit. And then after my son was born, I started going to the Quaker meeting in Charlottesville. So that was kinda, the first time in—let’s see, I had him when I was 36, I was 39... 20 years?
SDW: Wow.
DSA: That I had walked into a place of worship. And... felt... immediately at home, and a comfort level. And stayed part of the meeting til... (blows air) five years ago.
SDW: Wow.
DSA: So um... Four years ago, yeah, four years. And I just didn’t feel the need to, to do that. And so I have not been back in the meeting. But I would say, have for many many years been on a spiritual path.
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DSA: Um, I am very interested in Buddhism, and there’s much for me to learn, um. There’s much for me to learn about a lot of other spiritual beliefs and... Because I think uh, we are so much a global society, and especially in the work that I do as a trainer, you know. I feel very committed to understanding all the different paths that people might be on, whether I believe in them or not, just to have an understanding. Because I think so many people see the world and the lens from which they see is, from whatever spiritual path or religious path they might be on. That uh, it helps for me to uh, to know more than I do. So I got a lotta work I gotta do (laughs).
SDW: That’s a pretty big goal!
DSA: So much about the way I learn things is involved with being, uh, a part of that culture. And so, I have a real quest to go to other parts of the world and to experience different cultures and really really open my heart and open my mind to that. I don’t know if I will be blessed in that way, but I do, I do feel called to do that so, so I’m trying to figure out (laughs) how to work all that out.
The Spiritual/Political Revolution
DSA: I feel that very much a part of my political journey is deeply rooted in the spiritual journey. And I believe that the kind of next major social/political shift will be, it will be integrated with spirituality. And it will cut across many, many, many faiths and... And I guess in the recent years, you know, my travels to the Southwest, um. To ancient places of Native American worship: Chaco Canyon (New Mexico) , Mesa Verde (Colorado)... Um, that is ultimately where I would like to live. Because I think that’s my home... Out west... my spiritual home.
SDW: Yeah.
DSA: There’s a lot going on in the world, there’s a lot going on in the world with women. And uh, I think women leaders in the world— if we’re gonna figure this mess out (chuckles) we’ve gotta figure out ways to get together. We have to have respect for each other’s culture, and each other’s spiritual path, cause they’re all very, very... We don’t all have to agree, but I do think we have to understand so we don’t jump to judgement. So, so if I see myself in that way, I have a lot of work I have to do. And I’m diligently trying to do that (laughter), without any formal schooling, without any, uh, you know, guidance in some way. So.
And you know, I think we’re killing Mother Earth. Environmentally. And she has taken such good care of us. We should not do her that way (chuckles), she doesn’t deserve it. So. You know. That, that’s a big, big thing. We have such tremendous greed in the world. There are people who have so much. And there are people who have nothing. And something’s not right with that picture for me. And that has gotten worse. The wealth is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. The assets, you know, there’s monetary wealth and then there’s assets, are in fewer and fewer hands. And they have more and more and more. And at what cost? To Mother Earth? And at what cost to others who don’t have— So things have to shift. Cause we’re on a very terrible, terrible course. And I don’t believe that it needs to shift due to violent revolution. I used to think that was the only way it was gonna happen. And I don’t, I don’t believe that. Because they will win. (Laughs) There will be a winner and a loser.
So there has to be a revolution. And I think it will be a spiritual revolution and I think it will be global and we have to make it happen. If, if, there’s gonna be generations... Certainly long after I’ve left this earth, and long after you’ve left this earth, long after my son has left this earth. And we don’t think in those terms, about what— I don’t believe that we do. Think in terms of... “What are we leaving?...”
SDW: Yeah.
DSA: What are we leaving? So. I personally don’t feel like I have a choice in the path I’m on. I do but I also feel like I’m being asked to do some things in the time I have left. On this beautiful earth. And so I’m just tryin’ to figure out who wants to play this game (laughs) and who wants to join that movement for change. Um. Cause I do think we can do better. By each other. We can certainly do better by Mother Earth than we are.