Day 37: Wu Wei

Malcolm is starting a new job next week. In an effort to create space between his old position, which he held for 15 years, and his new one, he is taking this week off.

In his new role, Malcolm will be the Director of Pastoral Care at UAB Hospital. Ordained as a minister 30 years ago, he has never worn a clerical collar. But Malcolm has been thinking it would be nice to wear one at the hospital so patients, families, and staff would know that he is a minister...kind of like when you see a white coat, you know that person is a doctor.

Yesterday was not the respite Malcolm had hoped for. After numerous hours scouring websites and a trip in to Birmingham visiting three different stores, (with incredibly s-l-o-w help!) Malcolm could not find the shirts and collars he wanted to wear.

A patient soul by nature, he became agitated, frustrated...the shirt search fiasco, the manifestation of any anxiety he had about his new job. When we arrived home late last night he announced, "I think I am just going to wear a shirt and tie and wait to decide about wearing this collar." It seemed like wisdom to me...from the beginning, the shirt search was cause for consternation and questioning.

Also, the shirt search is a stark contrast to Malcolm's taking this new position. He had not been looking for a job; in fact loved his position and the people he had been working with. A phone call from an old friend...an updated resume...numerous discussions that became more and more energizing...job offer...acceptance...

Thinking back on Malcolm's experience, I am reminded of the Taoist term, wu wei (pronounced woo way). In essence, wu wei speaks to effortless action that comes from being tuned in with "the eternal Tao." According to Wikipedia, "the purpose of wu wei is to be aligned with the Tao, and as a result, attain an irresistible form of soft and invisible power."

Rough Christian translation, "Be still and know that I am God," and wait to act from the stillness....connecting with the stirring of the Holy Spirit. But too often in our culture, pushing to get ahead, or rushing to do too much, takes precedence over "effortless action."

How many times have we found ourselves swimming against the current...struggling to create something whose time had not yet come? On the other hand, isn't it profoundly rewarding when, with apparent ease, we feel as if we are swimming downstream?

In the Taoist philosophy, intention is the key. Wu wei is not about inaction, but taking right action at the right time, with right intention. The Tao Te Ching (pronounced Dao De Jing) is a classic Chinese text believed to be written around 6th century B.C. by Lao Tzu. Chapter 2 refers to this concept of wu wei:

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken

and acts without effort.

Teaching without verbosity,

producing without possessing,

creating without regard to result,

claiming nothing,

the Sage has nothing to lose.

When in your life have you felt like you were pushing hard, swimming upstream with great effort? What happened? Are you experiencing that somewhere in your life right now? Could you take time to be still and wait for a sense of right intention, right timing, and right action?

Conversely, when have you experienced "effortless action?" Can you identify some of the qualities of your way of being in that experience? Were there things you did/didn't do that helped create this sense of wu wei?

Take time in prayer...journal about these questions and/or the passage above from the Tao Te Ching and how it relates to your life.

I am happy to report Malcolm is wuing his wei out to enjoy the gorgeous fall weather from the deck...Namaste

For more information on Wu Wei you may want to read this article by Ted Kardash