We hear the term, “woke,” used a great deal today. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing seems to depend on the person and their politics. Delving a bit deeper, perhaps it’s worth exploring whether one’s spirituality is woke. Explore that with me in this video.
Woke. We hear the word a great deal. While it was first used by social justice advocates, the word is now most often used by social conservatives. If you ask, most people don’t know what the term, “woke” means.
Searching online, the first time I found “woke” defined was in 2015. Between 2015 and 2022, it was consistently used in the context of social justice. To be woke meant to be aware or awake to the needs of others. It was a term mostly used among people of younger generations.
It seems as though in 2022, social conservatives seized the word and have redefined it to mean “narrow-minded.” From their perspective, to be woke is a bad thing. It’s to be selfish and preoccupied with one’s own needs. This isn’t the first time social conservatives have redefined a word. Usually, they are masters of saying the same thing enough times that their new definition sticks.
I want to look at the bigger picture: what does it mean to be woke spiritually? It seems to me that to be woke is a foundational aspect of healthy spirituality.
Let’s begin with Eastern traditions. One area in which both Hinduism and Buddhism agree is on the topic of enlightenment. To be enlightened is to wake up. To be enlightened is to see, to know, and to experience that all things are united and interconnected. It’s out of that awareness that Buddhism focuses on the importance of compassion for all things living. Compassion is the central theme of the teachings of the Dali Lama. He continually stresses the importance of having compassion for self, then others around us, and growing our compassion to embrace all things living.
In Judaism, there is a central moral responsibility that is meant to direct one’s actions. The phrase that’s used is “Tikkun Olam.” It means to repair the world. This moral concept calls people of the Jewish faith to make the world more just, more fair, more peaceful, more tolerant, and equal through acts of charity, kindness, and political advocacy.
In Christianity, the moral imperative is found in the teachings of Jesus: to love one another. Jesus was clear: “By this others will know that you are my followers – your love for one another.” (John 13:35) The teachings of Jesus focus on what we do, not what we believe. Jesus was a man of action who called people to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit prisoners, and act out of love.
While the teachings in indigenous traditions are many and varied, the worldview of indigenous spiritualities can be captured in the Lakota understanding: Mitakuye Oyasin or “all my relations.” This phrase means that all things are related. Yes, all people are related to each other. We know today that this is a genetic fact. But for indigenous spirituality, we are all related to all animals, insects, rocks, trees, and everything that exists. Scientifically, this is true: all life forms are carbon-based and grew out of the Big Bang. Everything is related.
The great spiritual traditions of the world, despite their varied beliefs, rituals, and expressions, all draw us to a fundamental reality: that we are interconnected with everyone and everything else. To live well is to live with kindness, compassion, and care for others and for the Earth. This is to be woke, to be awake, to be enlightened.
To be woke means that we recognize that people who are different from ourselves experience challenges in life that may be different from our own. Being woke recognizes that the world is full of suffering and pain. To be woke calls us to respond with compassion to others. No, we may not be able to fix the problem or prevent the suffering. But in the face of suffering, we can respond with compassion and kindness. In the end, isn’t being woke simply about being a decent human being who recognizes the realities of life?