In this episode:

Charlotte Ave, ‘Be a Light’; Wendell Berry, ‘Wild Things’; Film Chat, ‘Corpus Christi’ (Poland); Kubler-Ross, ‘Stages of Grief’ and the pandemic; Yann Arthus-Bertrand, ‘Human’; KPMG corporate film, ‘Imagine’; Irish Women in Harmony, ‘Dreams’ (The Cranberries).

This program was put together on the eve of the declaration of polls in the US election.

Looking on, I am reminded of a comment by Miroslav Volf – that elections and enacting policy are one thing, but solving problems demands a ‘conversion of desire, responsible moral agency (love and solidarity), courageous truth telling and persistent hope.’ Well-said, but easier said than done!

Here are three young American women with southern accents expressing just such commitment. Be a Light by a trio calling themselves Charlotte Ave sing of such things. They demonstrate  the only way I know forward – for each of us to be evangelists recruiting others to join the creative movement for love and justice in whatever realm we choose.

Wendell Berry takes up the theme of peace. He reads his poem, Peace of Wild Things.

This poem is included in the second edition of Tools of the Trade: Poems for new doctors (Scottish Poetry Library, 2016). A copy of Tools of the Trade was given to all graduating doctors in Scotland from 2014 to 2018. How wonderful that the Deans of all the medical schools in Scotland should equip new doctors with poetry as a means of nurturing their virtuous vocations! We also may immerse ourselves in resources that inspire and encourage positive spirituality and strengthen that spiritual life by practicing what nurtures us with others day by day.

Film buff, Steve Parker and I recently previewed a new film together, soon to  hit our cinemas. Corpus Christi is a Polish film, based on a true story of a young Polish man who always wanted to become a priest, and did so by impersonation. In Film Chat with Steve Parker we discuss some of the themes this film evokes.

Awe and wonder are two of the great spiritual virtues. They bridge the sciences to our humanity. This short demonstration is like a meditation leading to beauty. I think awe and wonder are a great antidote to self-motivated hubris.

In this edition of Sun Spots I propose Kubler-Ross’s Stages of Grief as a more universal model; thinking about how we have been responding to the COVID lockdown, with echoes of behaviour we observe during the USA election campaign.

You may have noticed that in each edition of The World Service I try to include something that reminds us of human diversity. It is so important to our own spiritual growth that we engage with others different to ourselves. I have included a short trailer of a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, simply called Human. The complete film is accessible on YouTube.

With NAIDOC Week approaching, I have included a short film produced by KPMG, outlining their stance on Aboriginal Reconciliation. For me, this film illustrates the consciousness of  soul-based corporate organisation. It illustrates a radically post-industrialist approach, reminiscent of principles I applied during my leadership of the Oasis Centre at Flinders University. The governing metaphor is the heart, from which spring the values of the organisation and the expression of those values.

The KPMG film leaves us with the challenge of imagining. Appropriate introduction to a beautiful rendition of the Cranberries song, Dreams, by the Zoom choir, Irish Women in Harmony – a group of 40 incredibly talented Irish female musicians, as part of a fundraiser that took place in June 2020.

Please enjoy.
Let me know what you appreciated
And send links to material that inspires and encourages to geoff@geoffboyce.com.