Grace Amidst Chaos:
Lessons from Warrior Goddesses in a Time of Political Turmoil
Hybrid (In person and online) at
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades
Services are held at the The Bristal Assisted Living at Englewood
412 S Van Brunt St, Englewood, NJ 07631162
In a world where political tension and societal polarization seem to be the new normal, finding balance and grace amidst chaos can feel like an impossible task. Yet, as we navigate these turbulent times, ancient wisdom offers us profound insights. At the time of this sermon, in my birth culture of Bengal, India, we would have recently honored the fierce warrior goddesses, Durga and Kali. These goddesses, venerated for their wrath yet loved for their protective benevolence, teach us invaluable lessons in holding complexity and chaos with grace and flexibility.
Into this rich tapestry of wisdom, we can weave the teachings of another ancient deity: the Minoan/Cretan goddess, so ancient that she remains nameless. This goddess, often depicted holding two writhing snakes, represents the delicate balance of duality. The snakes, symbols of life and death, creation and destruction, are held at just the right distance—neither too far apart to lose the creative tension nor too close to devour each other.
On this day of the sermon, a mere two days before one of the most contentious presidential elections in the United States, and in the shadow of worldwide wars and climate and sociopolitical collapse, the wisdom of these warrior goddesses feels ever more urgent. As our entire human race teeters on the brink of annihilation because of our unchecked hubris, the wisdom of the warrior goddesses Durga, Kali, and the ancient Minoan goddess offers us a timeless guide.
By learning to hold complexity with grace, engaging in the dance of duality, and cultivating inner flexibility, we can at least begin to hope to navigate our polarized world with strength and compassion. Let us draw from their teachings to create a more balanced, harmonious existence, where we respond to chaos not with hardness but with the elegance of a well-practiced dancer.