At-Onement? Strange word. We added a hyphen to emphasize the original meaning of being at-one, in harmony with others. To be “at one” means to agree or be in balance, to reconcile parties to a conflict, to have no debts. As in, you and I are at one. At-Onement means to be in concord or harmony, like the many different instruments in an orchestra, all playing as one.
When we stand up for someone else, feel the joy or pain of others as our own, and establish mutual aid networks of solidarity and caring, we do these things because we are stronger together, beyond divisions. Seek harmony of mind, body, and spirit, show loving communal care for friends and family, and do what you can to promote cooperation, justice, and generosity in your community and in the world. We are global citizens, one people on Earth, our only home. We must preserve the Earth, our own pale blue dot with its very thin layer of atmosphere, so we can defend and sustain Life, and keep Consciousness going for as long as we possibly can. That’s why we seek At-Onement!
You can experience At-Onement. Let your vision and values guide you, your spiritual practices ground you, and your human rites put you in touch with our divine nature. Renew connections to family and community, and make conscious choices that harmonize with the rhythms of the great miracles of the Universe, the Earth, and Life. Look for circles and synchronicities revealing At-Onement in action. Participate in cyclical celebrations, and live in awe and wonder. Cultivate the harmony of intuition and reason. Realize that our individual and collective actions determine the fate of Consciousness and the Life on which it depends. Your choices matter. Choose At-Onement.
NOTE: In the Oxford English dictionary, “at one” makes its first appearance in Old English in 1300 meaning harmony, peace, unity. The word “atonement” did not appear until the 1500s, gradually supplanting “at one” with “atone.” To atone was to bring a relationship into balance, to reconcile differences, to tell the truth, and be accountable. Religious phrases like “atone for your sins,” seem to make “atonement” more associated with paying off debts, appeasing someone you have offended, making amends for wrongs and injuries done to others, and accepting punishment for these transgressions. Balancing a relationship by becoming “at one” has always been the ultimate goal of atonement.