Seeking Understanding…
“Only if we can understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.” ― Jane Goodall
As we close our 4-week study of The Book of Hope this week, I continue to be struck by the depth of Jane Goodall’s wisdom. It holds a gentle, transformative power to shape how we respond to our world’s deepest challenges for years to come.
Throughout the book, Jane shares stories with co-author Douglas Abrams that reveal both her tenacity and compassion. She does not merely face acts of cruelty and ignorance head-on; she looks deeper. She seeks to understand the why behind the brokenness, allowing that insight to birth actions that bring about positive change.
“Understanding can overcome any situation, however mysterious or insurmountable it may appear to be.” — Norman Vincent Peale
Consider Jane’s own journey. She knew that staying trapped in anger and devastation over the destruction of chimpanzee habitats would not bring about the changes she sought. Instead, she entered a time of deep listening to the people living in those affected regions.
She discovered a painful reality: extreme poverty was forcing families to do whatever it took just to put food on the table. Armed with this compassionate understanding, she helped cultivate new pathways to prosperity that honored both human dignity and the sacred earth.
We know we cannot force external change. Yet, in the quiet space of understanding, the ground shifts and clarity about how to help comes.
Where in your life or relationships are you being invited to look beneath the surface? Who is asking for your “investigative effort” to understand hurtful or unproductive behavior?
May you find the courage, patience, and compassion to sit with the why behind any challenging behavior you face. And in that sacred space of understanding, may your right next steps be revealed.
“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.” ― Marshall McLuhan
Meditation
There are rules
Sit up straight
Hold your hands palms up
Or folded thumbs touching
Or palms down
Close your eyes
Shut out the world
If possible eliminate sound
Or ignore it
Use your senses
To relax your body
From toe to head
Or head to toe
Above all
Do not think
Banish monkey mind
Eliminate yourself
Or observe the thoughts
Floating like sewage
Polluting your inner life
Rebellion
I might slouch
Look at my cat
Even use those hands
To stroke her
Watch the sun rise
See the outdoors change
Day after day
Remember the misery
And joy of friends and family
Plan a meal
Visualize the day
Look at my joy sorrow anger
Observe what interests
Me
Wait for the moment
When I sink into myself
An island among islands
Totally alone
Completely connected
To all of the beloved community
Everywhere
―Marilyn Zwicker
