Widening Our Circle

The Fairy Ring; the Enchanted Piper
by William Holmes Sullivan

Today's Zenpencils was based on a quote from Albert Einstien.  The quote read:

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'the universe'.  A part limited by time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated by the rest.  A kind of optical illusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is kind of a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

It made me think of a recent post of mine where I mentioned Richard Dawkins' book The God Delusion.  This quote from Einstein made me feel less offended by the title of the book (though I wasn't really terribly offended by the title in the first place).  Regardless, Einstein's quote implies that we're all deluding ourselves.  Therefore, it doesn't matter whether Dawkins thinks God is a delusion or not, because atheism is also a delusion.  Theism, atheism, and any other way that individuals interpret the universe would all be considered "a kind of optical illusion of [one's] consciousness" or delusions.

The quote also reminded me of the seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.  Often this principle is used to promote the "green" movement within and outside of the church.  I appreciated the reminder that respect of the interdependent web of all existence is not just to improve the environment but also ourselves, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

In trying to find a pretty picture for this blog post I learned that the folklore behind mushroom rings is that they were formed after fairies performed ritual dances within the circle.  The painting above was inspired by such stories.  I'm a little afraid of fungi since I don't like mold.  The idea of fairies forming circles of mold is kind of disturbing to me.  However, I'm reminded that even though mold is icky, it's still part of the web of life.  Many helpful medicines and other things could not exist without it.  I may not find it beautiful, but I do have appreciation for it, as long as it's not on my strawberries.