This is a re-blog of a previous post of mine from 2013. In light of so many things – the mass shooting in Las Vegas, the callousness and bias of our leader(s), the weather patterns that can only get worse as we ignore the needs of our beautiful Earth – I am reminded of the ever growing need to offset – to combat – hate, and to see the divine in one another. All of us. More than ever, we need to be kind and to forgive. This TV show was always a favorite of mine, and is the epitome of finding and acknowledging the light in one another, no matter how dim it may seem to shine.
In following an unexpected trail of webby bread crumbs recently, I came to a YouTube video of Joan of Arcadia.
I always loved this show and also the show’s theme song by Joan Osbourne, One of Us. I loved the premise of Joan Girardi, (Amber Tamblyn), finding God each week in everyday people – a fellow student, a mime, a homeless man, a club DJ, a girl on the color guard at school, a soccer mom, the lunch lady, the dog walker, and the list goes on. The message is ultimately about the Divine in each of us, and the essence of the greeting Namaste. The song’s refrain is this:
What if God was one of us,
just a slob like one of us,
just a stranger on the bus
trying to make his way home.
Namaste is a greeting used by many Hindu, Taoist and Buddhists which literally means “I bow to you.” It is said with the hands together in prayer position over the heart chakra and with a bow of the head. It is the divine spark in one person acknowledging the divine spark in another. To me it is one and the same as to what Joan of Arcadia was all about … acknowledging the divine in each other – finding the divine in each other – sometimes in the most unexpected places. As said in Wikipedia, (where you can also read more about the show’s premise), “No specific mention of any “true” religion is ever made, and God quotes Bob Dylan, Emily Dickinson and the Beatles, rather than any scripture or verse” and is always very human in his/her appearances. I suppose it may be easy to look at this TV show in the light of one religion, but in the end … the message is the same, and enlightening from any angle.
Listen to the song –
Take a look –
Still A Dreamer 
I hadn’t heard of the show, but it sounds great. I loved that Joan Osborne song.
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You can actually watch some of it (maybe all) on YouTube, though in smaller segments. If nothing else, it’s humbling as a reminder of who and how we are/can be in the world. Amber Tamblyn – and the whole cast playing her family – were excellent.
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A beautiful post, Jeanne! I have not seen or heard of the show either. I agree with you there does need to be more positive out there to offset what is currently happening in our world.
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Thanks, Lavinia. Yes, we need a whole lot of positive.
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