Bouncing off the walls the sound was loud, filled with laughter and even shrieks of joy. The large space was filled with high school folks and they were engaged in one of my favorite games – amoeba tag. In case you’ve never had the pleasure, the objective is to run around the room linking arms with as many people as possible until the entire group is connected in one long snake.
Youth (and a few not so young) love this game. There is something about running while connected with others seeking others to join that brings a great sense of satisfaction. And of course as the one often facilitating this activity, there is no shortage of opportunity to share the magic of the metaphor for our lives this activity provides.
Two of my favorite Brené Brown quotes are, “Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” And, “Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued.”
There may be no greater experience in life than feeling connected. Our family, our friends, our faith are often the bedrock of our feeling connected. Many also find other creatures and critters and the vastness of creation to be a great source of connection.
Conversely, connecting with others who live outside those bounds are either more difficult or anonymous to those we have attached ourselves to. The reality is it is not an agnostic state. Sure, we can create a rational where we deny or ignore others but that, in fact, is us pushing away from connecting.
The secret sauce of amoeba tag is that the objective is to connect with as many as possible until EVERYONE is connected. Imagine if that was our life objective. To lean into what colleague Jacqui Lewis shares, “We belong to a mutually beneficial web of connection, well-being, and love. At the root of this connection is empathy; the result is kindness, compassion, respect, and understanding.”
Living a life that continues seeking connection, period, is a life greatly fulfilled and a healthier world.
“O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all beings. Help us become a community that vulnerably shares each other’s burdens and the weight of glory. Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healing of our world.” – Richard Rohr
BP