A New Kind of Family: Part 3

A Social Covenant

Sunflower

The foregoing social skills offer an amorphous group of “chance acquaintances” the opportunity to forge themselves into a new kind of family; a family that may also function as a cohesive and effective crew. Whether or not this potential is actualized depends, first, upon the readiness of those individuals to expose themselves to the fire and the anvil, and, second, their diligence in acquiring the necessary skills.

If their desire has ripened sufficiently, they will know (at least intuitively) that in order for their deepest dreams to be realized, synergy is essential. They will therefore make promises—to themselves, to each other, and to the living Spirit within them—to master the skills that make such synergy possible. Their promises will serve as a covenant.

What is a covenant? The dictionary describes a covenant as an agreement that is “formal, solemn, and binding.” The word solemn suggests a spiritual or religious invocation. One that is formal rather than informal. And binding rather than casual.

This succinct definition is then elaborated. A covenant is, “a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action.” The italicized words and phrases are evocative, leading us into a progressively deeper understanding of how we may harness ourselves to a shared vision.

Why are covenants necessary? Living lightly on the Earth, living communally, living with transformational intent—each of these paths is strenuous. And the journey that Light Morning has embarked upon combines all three!

Along the way we encounter fierce resistance, from our deeply rooted personal inertia, and from the consensual restraints of the conventional culture. To free ourselves from this gravitational inertia and these consensual restraints, we must fashion a special consensus—a cocoon; a space capsule; a covenant. There is no conceivable way of “going it alone.”

What might a Light Morning covenant look like? In these Renewal Pages we are bringing a Light Morning covenant into focus. In “Living Close to the Earth,” the labor, financial, and attitude benchmarks were clarified, as was the need for good focalization and for the role of a bread labor coordinator. Here in “A New Kind of Family,” the five key social skills, viewed as interpersonal binding spells, have been emphasized.

The binding spells must be “spelled” correctly. For each is composed of discrete, sequential steps, and only when these steps (or letters) are placed in the proper order may the “word” be spoken.

This is true for the bread-labor benchmarks and the social skills, mentioned above, as well as for the spiritual components of the covenant, which will be explored in “A Transformational Journey.”

Where does the willingness to covenant come from? Learning something new, whether it be an unusual dance or a new kind of family, can be exhilarating. It can also be awkward, uncomfortable, and threatening. Until the strange gestures become second nature, the learning curve may seem steep and intimidating.

We therefore return to our earlier question: From where do we derive the willingness to face our interpersonal challenges with a warrior’s spirit and an open heart?

Perhaps willingness comes from gazing into an unfamiliar mirror and seeing reflected there a startlingly beautiful creature. Just this one brief glimpse can be enough to keep us going.

Our resolve may also be strengthened as we are moved to help others find healing.

Or perhaps we discover that the five core social skills are relevant to any relationship, such as marriage or parenting, and this realization goads us to approach covenanting as an apprenticeship.

We may also be motivated by the pleasures inherent in stretching, be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Perhaps we are seduced, in other words, by the joy of the journey.

Whatever its source, willingness helps us simplify our needs and live closer to Mother Earth. And it encourages us to jettison some of our muscle-bound independence, thereby enabling us to sense the guiding Presence which some traditions call the Father.

Willingness also permits us to share our daily lives with others who are choosing to become re-acquainted with their archetypal Parents. To embrace them as brothers and sisters. To covenant with them.

Finally, we should be forewarned that once true willingness has been activated (by formal covenanting, or by a strong subliminal intent), it manages to stir up a gracious plenty of what we humorously refer to as U.P.S.—Unresolved Parental Stuff.

If anything unresolved from the past is re-created in the present, through attraction and projection; and to the extent that our issues with our parents, both biological and archetypal, still await resolution; then, in a place like Light Morning, with its strengthening vortex of intent, we are more than likely to keep the local U.P.S. driver quite busy.

There’s no way to keep these “packages” from being delivered. Nor should we really want to, knowing that we’re able to heal only what we allow ourselves to feel. And knowing that it is only by transmuting this bone-deep, U.P.S. conditioning that we shall fully experience the promise of a new kind of family.