Everywhere I turn these days, folks are talking about the strain our society is under. People are facing more challenges to their serenity — from politics and the economy, work and community, AI and social media. Helping people find opportunities to connect with the contemplative path has always been needed work, but nowadays it seems essential.
Recently, I was listening to a guest at Underhill House share about the anxiety being experienced post-election in Seattle’s marginalized communities. They are worried about continuity of support that depends on federal funds or management, and broadly about the potential of increased animosity toward them and less concern for their situations.
Evelyn Underhill wrote in the intro to her book Practical Mysticism, published on the brink of WWI, that its theme “means nothing if the attitude and the discipline which it recommends be adapted to fair weather alone: if the principles for which it stands break down when subjected to the pressure of events, and cannot be reconciled with the sterner duties of the national life. To accept this position is to reduce mysticism to the status of a spiritual plaything. On the contrary, if the experiences on which it is based have indeed the transcendent value for humanity which the mystics claim for them — if they reveal to us a world of higher truth and greater reality than the world of concrete happenings in which we seem to be immersed — then that value is increased rather than lessened when confronted by the overwhelming disharmonies and sufferings.”
There are things we can’t control and there are things we can. Underhill House can offer support in two distinct, but complementary ways: we provide a safe space for any and all to find quiet; and we extend a listening ear to hear guest’s worries and dreams. And more broadly, through our hospitality and our listening presence, we show respect for the dignity of all who visit. But Underhill House is not a ministry to those on the margins; it’s a ministry for the entire community. Guests include people who live in the neighborhood and pop in from time to time, others who work nearby and stop in at lunch or between appointments, and some who live on the streets or are visiting the feeding program down the block.
I can’t help thinking that what we offer at Underhill House is particularly precious for all three groups at this time, and for our volunteer listeners as well. We all need peace; we all need to feel grounded. Since I became director of Underhill House, I’ve been looking for ways we can serve the community into the future, to better fulfill our mission while also making it more sustainable.
This summer, we hosted a wonderful presentation by Evelyn Underhill scholar Robin Wrigley-Carr on the guidance Underhill offered in troubled times. Last month, I talked at the Episcopal diocesan convention on the importance of access to contemplative spaces and practices. And this coming June, I’m honored to be leading the annual gathering of the Evelyn Underhill Association in Washington, DC, on a similar theme. All of this is valuable work, and our regular offering on Republican Street continues to serve the community and enrich our listeners, including me. And … as I mentioned in an email a few months ago, this year is crunch time. We need to figure out a sustainable model before our resources run dry and I am looking to this annual campaign to give us the time we need to continue that effort.
Addressing material needs of the marginalized like food and shelter is critical. I’ve always believed spiritual needs are just as important. When a person is grounded and knows where they’re headed, they can endure almost anything. Underhill House tends to these more subtle needs, both through offering a safe quiet space, and through honoring all guests’ dignity by listening.
It doesn’t come easily for me to talk about money. But it is an essential part of doing this important work that I believe in so deeply. And as I’ve said before, Underhill House’s needs are quite modest so your donation makes a big difference. It means sharing the healing salve of contemplative practice with more people who are, as Evelyn Underhill put it, “confronted by the overwhelming disharmonies and sufferings” of this day. I know because of your past engagement with Underhill House that you also believe our work is essential in this season. Thank you for the encouragement and support you’ve shown this year, and please consider adding or adding to an end-of-year contribution for Underhill House this year to enable us to continue offering a space where any and all can come in off the street and find a safe and welcoming place to pray or meditate, and find some peace and a listening ear.
If you have already made an end of year donation, THANK YOU!
To make a tax-deductible GIFT CLICK HERE.
With extreme gratitude and excitement for the future,
Phil Fox Rose
Executive Director