There’s a lot of talk about the supply chain these days. People seem worried about all the stuff we’re not getting, related inflation, and tough times to come.
I started to think about this in terms of Soulitics– and thought that maybe we’re looking at the wrong supply chain. Could it be that the supply chain is wide open and that our choice is more about getting on board than it is in fretting about our missing Christmas gifts?
Chains, Trains, and Automobiles
The beauty of the soul is that it is connected to the infinite. There is no prison strong enough or supply chain weak enough to starve us from the fullness of truth and love unless we imprison ourselves or allow the will of others to over take our own access to the boundless gifts of life. This is the REAL supply chain. It lives within us and without us. It is always available but at times is not visible to us as our biases, fears, and desires tend to cloud the truth that lies before us.
I can’t stop thinking of Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready. Now in this song, he talks about a train and not a chain– maybe this is an important difference.
People get ready
There’s a train a comin’
You don’t need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels hummin’
You don’t need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
— Curtis Mayfield
When we look at the supply chain of goods that has been disrupted and will continue to disrupt the day to day lives of humans across the earth, the destination is the end user. It’s a two way street sending goods one way and money another. This chain puts materialism at the source of existence. There may be good, bad, or benign efforts and intents associated with the goods, but in the end the mechanism is focused on how we move things around to either consume or accumulate the wealth of this earth.
The train in the song is about bringing the people to the source, everyone (should they choose to get on board) is going in one direction. Everyone is free from material connections (you don’t need no baggage). Everyone is oriented through humility to gratitude (you just thank the Lord).
As we think about our soul and the supply chain to the infinite, may we be reminded of the nature of love. Love is characterized by a choice to use our gifts to serve others (and a greater love will ultimately extend that choice to those whom we don’t like or agree with).
Love is not stranded in a cargo ship
The supply chain/train is not broken. It may be that we humans have forgotten that our lives and gifts of love and sacrifice are the real goods that need to be shared and distributed. Love is not sitting in a cargo ship stranded off the coast of California– it is in our hearts. The question may be whether that love remains stranded in our hearts or if is set free on the train to Jordan.
Free the supply chain. Unleash your love for others. Live in gratitude for what you have and give it away freely. Release the soul from the supply chain of materialism and you may experience the abundance of life.
Chain of Fools
And now, loosely related to this post, enjoy Aretha Franklin singing Chain of Fools.
My Father said, come on home.