March 7, 2021

Lake Superior Freethinkers Panel

Where does morality come from?

Thank you again for inviting me to join you today.

I want to say here at the onset that I’m here to share my perspective, and offer it as one that serves me well— I’m not here to try and convince anyone of anything but rather be in dialogue with fellow thinkers and dreamers. This is a super important topic to be engaging right now and I’m excited to be included in the conversation. 

So, in my worldview, all life is connected. Each of us is a strand in the Web of Life; our thoughts, words, and actions all affect the pattern of the great interwoven fabric of the Universe.

When I say we are all connected, I mean it in the most literal sense: the air I breathe in is breathed out by the trees, the water of our bodies exists in a closed cycle on the planet with the rivers and oceans that surround us; we are physically, biologically, connected to each other and everything else on the Earth. Now, my worldview is such that I understand this connection to extend into the realm of the unseen: our physical interconnection is underpinned by our spiritual, or energetic, connection. One kind of more concrete way to think about that is in terms of how we experience emotion together:  My joy affects the person standing next to me, my pain or my depression is a tangible experience for the rest of my community.

So to me, a worldview of interconnection implies two things that give rise to morality:

1) We are all truly part of a Whole greater than, or beyond ourselves individually-  we have to realize that while we humans are architects of our own creations, we are also inextricably linked to the strands of those around us, and to the Web as a Whole. 

and 

2) We rely on each other and are responsible to each other in all things. There is no “going it alone”. There is no isolation of human interests from plant and animal welfare, or rationale for the oppression of one group of humans by another. It’s a matter of self-interest: what harms you quite literally harms me.

Your experience affects me. Plants and rivers, as sovereign entities: their experience affects me. As much as I value my individualism (and I do! My way of being in the world is a lot about owning and using personal power), I understand that when it comes right down to it I’m a small part of something a lot bigger than myself.

Betrayal, rape, greed, oppression: all of these are symptoms of a humanity that can’t understand its place, that doesn’t recognize our interconnection with all life on the planet, and the totality of the universe. 

Moving out of a place of morality-for-myself into a place of morality-for-us—decentering individual concerns and considering a larger context of wellbeing—this changes the stakes of what’s “right” and what’s “wrong”.

When interconnection is the context of moral understanding, it is a heavy impetus to do our best, to not cause harm, and to be in relationship with everything around us so that when we do cause harm, we have an avenue for repair. 

So, in my worldview, there is a pretty simple answer to this question of where morality comes from: it comes from interconnection. 

Now, I’m also a parent, so I know from experience that having a heartfelt conversation about universal interconnection with a four-year old (or even thirteen-year old) doesn’t necessarily bring about the behaviors I’m hoping to instill in my children. And I think this is an important thread of this conversation, because how we raise kids is a big piece of how we share and shape human understandings of right and wrong. I’ve come to recognize that setting boundaries and expectations of behavior, and yes, holding my children accountable to those expectations and boundaries is deeply important for not only their behavior in the world, but also their capacity to grow into understanding morality on their own. So, using the context of interconnection as my guiding principle, I do my best to support my children doing their best in the world by holding them accountable to the behaviors and boundaries we set them—and I hope that as they come into their adulthood, they find themselves equipped with a strong moral compass and the toolkit they need to follow it courageously. 

There’s one more warp thread of human morality I’d like to highlight before we move on. Oftentimes in a conversation about morality, when we discuss harm-causing human behavior, someone goes “ah well, that’s just human nature”, and a lot of resigned nodding ensues. Like that’s somehow the end of that line of thought. Conversation over, moving on, nothing to be done. Humans are essentially depraved beings. It always really bothers me. Because actually, that’s only one half of the conversation (and I know I’m speaking in somewhat simplified dichotomies right now, but don’t get derailed, this isn’t my point). My point is: sure, violence is part of human nature. Greed is part of human nature. But you know what? So is love. So is sharing. So is empathy. And when we dismiss the full spectrum of what makes up our “human nature”, and write off harm-causing behaviors as “natural” and therefore somehow inescapably defining of what makes us human, we do ourselves a great disservice. We have a choice in which parts of our human nature we practice in the world. We are empowered beings, should we choose to accept it, and we have the opportunity every day to decide how we manifest our humanity on this planet. So the next time someone writes us off as victims of our “human nature”, I invite you to raise a gentle finger, and problematize that assumption. 

So, yeah. This essentially sums up my big picture of “where morality comes from”. And for me it does kind of cover both the big theological underpinnings of morality and also governs daily interaction. So I think the last piece I’d like to share with you today, before I pass the mic to my colleagues here, is just a bit about how this understanding of morality informs my daily life. 

I think about it in two parts; my personal life and my professional life. It’s not that they are super disparate or anything, just that my focus and expression is nuanced differently. 

In my professional life, in my village witchery practice and chaplaincy work, I express my thealogy of morality as a healer. You can’t seek spiritual growth in a vacuum; it is tied inextricably to the freedom and fullness of all beings. So I see witch’s work as healing individuals for the purpose of healing us all. 

In my personal life, I understand that my words and deeds affect the people around me; that my behavior and state of being impact all the other living strands of the Web that I intersect with. So I continue to seek my highest self as my personal contribution to the Web as a whole and the strands that surround me.

And, to be 100% honest, these moral expressions are goals and ideals—not necessarily where I actually land every day. I know I also cause harm in the world, and make ripples in the Web from epicenters of hurt as well as from healing and care. 

But, all we can do is our best to be our best, highest expression of ourselves. And as you do that, as you grow more deeply into who you are capable of being, you lift up your thread of the Web, not only inspiring those you touch, but lifting them up right along with you. To be completely honest, that’s what I’m doing here today—hoping that in this virtual space we are all sharing this morning we encounter thoughts and feelings that lift us up, and that we leave here more deeply connected to each other and better people for it.

Ok, I’m going to end my presentation piece there. Once again I’m honored that you invited me to share my worldview with you all, I look forward to digging in more deeply wherever the rest of you all take it!

Thank you!