Showing Up to Serve

For Father Richard, mature transformation involves Showing Up: 

For me, showing up means bringing our hearts and minds into the actual suffering and problems of the world. It means engagement, social presence, and sincere concern for justice and peace—and others beyond ourselves. It means having the courage to enter the fray of life and even being willing to make big mistakes or appear foolish. Showing up is the full and final result of cleaning up, growing up, and waking up. It’s God’s fully transformed “work of art” (see Ephesians 2:10, Jerusalem Bible). If we do not have a lot of people showing up in the suffering trenches of the world, it’s probably because those of us in the world of religion have allowed them to stop with merely cleaning up, growing up, or waking up. 

Many tried to grow up, but never faced their personal or cultural shadow. 

Many tried to clean up, without recognizing the necessity of having any goal beyond that. 

Many have awakened for a while (in the midst of great love or great suffering, or even through their own burning-bush experience), but they were unable to undertake the mundane work of cleaning up and growing up, so they went back to sleep. 

Full spiritual transformation is a runway, lying ahead of us and open to all. [1]  

On The Cosmic We podcast, contemplative activist Alison McCrary recounts a recent experience of “showing up” for justice: 

I believe in the power of our hearts to change. I saw it yesterday [February 28, 2024] when I organized a prayer vigil for compassion, mercy, justice, and for life on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol…. We had about 100 clergy and people of faith and morals gather on the steps in prayer and in song….  

I don’t think any amount of data will ever change hearts and minds, but it’s the stories, it’s the prayer, it’s conversation, it’s dialogue. We saw that back in 2018. I led our state-wide campaign to end non-unanimous juries. Louisiana was the only state in the country where a person could get life without parole with a non-unanimous jury. In most states, you have to have 12 of 12 jurors say, “this person is guilty,” and here, when Black people were allowed to serve on jury, they said, “Well, we only need 10 of 12 votes to convict someone.” And this was to keep [in place] … the plantation prison culture that happens here—where people are paid two cents an hour to work on agriculture farms in our prisons.  

This was a 138-year-old Jim Crow law, and we had worked to change it. And I said, “Well, gosh.… How are we going to overturn a Jim Crow law?” But we were able to get 64.4% of Louisianans to vote to overturn it. And in 2018, we ended this practice. I really believe that hearts can be converted, and we have to hold on to the hope that that can happen. [2]  

---

FAQs: Showing Up to Serve

What does “showing up to serve” mean in spiritual transformation?

In the article, showing up means bringing your heart and mind into the world’s suffering - entering the trenches of real hardship with engagement, presence, and justice. It’s not just inner work, but outward service. Full transformation, the article argues, involves cleaning up (inner growth), growing up (maturity), waking up (spiritual awareness), and showing up (active love). (Source: Showing Up to Serve, St Lucia Spirituality)

Why do many spiritual people stop before “showing up”?

The article suggests that many stop at moral cleanup or awakening because service is messy, risky, and vulnerable. It takes courage to move from reflection into real world engagement. Sometimes we prefer the comfort of theory to the challenge of praxis. Showing up asks us not just to understand, but to act - with humility and willingness to err. (Source: Showing Up to Serve, St Lucia Spirituality

How has showing up made a tangible difference in history?

The article gives the example of Alison McCrary leading a prayer vigil outside the Louisiana State Capitol to overturn a Jim Crow-era jury law. Faith leaders and citizens gathered, hearts were shifted, and a law changed. This shows that when people show up in public, combining prayer, story, and presence, true justice can follow.

What are the risks or costs of showing up?

Showing up opens us to mistakes, misunderstanding, vulnerability, and even critique. The article says you might look foolish or fall short—but that’s part of the process. The risk is real. But so is the possibility: moving beyond passive spirituality into living love. In many faith traditions, service is the test of belief.

How can ordinary people begin showing up more in their daily lives?

Start small: notice someone in need in your community, volunteer, attend vigils, support justice causes, speak up for the marginalized. Prayer, story, and dialogue matter as much as activism. The article reminds us that hearts change through story and presence. Even small acts - listening, walking alongside someone, offering time - send ripples of transformation.

---

At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.

Join Our Spiritual Community

---

Footnotes:

[1] Adapted from Richard Rohr, “Four Shapes to Transformation,” Oneing 5, no. 1, Transformation (Spring 2017): 45. Available as Print and PDF download. 

[2] Adapted from Barbara Holmes and Donny Bryant, “Sacred Activism with Alison McCrary,” The Cosmic We, season 5, ep. 2 (Albuquerque, NM: Center for Action and Contemplation, 2024), podcast. Available as MP3 audio download and PDF transcript.  

View in your browser: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/showing-up-to-serve/