This recent new moon inaugurates a cycle of farsighted vision and broadening to hold the bigger picture. Why cling to what is collapsing when you could free your hands to build something grander? As I write that, I think of the beautiful churches and temples built and maintained over centuries while disease, poverty, and war persist.

In some ways it’s a horror to invest in buildings instead of people. In other ways these structures have lasted beyond so many lifespans and hold together the collective experience of the people who go into them for prayer, meditation, and community.

That invitation extends to what we prioritize in life now. There will always be human need and it is so necessary to be in community, to connect with those who love or meaningfully challenge us. And we might have aspirations to a calling that means investing time and resources in other ways. Feeding the soul does matter, just as caring for the body.

What is your northern star in life when you feel caught in a choice? What values or beliefs do you return to that help you connect to something larger than yourself? How does that something larger want to be expressed through your words and actions?