At the most basic level, we need to continue to sacrifice some of our personal freedoms to protect each other. The word sacrifice may conjure up images of killing animals on an altar or dogmatic religious practices. Understood in a spiritual context, it is the willingness to renounce some personal desires in order to serve a higher purpose. It means dedicating our time and energy in ways that serve the greater good instead of individual preferences.
In a way, all of our spiritual practices are a form of sacrifice—using our energies to heal the body, purify the heart, and quiet the mind in order to awaken to the spiritual ground of being we share with all of life. A clear example of this is fasting.
Fasting is practiced this time of year in the Christian tradition and later in Spring in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It involves limiting what we eat and drink in mindful ways that allow the body to cleanse itself. Fasting also enables us to reflect on how dependent we are on those forms of pleasure, and it aligns our consumption with our intention to experience ever more fully the Divine Presence within. It develops willpower and brings a fiery clarity to the mind that deepens meditation.
Sacrifice can take the form of a small self-discipline, like letting go of a plan to watch a movie one evening in order to get enough rest for the next morning’s meditation. It is not meant to be a repression of our impulses or a denial of genuine needs. It becomes easy to say no to many things when we have a greater yes, a higher purpose in our hearts.
During the pandemic, we’ve had a good look at the dysfunction of our worldwide community. Our inability to truly work together has come at a high price—2.5 million deaths—many of which could have been prevented if we weren’t so busy fighting with each other. Humanity is an ocean comprised of individual drops. At least as individuals, we can make small sacrifices to build bridges between ourselves and others instead of staying entrenched in our views. We can look deeply to see the unexpressed needs behind others’ disruptive behavior and find mindful ways to speak our truth without condemning others.
When things open up again, it will take a real effort and commitment not to slide back into the old habits and divisions we participated in before. Many people tired of isolation may become frustrated and careless or fall into depression. Now is the time we need the conviction to stand strong and clear in the face of this lingering adversity we all face, to sacrifice some comforts in order to adhere to our values when others may not. Our eyes have been opened—let’s not close them again.
About the Author:
