Generosity

Life, these days, is mostly about generosity. Listening to Ecce Beatam Lucem, or rather surrendering to it I cry. I can't help it. The more I give myself to this polyphony the more a feeling space of blessed light opens, just as the title says, and for moments I indeed become the polyphonic blissful light-sound. Why this beauty makes me cry is anybody's guess. Tears are also there when I witness sad situations live or via some medium, when I mourn the passing of family and friends and others that are dear to me. And tears also bear witness to generous acts, and to beautiful music. Evolution seems strange to me sometimes: is sadness the nearest adjacent feeling to "holy joy"?

This particular beauty unfolds in St.Barbara's chapel in St.Michaels church in Ghent, a partly unfinished gothic cathedral built originally in 88 years, where 40 voices entwine polyphonically and let us participate in this via the medium of the internet. Contemplating the many centuries of generous collaborative participation in an uncountable number of ways how could I respond with anything but awe? And yes, I also know that less then generous deeds where committed, and greed of every kind has has been involved in the building of the church, the writing of the music by Thomas Tallis, the singing of it through the centuries, the rediscovery in the last century, the invention and creation of sound recording and playback equipment, internet, mobile phone and blue tooth earphones that finally deliver this art to my ears. Not to speak of the societies that have come and gone in this time, and that were needed to uphold a system in which all this could be invented and created. But the real contributions were always connected to generosity in one way or another, I maintain.

Generosity is a most beautiful way of participating in reality. There are many less beautiful and some outright ugly and despicable ways to participate as well. Generosity--benevolence and beneficence being two incarnations of it that are part of my every morning's contemplations--is built into this polyverse that we all inhabit. Practicing generosity is a way to tune in to that participatory stream, that music that uplifts us. Being generous, being able and willing to be generous and act from good will (benevolence) as an agent of kindness (beneficence) leads to a wonderful way of being. It's an exploration well worth you attention and intention. It may reveal your path towards an abundance of body, heart and soul, and who knows what else will become part of your wealth.

To build our common wealth, to build an economy of abundance that supercedes and in time replaces the economy of scarcity, greed, visciousness, and megalomania let's just be a little bit more generous today then we were yesterday.