Friends,
2006 was a difficult year. It is fitting that it ended its last week with the death of an artist and two presidents. Some would say one president was all good, the other all evil and the performer; well, transcendent. But I hold with the idea that all three encompassed all three attributes albeit to differing degrees.
This year there have been times when it’s been extremely difficult for me to really see either that divine spark in everyone and that “Gamzoo l’tova” (Its all for the best). From my perspective it seems like a lot of people I loved and trusted “drank the kool-aid” this past year and things descended into extreme negative, unhealthy, judgmental, rigid and seemingly irrational thinking.
How is going through this and other interpersonal problems for the best? How do I continue to see the Light in people in the face of hurtful behavior? Gamzoo l’tova. This in no way justifies atrocities rather is a personal spiritual attitude of acceptance. I am learning about unconditional love while at the same time I’m learning to let go of unhealthy relationships and separating from unwholesome situations. I’m working to let go of all disappointment. I've learned that I can actually control my thoughts and have the power to choose where I focus my energy. I've learned that since I don't have control of anyone else, best not to dwell on longing for things to be different. I can choose to simply move forward in the positive, in those ways that connect with that which is eternal, with love. I can do this with the understanding that it isn't that there is something fundamentally wrong with them or me. It is the combination that is toxic. It’s a journey; we must cross the darkness until we reach the light. Unconditional love however requires me to always hold out hope. Nothing is beyond the Creator’s power. Unconditional love means allowing for the possibility that people change and relationsips can heal.
To leave often requires a leap of faith, but in such times we are not be alone. I know this and realize that really I’ve been so blessed! I have Gail and Pamela, Allan and K, Yvonne and Jamie, Jim and my Dad, Sharon and Mother Bear, lots of other people too numerous to mention and of course holding everything grounded my beautiful sweet brilliant husband. Thank-you each and every one. I love you so much and am so very, very grateful for you in my life!
I've been thinking about Plato's Republic and that famous cave. The reflections on the wall were thought of as reality instead of turning around and seeing that they were mere shadows of something between the light and the wall. Sometimes there is only so much we can learn in the place of comfort. The longer we wait the more time we waste. When we take that leap, when we turn to face the light, marvelous things can open or us. The way of Love is simple but not easy. Not only is the path often hard to find it can be get us into situations that feels dangerous. But for me I found that the true spiritual home is in fact right here and now and open. The path of G-d's ultimate truth of righteousness, of respect, joy and of wholeness is above all else an inner reality that transcends everything else. This is what we see in its shadow form as we go through our days hoping for approval or respect, accolades or acceptance.
Loss can be the first step on a new beginning. It can be healthy. Goodbye 2006. When something new is started something old usually gets left behind and that can be sad. Some of us (myself included) at times find ourselves looking for, longing for, a real spiritual home. Sometimes we think we've found one only to find it doesn't really fit. There is no need to fret. Gamzoo l’tova. All is good. Love surrounds us. Just let it be what it will be. The task of walking the walk of spiritual thankfulness is to follow where G-d leads even as we seek and question. The trick is to make a commitment to the Eternal presence and open our ears and mind to what this force is communicating all around us. It’s like Plato in teaching the Pythagorean theory in the play the Republic. A youth off the street learns the theorem by simply answering questions and one led to another. Just so for us. We can find the first simple answer knowing that for a spiritual question it will be grounded in peace, compassion and justice. Then we find the next and the next. We are in the hands of God. All wisdom comes from this source and its there for us discover when we and the world are ready. This will guide us where we need to go even if at the time it seems hopeless. Imagine Joseph in the dungeon, Job who was laid so low that his wife said “curse God and die”.
I start 2007 healing and faithful. Exciting things are afoot for this New Year! The Quakers of the Light is solidly formed. We has a perfect building to use, a gorgeous professional sign and have doubled attendance in the first month. We are working on a number of exhilarating programs; from proactive action around homelessness, to a program that removed the shame and blame and promote a healing model for discussions about racism. We have a beautiful place to worship, a place to learn and fascinating people to encourage us. And after all it is about how we walk not what we talk and talk and talk.
So the final question is, what is our spiritual commitment in 2007? Are we working, walking toward a new tomorrow of peace and joy and love? Are we going to let all unhealthiness go and work toward the positive? Can we walk into the Light and make this world a better place, one little bit at a time leaving the rest up to G-d. You never know. One little effort might be the last mitzvah necessary to push the world to the time of being ready for true holiness. After all it really is waiting just inside for us. All we have to do is let it out. Former presidents Gerald Ford and Sadaam Hussein and the Godfather of soul, James Brown all impacted the world in a significant way. But maybe we can do even better, G-d willing and come what may, Gamzoo l’tova.
take good care of your beautiful Self,
Rachel
Tuesday
Friday
Portland Oregon
15 ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLOTHESLINE PROJECT
IN THE NORTH WEST
Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from rape, completely safe from incest, completely safe from battering. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from sexism, racism and all forms of oppression. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life of respect, dignity and influence. Creating a violence free society is no more radical then the industrial revolution. People changed the world they lived in then, we can do it now; its up to us.
In the Fall of 1990 I began the Clothesline Project with a vision of a multi-colored clothesline telling of pain, promise and survival. One purpose was to help with the healing process as it gives females a safe and nonverbal way to tell their stories. It also helps the healing by contradicting the isolation as women see their shirt hanging next to another. A further purpose is to educate and inform everyone of the devastating effects of this violence. It lets potential perpetrators know the consequences of this action. And it exposes the roots of this violence which is sexism.
For quite a while now a primary focus of my work has been as an anti-racist. The issues are very similar to working on sexism. Everyone wants the problem to be "out there". They want to see the violence expressed on the Clothesline Project as being done by a few bad men. In reality it is the extreme conclusion of a society that conditions us within a cultural context of domination, control and privilege of the few. We are all a part of this system. Its influences how you and I behave often very unconsciously with groups "our" group traditionally oppresses. It effects how (unless we are owning class, able bodied, heterosexual, white, Christian men of the right age) we have internalized the oppression and projected it on each other to our serious disempowerment. An example was recently shared by a friend. She was at her therapists office which had the air conditioning turned up too high and everyone was freezing. 15 professional women agreed that the thermostat should be adjusted. When one of them went to do so they were interrupted by the one male in the office who said no so they all went back to their work in the cold. Or another example is a group of Quakers (known for civil rights and progressive action, who believe that there is that of God in everyone) called the police who came with three cars, sirens going to evict the one identifiable person of color in a community of over 200 people. Then on subsequent Sundays they physically barred the door to worship to her (for the first time in Quaker history to my knowledge), claiming she was disruptive, explicitly telling her that she is not welcome. As a life-long Friend (as well as a Jew) I am appalled and ashamed. As a product of this society I am embarrassed to say I understand.
As earthquakes tear the fabric of the land, so physical violence and the violence of oppression and injustice bring suffering and shred the harmony of inner peace. Ultimately, we all suffer spiritually in immense proportions for it alienates us from the roots of our being. By keeping us apart the violence hides how we are truly powerful. By proclaiming the agony of pain and the joy of healing with programs such as the Clothesline Project, we cut through some of the alienating aspects of this culture. This work makes it possible to weave ourselves into the process of transforming from victim to survivor to thriver, from perpetrator to seeker to ally, from people asleep to the Spirit, the wholeness, the oneness of humanity to full awareness.
Many of us have a dream of a world of peace and harmony. We dream of a world free of the violence and oppression that many people in the world experience continuously. We dream of a world free of violence against mother earth, against her creatures, against every woman, every child, every man. While this might seem an unattainable utopia, if we consider the changes that have occurred in peoples lives in the last 250 years, it is not so far fetched. Creating a violence free society is no more radical than the industrial revolution. In the early 1700's, houses had only a fireplace for heat. The process of canning food, refrigeration or many other tools that have improved the quality (or at least quantity) of our material lives did not exist. Then people with imagination, energy and vision dared to challenge the so called normal way of life even though they were thought of as dreamers, idealists and often as delusional. It is time now for us to challenge what many perceive to be normal. It is our turn here and now to put our strength, imagination, energy and vision to work.
There are people who after seeing a display feel overwhelmed by the pain and acts of hatred they've seen. Yes, the Clothesline Project portrays great suffering. Yet, we need to consider that the pain is balanced with healing and survival. Imagine a balanced world in which female, people of color and all human beings wisdom, vision and energy have equal authority and power. Sometimes I hear that someone is so angry that people can't hear her message. Anger is at times the most appropriate response. Personally, I am furious. Most men contribute to sexism, many women collude with it and I am angry at all of them. We are all living within a racist construct. A single black parent feels unsafe to worship with Quakers because of what is happening with another person of color. This makes me furious. Maybe the solution is not to ignore the anger but to acknowledge it up front, Yes I am angry. I am furious at the sexism and racism that seems inescapable, that disconnects us from the Divine spark in each other.
We do not have the luxury of saying that it is someone else's problem. We can not let ourselves be silenced by fear or apathy. Getting angry is important. It allows us to confront some of the assumptions we have been carrying about equality and gender. But what do we do with this energy? One thing we can do is quietly look within ourselves; see, acknowledge and make amends as we can, then let the anger motivate us to take action.
The Clothesline Project has been described as bearing witness to violence against women. Bearing witness means to be public and visible. It means that with sharpened awareness, we observe something that is evil, vicious, grievously wrong. It means that we do this work even when it is difficult or painful. Our presence makes it impossible for anyone to pretend that we do not exist. As yet another person joins the Clothesline Project movement or works to end violence against women, as another shirt is hung on the line we become more visible, no longer silent, no longer without power, no longer isolated from each other.
This future will be ours. The forces that would make true peace and justice happen are right here right now unfortunately the forces that would prevent this are also among us. It isn't the Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Riellys who ultimately defeat us, it is actually ourselves. Too often we succumb to the temptation of apathy. We think someone else will do it or our contribution would be too small to matter. But perhaps the biggest thing that gets in our way is how we treat each other. Respecting, supporting and loving the people we like is easy, although even here we sometimes take them for granted. It is much harder to respect, support and love those with whom we disagree or don't get along or don't understand because we have no cultural framework on which to categorize their behavior. However, this respect is essential if we are ever going to succeed. Certainly there are outside forces that want us divided. They encourage competition and distrust. Knowing this we can do something about it if it is contrary to the leadings of our heart. What it would be like if everyone here tonight dedicated an extra two hours a week to create a peaceful and just world.
Although violence hangs like a shroud around the globe, our past has shown that radical social change doesn't start with an intentionally organized and planned mass movement. It begins with individuals, people like you and you and you and me.
Its up to us and
We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Say this with me: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
And again: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Let's meet each other with love and respect. Let's keep up the struggle for a violence free world. Lets take time to smell the flowers and be thankful for the beauty in the world, for really its not about the pain. There is some higher purpose at work that perhaps is beyond our limited human capacity to understand. Lets imagine a violence free world. And let's walk together into a better tomorrow.
-----------
http://images.google.com/
http://www.google.com/
search for "Clothesline Project"
IN THE NORTH WEST
Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from rape, completely safe from incest, completely safe from battering. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life completely safe from sexism, racism and all forms of oppression. Someday every child born into this world will be guaranteed an entire life of respect, dignity and influence. Creating a violence free society is no more radical then the industrial revolution. People changed the world they lived in then, we can do it now; its up to us.
In the Fall of 1990 I began the Clothesline Project with a vision of a multi-colored clothesline telling of pain, promise and survival. One purpose was to help with the healing process as it gives females a safe and nonverbal way to tell their stories. It also helps the healing by contradicting the isolation as women see their shirt hanging next to another. A further purpose is to educate and inform everyone of the devastating effects of this violence. It lets potential perpetrators know the consequences of this action. And it exposes the roots of this violence which is sexism.
For quite a while now a primary focus of my work has been as an anti-racist. The issues are very similar to working on sexism. Everyone wants the problem to be "out there". They want to see the violence expressed on the Clothesline Project as being done by a few bad men. In reality it is the extreme conclusion of a society that conditions us within a cultural context of domination, control and privilege of the few. We are all a part of this system. Its influences how you and I behave often very unconsciously with groups "our" group traditionally oppresses. It effects how (unless we are owning class, able bodied, heterosexual, white, Christian men of the right age) we have internalized the oppression and projected it on each other to our serious disempowerment. An example was recently shared by a friend. She was at her therapists office which had the air conditioning turned up too high and everyone was freezing. 15 professional women agreed that the thermostat should be adjusted. When one of them went to do so they were interrupted by the one male in the office who said no so they all went back to their work in the cold. Or another example is a group of Quakers (known for civil rights and progressive action, who believe that there is that of God in everyone) called the police who came with three cars, sirens going to evict the one identifiable person of color in a community of over 200 people. Then on subsequent Sundays they physically barred the door to worship to her (for the first time in Quaker history to my knowledge), claiming she was disruptive, explicitly telling her that she is not welcome. As a life-long Friend (as well as a Jew) I am appalled and ashamed. As a product of this society I am embarrassed to say I understand.
As earthquakes tear the fabric of the land, so physical violence and the violence of oppression and injustice bring suffering and shred the harmony of inner peace. Ultimately, we all suffer spiritually in immense proportions for it alienates us from the roots of our being. By keeping us apart the violence hides how we are truly powerful. By proclaiming the agony of pain and the joy of healing with programs such as the Clothesline Project, we cut through some of the alienating aspects of this culture. This work makes it possible to weave ourselves into the process of transforming from victim to survivor to thriver, from perpetrator to seeker to ally, from people asleep to the Spirit, the wholeness, the oneness of humanity to full awareness.
Many of us have a dream of a world of peace and harmony. We dream of a world free of the violence and oppression that many people in the world experience continuously. We dream of a world free of violence against mother earth, against her creatures, against every woman, every child, every man. While this might seem an unattainable utopia, if we consider the changes that have occurred in peoples lives in the last 250 years, it is not so far fetched. Creating a violence free society is no more radical than the industrial revolution. In the early 1700's, houses had only a fireplace for heat. The process of canning food, refrigeration or many other tools that have improved the quality (or at least quantity) of our material lives did not exist. Then people with imagination, energy and vision dared to challenge the so called normal way of life even though they were thought of as dreamers, idealists and often as delusional. It is time now for us to challenge what many perceive to be normal. It is our turn here and now to put our strength, imagination, energy and vision to work.
There are people who after seeing a display feel overwhelmed by the pain and acts of hatred they've seen. Yes, the Clothesline Project portrays great suffering. Yet, we need to consider that the pain is balanced with healing and survival. Imagine a balanced world in which female, people of color and all human beings wisdom, vision and energy have equal authority and power. Sometimes I hear that someone is so angry that people can't hear her message. Anger is at times the most appropriate response. Personally, I am furious. Most men contribute to sexism, many women collude with it and I am angry at all of them. We are all living within a racist construct. A single black parent feels unsafe to worship with Quakers because of what is happening with another person of color. This makes me furious. Maybe the solution is not to ignore the anger but to acknowledge it up front, Yes I am angry. I am furious at the sexism and racism that seems inescapable, that disconnects us from the Divine spark in each other.
We do not have the luxury of saying that it is someone else's problem. We can not let ourselves be silenced by fear or apathy. Getting angry is important. It allows us to confront some of the assumptions we have been carrying about equality and gender. But what do we do with this energy? One thing we can do is quietly look within ourselves; see, acknowledge and make amends as we can, then let the anger motivate us to take action.
The Clothesline Project has been described as bearing witness to violence against women. Bearing witness means to be public and visible. It means that with sharpened awareness, we observe something that is evil, vicious, grievously wrong. It means that we do this work even when it is difficult or painful. Our presence makes it impossible for anyone to pretend that we do not exist. As yet another person joins the Clothesline Project movement or works to end violence against women, as another shirt is hung on the line we become more visible, no longer silent, no longer without power, no longer isolated from each other.
This future will be ours. The forces that would make true peace and justice happen are right here right now unfortunately the forces that would prevent this are also among us. It isn't the Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Riellys who ultimately defeat us, it is actually ourselves. Too often we succumb to the temptation of apathy. We think someone else will do it or our contribution would be too small to matter. But perhaps the biggest thing that gets in our way is how we treat each other. Respecting, supporting and loving the people we like is easy, although even here we sometimes take them for granted. It is much harder to respect, support and love those with whom we disagree or don't get along or don't understand because we have no cultural framework on which to categorize their behavior. However, this respect is essential if we are ever going to succeed. Certainly there are outside forces that want us divided. They encourage competition and distrust. Knowing this we can do something about it if it is contrary to the leadings of our heart. What it would be like if everyone here tonight dedicated an extra two hours a week to create a peaceful and just world.
Although violence hangs like a shroud around the globe, our past has shown that radical social change doesn't start with an intentionally organized and planned mass movement. It begins with individuals, people like you and you and you and me.
Its up to us and
We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Say this with me: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
And again: We will no longer be silent. We will no longer be docile. We are the agents of change.
Let's meet each other with love and respect. Let's keep up the struggle for a violence free world. Lets take time to smell the flowers and be thankful for the beauty in the world, for really its not about the pain. There is some higher purpose at work that perhaps is beyond our limited human capacity to understand. Lets imagine a violence free world. And let's walk together into a better tomorrow.
-----------
http://images.google.com/
http://www.google.com/
search for "Clothesline Project"
Tuesday
Living Waters
Living Waters
This is a very unsettling time. The Middle East could escalate into a conflagration with world-wide consequence far more serious then the price of gas. Provocation led to escalation then retaliation and so forth. This is happening not only on the world stage but in some of our communities as well. Misunderstandings can lead to alienation and it can seem like there’s no way back to a sense of kinship. Its not unusual for it to be generated by race or cultural dissonance, people whose thoughts, motives and behaviors seem outlandish and completely incongruent from our own sense of what’s rational especially when we all are under pressure. We become rigid, feeling righteous and in the right and that “they” are totally in the wrong.
So at this moment, putting some extra space in our lives for prayer is probably a good thing. Also taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty and experience small pleasures. At a recent sunset I walked barefoot on the sandbars at the end of Doctor Lords Road. It was so wonderful! The softness of the sand and coolness of the water. It was a beautiful and powerful part of my current exploration and connecting experiences with Living Waters and this prayer came to me:
*Oh God and God of our ancestors please
*Open up our eyes that we may see your beauty and light
*Open our ears to hear the wisdom of your voice that is beyond perceived difference and ideology
*Open our mouth to drink the living water that we might heal and be spiritually clean
*Open our lips to declare your glory and open our minds to your Truth that transcends wrong and right
*Open our hearts to your Love and our hands to the work for justice that you’ve explicitly given us
*Open our arms to your mercy and forgiveness
*Open our souls to join joyfully with your eternal oneness
*And God if it is your will, open us up completely to your everlasting wholeness, your peace.
Given the world situation the most rational thing we can and should do is repair and make whole any of our spiritual communities that are in distress. Without each other we are like a single hair, sometimes splintered and very easy to break. But when we are braided together we become indestructible. I know that I want and am willing to work for communities where our hearts are bound together in love, communities that is ever ready to see the Spark within even during disagreements. I as one individual am more than willing to further reconciliations but it needs group effort. It needs leadership and commitment. It needs us together joyously embracing diversity and seeking the healing of the Living Waters. Often conflicts are described as matches lighting kindling. The question is how do we not get burned or at least not be consumed in the flames? God’s grace or living waters surround us even when we are amidst the fire. The pain is still there but the water is also and can be a source of comfort and strength. God’s living waters is also a vehicle for spiritual cleansing, biblically described as ritual purity. It can cleanse away what keeps us separate from God as well as each other. Living waters used to create a sense of purity however are not magical. They speak of intention. We still have to do the hard work ourselves. We will be judged more by our actions then our aspirations.
One way of seeing what is going on is that the ugliness in people at this time is having to rise to the surface, be exposed so that it can be cleared away. Once this is done then their/our Light can shine without the veils and walls and garbage we've built. This cleansing makes it possible for us to more fully connect with the Creator. It also allows us to build healthy community and come together to work toward respect and true peace. Perhaps it is simply a phase of our evolutionary process, a step to the next stage of spiritual perfection which is coming upon us now very fast.
How can we all be an outward, active part of the process of cleansing or healing? I think one way is to put forth a vision - a vision of wholeness, of healthy behavior, of inclusion, a vision of God's beauty. So I’ve asked myself, when am I feeling out of God’s presence the most? The answer was when I think poorly about someone, when I complain, when I feel burdened, when I act out of fear or old distress. This is my responsibility. What is yours?
Each and every one of us has a vital purpose and unique talent. However our Light is not necessarily going to speak to everyone, and everyone’s not necessarily to us. We all need to accept and let each other be the authentic people we are without expectation or demands, without hostility. Just because it doesn't resonant with us doesn't mean it has no value.
We need to build peaceful and spirit filled places for worship and study. The divides come in what that means, how that is defined and achieved for each individual. So what I think we can specifically do to resolve disputes is:
1. to stay strong in the Spirit, strong in following the path God’s has given us.
2. Disengage from confrontation; walk away when necessary, de-escalate.
3. Look inside ourselves and be willing to work on those places that create tension and respect others as they do their best with this work
4. keep open to the Light, God’s spark within everyone and the possibility of new ways of seeing
5. acknowledge our part in creating the problem and what we are willing to give for a solution
6. Keep our hearts holding compassion for everyone open to and for forgiveness
7. Stay and put out a positive and optimistic vision,
8. trust in God and keep ourselves connected to that complete source of goodness.
9. Wait for the teachable moments keeping ever hopeful and helpful
10. share what is on our hearts and be available to listen fully to what is in others,
11. be able to listen to the Spirit as it speaks to and through and as it guides each of us.
12. give full authority to this personal and communal process and experience of the Divine.
13. not give up on each other and not give up on God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.
It is up to us collectively to build spiritual communities not necessarily where everyone is of like mind but where everyone turns to God, waiting for clarity from this source when necessary with a willingness to let go of personal desires in favor of God's. It is up to us collectively, to build a group where everyone is welcome to join fully in this holy experience to use the full extent of their talents within the framework of faith, to be with each other, even those with whom we disagree, in our joys and sorrows, our fears and our triumphs.
Years ago I said “Love is the most powerful force in the universe, just as the gentlest stream will eventually erode the hardest rock so love will eventually soften the hardest heart.” I still believe it. This is one way of answering "to what is god calling us?” Another way of saying the same thing is "to be holy people": "to love the Lord with all our hearts and souls and might and to love each other as ourselves". We have a higher purpose. Its time we start living it. Can you honestly say that God is calling you to something different? If we seek that infinite spirit we will find a peace beyond words. Nothing else is better - nothing else really matters.
Lets use this as an opportunity to let go of any "us vs. them" thinking, work together for good.
Lets stay as grounded as we can in the Spirit.
Lets keep our hearts open.
Lets appreciate the abundant blessings that are all around each of us.
Lets visualize the cleansing power of Living Waters and the healing of our souls, healing of our hearts and healing of our communities and healing of the world.
Lets stay strong and trust in that Power. It will not let us down, of that I am certain.
And finally, lets be optimistic. I think its quite possible that we are here and now at this place because God has a purpose for us. What a wonderful thing! We could be the perfect people at the perfect time to bring the perfect solution,
God willing.
So be of good cheer,
- breathe in, breathe out, hold each other in the Light.
In search of that perfect Love and Light and place of peace,
your
Rachel
"May the angel Michael; the strength and power of God be always at your right, may the angel Gabriel; the messenger of God be always on your left, and may Raphael; the healing power of God be always behind you. May Uriel; the Light of God always be before you and be your guide. And may above your head always be the Shechianah, the divine inner and outer presence of God surrounding and covering you with peace. For now and for ever, if it be God's will, let it be so" - for us all.
This is a very unsettling time. The Middle East could escalate into a conflagration with world-wide consequence far more serious then the price of gas. Provocation led to escalation then retaliation and so forth. This is happening not only on the world stage but in some of our communities as well. Misunderstandings can lead to alienation and it can seem like there’s no way back to a sense of kinship. Its not unusual for it to be generated by race or cultural dissonance, people whose thoughts, motives and behaviors seem outlandish and completely incongruent from our own sense of what’s rational especially when we all are under pressure. We become rigid, feeling righteous and in the right and that “they” are totally in the wrong.
So at this moment, putting some extra space in our lives for prayer is probably a good thing. Also taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty and experience small pleasures. At a recent sunset I walked barefoot on the sandbars at the end of Doctor Lords Road. It was so wonderful! The softness of the sand and coolness of the water. It was a beautiful and powerful part of my current exploration and connecting experiences with Living Waters and this prayer came to me:
*Oh God and God of our ancestors please
*Open up our eyes that we may see your beauty and light
*Open our ears to hear the wisdom of your voice that is beyond perceived difference and ideology
*Open our mouth to drink the living water that we might heal and be spiritually clean
*Open our lips to declare your glory and open our minds to your Truth that transcends wrong and right
*Open our hearts to your Love and our hands to the work for justice that you’ve explicitly given us
*Open our arms to your mercy and forgiveness
*Open our souls to join joyfully with your eternal oneness
*And God if it is your will, open us up completely to your everlasting wholeness, your peace.
Given the world situation the most rational thing we can and should do is repair and make whole any of our spiritual communities that are in distress. Without each other we are like a single hair, sometimes splintered and very easy to break. But when we are braided together we become indestructible. I know that I want and am willing to work for communities where our hearts are bound together in love, communities that is ever ready to see the Spark within even during disagreements. I as one individual am more than willing to further reconciliations but it needs group effort. It needs leadership and commitment. It needs us together joyously embracing diversity and seeking the healing of the Living Waters. Often conflicts are described as matches lighting kindling. The question is how do we not get burned or at least not be consumed in the flames? God’s grace or living waters surround us even when we are amidst the fire. The pain is still there but the water is also and can be a source of comfort and strength. God’s living waters is also a vehicle for spiritual cleansing, biblically described as ritual purity. It can cleanse away what keeps us separate from God as well as each other. Living waters used to create a sense of purity however are not magical. They speak of intention. We still have to do the hard work ourselves. We will be judged more by our actions then our aspirations.
One way of seeing what is going on is that the ugliness in people at this time is having to rise to the surface, be exposed so that it can be cleared away. Once this is done then their/our Light can shine without the veils and walls and garbage we've built. This cleansing makes it possible for us to more fully connect with the Creator. It also allows us to build healthy community and come together to work toward respect and true peace. Perhaps it is simply a phase of our evolutionary process, a step to the next stage of spiritual perfection which is coming upon us now very fast.
How can we all be an outward, active part of the process of cleansing or healing? I think one way is to put forth a vision - a vision of wholeness, of healthy behavior, of inclusion, a vision of God's beauty. So I’ve asked myself, when am I feeling out of God’s presence the most? The answer was when I think poorly about someone, when I complain, when I feel burdened, when I act out of fear or old distress. This is my responsibility. What is yours?
Each and every one of us has a vital purpose and unique talent. However our Light is not necessarily going to speak to everyone, and everyone’s not necessarily to us. We all need to accept and let each other be the authentic people we are without expectation or demands, without hostility. Just because it doesn't resonant with us doesn't mean it has no value.
We need to build peaceful and spirit filled places for worship and study. The divides come in what that means, how that is defined and achieved for each individual. So what I think we can specifically do to resolve disputes is:
1. to stay strong in the Spirit, strong in following the path God’s has given us.
2. Disengage from confrontation; walk away when necessary, de-escalate.
3. Look inside ourselves and be willing to work on those places that create tension and respect others as they do their best with this work
4. keep open to the Light, God’s spark within everyone and the possibility of new ways of seeing
5. acknowledge our part in creating the problem and what we are willing to give for a solution
6. Keep our hearts holding compassion for everyone open to and for forgiveness
7. Stay and put out a positive and optimistic vision,
8. trust in God and keep ourselves connected to that complete source of goodness.
9. Wait for the teachable moments keeping ever hopeful and helpful
10. share what is on our hearts and be available to listen fully to what is in others,
11. be able to listen to the Spirit as it speaks to and through and as it guides each of us.
12. give full authority to this personal and communal process and experience of the Divine.
13. not give up on each other and not give up on God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.
It is up to us collectively to build spiritual communities not necessarily where everyone is of like mind but where everyone turns to God, waiting for clarity from this source when necessary with a willingness to let go of personal desires in favor of God's. It is up to us collectively, to build a group where everyone is welcome to join fully in this holy experience to use the full extent of their talents within the framework of faith, to be with each other, even those with whom we disagree, in our joys and sorrows, our fears and our triumphs.
Years ago I said “Love is the most powerful force in the universe, just as the gentlest stream will eventually erode the hardest rock so love will eventually soften the hardest heart.” I still believe it. This is one way of answering "to what is god calling us?” Another way of saying the same thing is "to be holy people": "to love the Lord with all our hearts and souls and might and to love each other as ourselves". We have a higher purpose. Its time we start living it. Can you honestly say that God is calling you to something different? If we seek that infinite spirit we will find a peace beyond words. Nothing else is better - nothing else really matters.
Lets use this as an opportunity to let go of any "us vs. them" thinking, work together for good.
Lets stay as grounded as we can in the Spirit.
Lets keep our hearts open.
Lets appreciate the abundant blessings that are all around each of us.
Lets visualize the cleansing power of Living Waters and the healing of our souls, healing of our hearts and healing of our communities and healing of the world.
Lets stay strong and trust in that Power. It will not let us down, of that I am certain.
And finally, lets be optimistic. I think its quite possible that we are here and now at this place because God has a purpose for us. What a wonderful thing! We could be the perfect people at the perfect time to bring the perfect solution,
God willing.
So be of good cheer,
- breathe in, breathe out, hold each other in the Light.
In search of that perfect Love and Light and place of peace,
your
Rachel
"May the angel Michael; the strength and power of God be always at your right, may the angel Gabriel; the messenger of God be always on your left, and may Raphael; the healing power of God be always behind you. May Uriel; the Light of God always be before you and be your guide. And may above your head always be the Shechianah, the divine inner and outer presence of God surrounding and covering you with peace. For now and for ever, if it be God's will, let it be so" - for us all.
Thursday
Friends, a Metamorphosis
Friends, a metamorphosis is taking place. This is a critical time. Its like the transition from a caterpillar into a butterfly. What does a caterpillar know of life as a butterfly? It is so foreign to a being whose life is on the ground or in the somnolence of a cocoon as opposed to in the air with wings. Like the caterpillar, for us it can be very frightening to leave the comfort of what is familiar. It takes strength and patience to realize our struggles are just part of this process and to be with each other in gentleness and support.
This is our opportunity to rise to be better, more wholly spiritual and lead our communities to the same. To do this we need to take concrete action to get closer to God and closer to each other - to be in Love. One of the most difficult parts of this transition is that in order to awake to this new life we have to be as clean and clear as possible of everything that keeps us separate. This includes speaking up when those around us act in hurtful ways. It also includes accepting our own unacknowledged benefit from oppression and the denial of our culpability and responsibility. Examples are that in one of the more affluent communities in this wealthy nation our sick, poor and elderly are left to die homeless on the street or warehoused in lonely over medicated stupors. Another is when we refuse to grasp that the mere fact of skin color drastically effects a person's ability to fully realize their potential (as does other arbitrary things like sexual orientation, gender, appearance, faith, etc). We also are separated by letting our desires for material comfort or dominance for ourselves and our families become insatiable needs which blind us to the issues and bind us to a caterpillar’s life. We need to wake up to some uncomfortable truths about our world and ourselves. We must wake up then stand up then soar to a higher sphere of consciousness.
Telling someone that they are defective is not what this is about. There is a difference between pointing out areas where we as groups need to work and include ourselves (we - our) and singling out another individual for attack or moral condemnation (you – you’re). It is easy to give up on each other or give in to the temptation to scapegoat. Sometimes this behavior is used as a substitute for giving up on or blaming ourselves. However, bringing the things we are not proud of in ourselves to the surface gives us the chance for correction and is simply part of the process of evolution. All this ugliness must rise to the light. We can’t clean up what we can’t see. There is no need for guilt.
Through experience of the Divine Within -- that everlasting spark -- we can see that the positive approach works best. Difficult, painful situations are perennial as the grass. In dealing with actions which seem inconsistent with higher principles we can share, in compassion and humility, our own understanding. We can say or keep in our thoughts something (anything) to affirm their innate goodness. Being truly with each other in the struggle is vitally important. No one is beyond the redemptive power of love. If an individual seems cut-off from their spiritual roots we can be the one to take the initiative and with respect and care, labor with them. They just might have something to teach.
To really be part of this work and be true peace makers we need to understand that "us" and "them" are really the same and try not to take the distress, projection and lack of spiritual maturity to heart. This is a time when all the nasty meanness has to come out. The brighter we shine the more this will happen around us. Nevertheless now is not the time to retreat. Yes its painful but we can be as ducks whose beautiful feathers let the water just roll off. We can hold oneself above the garbage in gentleness and patience.
We can also realize that it’s all about attitude and our attitude is something we have some control over. Holding onto anger does no one any good. Smile and breathe, laugh and touch. Relax and be happy. This is a challenge when things are hard. The process of the butterfly transition is not going to be pleasant, either in our interpersonal interactions or in the physical world. Upheavals will continue and intensify. We are poised for some country taking the war nuclear, bird flu, a worse than 911 type terror attack, an asteroid of ice falling into the Atlantic, stock or housing market crashing, an earthquake sending the coast into the sea, other catastrophic natural disasters or any sort of combination. The most important thing we can do to prepare is remember we are aligned with the Creator and the deep goodness within each of us. Lets be part of a rebirth of peace, respect and harmony between us. Lets be open and fearless in our search for truth. Lets together resolve that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Lets together nurture healthy communities and relationships. We are all called to a sacred purpose. Lets make a commitment to have our work be of service, trusting that this Power will work in each person. Our time is limited.
Each of our traditions has instructions - follow them (without using religion as a shield or weapon to justify negative judgments). Each of our hearts longs to connect with others in love. Do it - let go of all that keeps us separate. Act out of our higher selves; out of that place of kindness, forgiveness and forbearance and call others to the same. In this way I believe we can truly be the beings of our destiny.
Poem by Kabir ( 1500's Indian mystic/poet)
Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables,
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
(day 22)
This is our opportunity to rise to be better, more wholly spiritual and lead our communities to the same. To do this we need to take concrete action to get closer to God and closer to each other - to be in Love. One of the most difficult parts of this transition is that in order to awake to this new life we have to be as clean and clear as possible of everything that keeps us separate. This includes speaking up when those around us act in hurtful ways. It also includes accepting our own unacknowledged benefit from oppression and the denial of our culpability and responsibility. Examples are that in one of the more affluent communities in this wealthy nation our sick, poor and elderly are left to die homeless on the street or warehoused in lonely over medicated stupors. Another is when we refuse to grasp that the mere fact of skin color drastically effects a person's ability to fully realize their potential (as does other arbitrary things like sexual orientation, gender, appearance, faith, etc). We also are separated by letting our desires for material comfort or dominance for ourselves and our families become insatiable needs which blind us to the issues and bind us to a caterpillar’s life. We need to wake up to some uncomfortable truths about our world and ourselves. We must wake up then stand up then soar to a higher sphere of consciousness.
Telling someone that they are defective is not what this is about. There is a difference between pointing out areas where we as groups need to work and include ourselves (we - our) and singling out another individual for attack or moral condemnation (you – you’re). It is easy to give up on each other or give in to the temptation to scapegoat. Sometimes this behavior is used as a substitute for giving up on or blaming ourselves. However, bringing the things we are not proud of in ourselves to the surface gives us the chance for correction and is simply part of the process of evolution. All this ugliness must rise to the light. We can’t clean up what we can’t see. There is no need for guilt.
Through experience of the Divine Within -- that everlasting spark -- we can see that the positive approach works best. Difficult, painful situations are perennial as the grass. In dealing with actions which seem inconsistent with higher principles we can share, in compassion and humility, our own understanding. We can say or keep in our thoughts something (anything) to affirm their innate goodness. Being truly with each other in the struggle is vitally important. No one is beyond the redemptive power of love. If an individual seems cut-off from their spiritual roots we can be the one to take the initiative and with respect and care, labor with them. They just might have something to teach.
To really be part of this work and be true peace makers we need to understand that "us" and "them" are really the same and try not to take the distress, projection and lack of spiritual maturity to heart. This is a time when all the nasty meanness has to come out. The brighter we shine the more this will happen around us. Nevertheless now is not the time to retreat. Yes its painful but we can be as ducks whose beautiful feathers let the water just roll off. We can hold oneself above the garbage in gentleness and patience.
We can also realize that it’s all about attitude and our attitude is something we have some control over. Holding onto anger does no one any good. Smile and breathe, laugh and touch. Relax and be happy. This is a challenge when things are hard. The process of the butterfly transition is not going to be pleasant, either in our interpersonal interactions or in the physical world. Upheavals will continue and intensify. We are poised for some country taking the war nuclear, bird flu, a worse than 911 type terror attack, an asteroid of ice falling into the Atlantic, stock or housing market crashing, an earthquake sending the coast into the sea, other catastrophic natural disasters or any sort of combination. The most important thing we can do to prepare is remember we are aligned with the Creator and the deep goodness within each of us. Lets be part of a rebirth of peace, respect and harmony between us. Lets be open and fearless in our search for truth. Lets together resolve that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Lets together nurture healthy communities and relationships. We are all called to a sacred purpose. Lets make a commitment to have our work be of service, trusting that this Power will work in each person. Our time is limited.
Each of our traditions has instructions - follow them (without using religion as a shield or weapon to justify negative judgments). Each of our hearts longs to connect with others in love. Do it - let go of all that keeps us separate. Act out of our higher selves; out of that place of kindness, forgiveness and forbearance and call others to the same. In this way I believe we can truly be the beings of our destiny.
Poem by Kabir ( 1500's Indian mystic/poet)
Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables,
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
(day 22)
Holy Obedience: From Worship to Witness
(The following was published onthe front page of
"The New England Friend" Spring 2006 issue
http://www.neym.org/NewEnglandFriend/index.html)
“And the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of God, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind – an earthquake. After the earthquake – fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Ki 19:12) This was the experience of Elijah hearing and accepting God’s call. Its one thing to hear a voice. Its another to hear what is being asked and trust in the power. What did and does this voice ask? It did not say to Elijah that he should return and sit quietly in his cave or in my case a Friends Meeting simply connecting to the power of love and peace. He was told to make a huge nuisance of himself; charged with bringing the people to God or else they would perish. The prophets had intense struggles, they were ridiculed, attacked, many times having to flee for their lives. Prophetic mystery-ministry involves embracing the struggle. Not only what is seen in the outer world but the internal struggle as well.
Listening to “a still small voice” has been central to my being a spiritual person raised in a Quaker family. While the social concerns of Friends were important, I saw a sharp divide between those Friends who were peace activists and those who were mystics. I clearly and unequivocally identified with the latter. The first message I gave in a Meeting for Worship was in the beginning years of Framingham Monthly Meeting when we were meeting in peoples living rooms. I was twelve and simply said “God is Love”. This was so real to me. My spiritual obedience was and to a large part remains simply to love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soul and with all my might and do my best to love my neighbor as myself. It hasn’t been easy and I fail much of the time but being obedient, being faithful means to make the attempt even with all our sometimes way too humanness.
Twenty four years later after attending George School and worshiping in Friends Meetings up and down the east coast I returned to the Friends Meeting in Yarmouth where as a child I worshiped with my family during the summer months. I had a opening and gave the second message of my life. It was essentially the same. God is in essence love and its our job to manifest this in the world. What is wanted from us is to do our part to build a world of peace. The ultimate wish for us is that we live in such a world; a world of harmony, faith, beauty and joy.
I heard that alleviating the suffering of the oppressed is vital - that we are joined together; as one suffers so do we all. I needed to take appropriate initiative and provide unconditionally support for others; to learn and model being an ally. The impossibility of achieving a world of peace when any group has to deal with discrimination and violence grew over the next 4 years into a conviction that the necessary healing can not take place until the oppressor and those who let hostility happen learn they have a spiritual disease. It is an unfelt, invisibly but soul obscuring attitude. Thus in 1990 began the Clothesline Project, to bear witness to violence against women.
I devoted myself to this issue for five years but the still small voice was not finished with me. There was a repeated call, an opening waiting for me to unlock my heart. When I did I had a very rude awakening about oppression. The perpetrator was me. I was steeped in a culture of racism and benefited without awareness of white privilege. It was time for me to embrace the struggle in a different and scary way. The witness became two fold, a witness in the world and a self witness.
For me, now at East Sandwich Friends, the journey from worship to witness travels as a circle. Witness leads back to worship, worship to witness, all embraced in a mantle of holy obedience. All I have to do is get out of the way. Too often I am trying to lead the Light into my activities rather then let the Light lead me. Being obedient means surrender to a particular spiritual path united through the heart, sustained through the breath, the voice. If ever there was a time to work together its now. Our time is short. We are joined together in Light; in oneness, to heal in order to fully connect with that which is eternal. Trust God’s power with gratitude and love. Be ready to change.
Rachel Carey-Harper
"The New England Friend" Spring 2006 issue
http://www.neym.org/NewEnglandFriend/index.html)
“And the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of God, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind – an earthquake. After the earthquake – fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Ki 19:12) This was the experience of Elijah hearing and accepting God’s call. Its one thing to hear a voice. Its another to hear what is being asked and trust in the power. What did and does this voice ask? It did not say to Elijah that he should return and sit quietly in his cave or in my case a Friends Meeting simply connecting to the power of love and peace. He was told to make a huge nuisance of himself; charged with bringing the people to God or else they would perish. The prophets had intense struggles, they were ridiculed, attacked, many times having to flee for their lives. Prophetic mystery-ministry involves embracing the struggle. Not only what is seen in the outer world but the internal struggle as well.
Listening to “a still small voice” has been central to my being a spiritual person raised in a Quaker family. While the social concerns of Friends were important, I saw a sharp divide between those Friends who were peace activists and those who were mystics. I clearly and unequivocally identified with the latter. The first message I gave in a Meeting for Worship was in the beginning years of Framingham Monthly Meeting when we were meeting in peoples living rooms. I was twelve and simply said “God is Love”. This was so real to me. My spiritual obedience was and to a large part remains simply to love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soul and with all my might and do my best to love my neighbor as myself. It hasn’t been easy and I fail much of the time but being obedient, being faithful means to make the attempt even with all our sometimes way too humanness.
Twenty four years later after attending George School and worshiping in Friends Meetings up and down the east coast I returned to the Friends Meeting in Yarmouth where as a child I worshiped with my family during the summer months. I had a opening and gave the second message of my life. It was essentially the same. God is in essence love and its our job to manifest this in the world. What is wanted from us is to do our part to build a world of peace. The ultimate wish for us is that we live in such a world; a world of harmony, faith, beauty and joy.
I heard that alleviating the suffering of the oppressed is vital - that we are joined together; as one suffers so do we all. I needed to take appropriate initiative and provide unconditionally support for others; to learn and model being an ally. The impossibility of achieving a world of peace when any group has to deal with discrimination and violence grew over the next 4 years into a conviction that the necessary healing can not take place until the oppressor and those who let hostility happen learn they have a spiritual disease. It is an unfelt, invisibly but soul obscuring attitude. Thus in 1990 began the Clothesline Project, to bear witness to violence against women.
I devoted myself to this issue for five years but the still small voice was not finished with me. There was a repeated call, an opening waiting for me to unlock my heart. When I did I had a very rude awakening about oppression. The perpetrator was me. I was steeped in a culture of racism and benefited without awareness of white privilege. It was time for me to embrace the struggle in a different and scary way. The witness became two fold, a witness in the world and a self witness.
For me, now at East Sandwich Friends, the journey from worship to witness travels as a circle. Witness leads back to worship, worship to witness, all embraced in a mantle of holy obedience. All I have to do is get out of the way. Too often I am trying to lead the Light into my activities rather then let the Light lead me. Being obedient means surrender to a particular spiritual path united through the heart, sustained through the breath, the voice. If ever there was a time to work together its now. Our time is short. We are joined together in Light; in oneness, to heal in order to fully connect with that which is eternal. Trust God’s power with gratitude and love. Be ready to change.
Rachel Carey-Harper
Monday
with much love
On the physical plane if you walk into a dark room in the middle of the night with just one candle burning your eyes will be drawn to the flame. In fact you can't focus on anything else. On the other hand if you walk into a room full of light, something black is practically invisible. Theatrical people and magicians use this phenomenon all the time. On the spiritual and emotional level it is exactly the opposite. In the places of light in someone else it is so easy to see a spot of shadow material and it is extremely hard not to focus on it. On the other hand in the places that are in the deepest shadow it is almost impossible to see anything of the light.
In one way or another, spiritual people are instructed to answer that of God in each other. We are called to see the spark not only when its readily apparent but in the bad places and also see the light that surrounds the soul even though there is a spot of imperfection. This does not mean that we ignore or collude with each other's wickedness. Rather, keeping mindful of the inner light, we can help each other come to terms with these parts of ourselves and keep ourselves open as others labor with us.
The only way we can be truly illuminated in this is with love and without ego. As soon as we are doing the work out of a belief that we are more righteous or to prove ourselves or to protect ourselves or the status quo against change, we are lost. The motivation, the cause for this work, must be only love and the desired effect must likewise be simply love: a deep caring for one another. Struggle is a wonderful opportunity to realize our highest potential. We reconnect with that universal source of peace, wholeness, love and light.
This is all well and good to say but how can this be accomplished especially in the face of large and often emotional upheavals. As spiritual beings we have several powerful tools at our disposal. We can know that G-d is always with us and we will be accepted if we join with and dedicate ourselves with this force. This source of goodness was with the biblical Jacob and his sons after they did truly despicable, sacrilegious things yet it is explicitly clear that God was still with them. Just so, this Presence is always with us as well. From Genesis (35:1) "God said to Jacob" (God is with us). It then lays out instructions for how to make spiritual amends:
1. go to the place of God and stay there, honor the holiness
2. rid yourself of alien ideas, everything that keeps us from holiness
3. purify and recommit ourselves
4. turn ourselves around (changing clothes).
Once we take those steps the covenant is renewed even stronger than before (35:9).
It is during our most troubled times that faith and our lives as holy people is tested. During these times we can moan and groan about this awful burden, we can focus on the trauma and personalize it, "so and so did such and such.." or we can seize the future and make the most of our lives. Jacob sends his favorite son Joseph to check up on his brothers who sell him into slavery. Joseph could easily have sunk into a "poor me", "evil brothers" emotional state but instead he looks forward and makes the most out of his life and surroundings. In the end he saves all his family and people. He is G-d's solution. This can be our choice as well.
For my part I can try to keep what I put out into the world and interpersonal interactions positive, loving and spiritual centered. All I (and maybe any of us) can do is be and behave in a good, faithful way, moving forward to the best of our ability with beauty, love and peace ("walking cheerfully over the earth answering that of God in everyone") and leave the final outcome to God.
In one way or another, spiritual people are instructed to answer that of God in each other. We are called to see the spark not only when its readily apparent but in the bad places and also see the light that surrounds the soul even though there is a spot of imperfection. This does not mean that we ignore or collude with each other's wickedness. Rather, keeping mindful of the inner light, we can help each other come to terms with these parts of ourselves and keep ourselves open as others labor with us.
The only way we can be truly illuminated in this is with love and without ego. As soon as we are doing the work out of a belief that we are more righteous or to prove ourselves or to protect ourselves or the status quo against change, we are lost. The motivation, the cause for this work, must be only love and the desired effect must likewise be simply love: a deep caring for one another. Struggle is a wonderful opportunity to realize our highest potential. We reconnect with that universal source of peace, wholeness, love and light.
This is all well and good to say but how can this be accomplished especially in the face of large and often emotional upheavals. As spiritual beings we have several powerful tools at our disposal. We can know that G-d is always with us and we will be accepted if we join with and dedicate ourselves with this force. This source of goodness was with the biblical Jacob and his sons after they did truly despicable, sacrilegious things yet it is explicitly clear that God was still with them. Just so, this Presence is always with us as well. From Genesis (35:1) "God said to Jacob" (God is with us). It then lays out instructions for how to make spiritual amends:
1. go to the place of God and stay there, honor the holiness
2. rid yourself of alien ideas, everything that keeps us from holiness
3. purify and recommit ourselves
4. turn ourselves around (changing clothes).
Once we take those steps the covenant is renewed even stronger than before (35:9).
It is during our most troubled times that faith and our lives as holy people is tested. During these times we can moan and groan about this awful burden, we can focus on the trauma and personalize it, "so and so did such and such.." or we can seize the future and make the most of our lives. Jacob sends his favorite son Joseph to check up on his brothers who sell him into slavery. Joseph could easily have sunk into a "poor me", "evil brothers" emotional state but instead he looks forward and makes the most out of his life and surroundings. In the end he saves all his family and people. He is G-d's solution. This can be our choice as well.
For my part I can try to keep what I put out into the world and interpersonal interactions positive, loving and spiritual centered. All I (and maybe any of us) can do is be and behave in a good, faithful way, moving forward to the best of our ability with beauty, love and peace ("walking cheerfully over the earth answering that of God in everyone") and leave the final outcome to God.
Thursday
Purpose
What is the purpose to our lives? Sometimes its easier to see a purpose when looking backwards. Is there a pattern? Are we retreading the paths we have walked before with little improvement? Maybe ultimately there is a purpose to everything in that there are always opportunities to learn lessons if we just open our eyes; opportunities to make decisions that allow us to gain wisdom and positively impact the world.
When or if we reach the threshold to whatever our concept of that perfect place beyond the material world, we can look back and maybe it seems as a prelude to something; for me a jumping off into the sea of goodness, rational thinking, sparkilyness of light and love. Then all the past can have a higher spiritual purpose even family discord, hard though that is to imagine. If it wasn't for intense sibling rivalry both between sisters ( Leah and Rachel) as well as brothers (Jacob and Esau), there would be no 12 tribes of Israel, no Jewish people (at least not as today).
Whoever we are, at times we can even find purpose and a blessing in the most challenging parts of life. In those times of isolation, shame, of feeling unworthy or longing for softness rather then a pillow of stone maybe our only choice is to look up. There, after the struggle we can see ourselves with all our flaws but with the readiness to change. Our lives reveal and revel in a higher purpose, a life of service to something far greater than ourselves. Do we have anything better to do?
When or if we reach the threshold to whatever our concept of that perfect place beyond the material world, we can look back and maybe it seems as a prelude to something; for me a jumping off into the sea of goodness, rational thinking, sparkilyness of light and love. Then all the past can have a higher spiritual purpose even family discord, hard though that is to imagine. If it wasn't for intense sibling rivalry both between sisters ( Leah and Rachel) as well as brothers (Jacob and Esau), there would be no 12 tribes of Israel, no Jewish people (at least not as today).
Whoever we are, at times we can even find purpose and a blessing in the most challenging parts of life. In those times of isolation, shame, of feeling unworthy or longing for softness rather then a pillow of stone maybe our only choice is to look up. There, after the struggle we can see ourselves with all our flaws but with the readiness to change. Our lives reveal and revel in a higher purpose, a life of service to something far greater than ourselves. Do we have anything better to do?
Monday
From worship and study
The idea of catalyst has been with me for a while. It came to mind when I heard a story from the Zohar about a person who was deeply grieving the death of his much adored teacher. He comes to believe that his teacher’s light would not perish in death and starts to fast in order to connect with this source of wisdom. He fasts and he fasts until he sees a vision and is told what a person has to do in order to ascend to the highest sphere of spiritual awareness. The grief was a catalyst or channel for the realization. The realization was a catalyst for the fast which was a catalyst for the vision. Every choice we make has potential to be a channel. The question is whether we make choices to encourage the catalysts that fosters love. The Kabbalah text states that in order to reach the higher spheres we must work “to turn darkness to light, bitterness to sweetness”. We are told that every day we need to be expectantly waiting for a world of wholeness and peace.
In my experience, prayer is one of the most powerful catalysts for this although not often as I intend. Sometimes things seem hopeless, it seems that it would take a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God to bring a good outcome. Faith can be so hard to keep when things seem to go wrong but miracles do happen all the time. As I thought about what a miracle if it would be if I was able to fulfill what I think is G-d’s purpose for my existence, I realized that up to now my life has actually been full of miracles; three near death experiences, severe poverty, homelessness, gross naiveté (or stupidity). Then I realized that most people (soldiers and civilians) in a war zone have near death experiences. Many people live lives that are miraculous, mine is far from unique.
Even knowing this there are realities to being alive in this material sphere. There is pain and grief, longing and loneness that can be overwhelming even (or especially) at those times when culturally we are supposed to be happy like birthdays and holidays and Thanksgiving. My Ed recently heard a man who was autistic talking about how he runs programs in his life; when he needs a meal he runs his “cooking program” and if he notices he is kind of glum he runs his “happy program”. What a good idea. This season has been sad for me being the first without my mother for important occasions but while I might not be able to make happy I can run my “its all okay” program.
As I thought about my mother my mind turned to other ancestors. I realized I have a great deal for which to be grateful. They were all such special people. I read stories or look at pictures of them and I feel connected. But they are just stories of ordinary human beings living extraordinary (and sometimes contradictory) lives. The are just images. I miss those I knew on this level of existence but know that there is a different sphere where my mother still sparkles. Here I find a peace beyond words and light and sweetness. I touch love and feel completely at home at last.
In my experience, prayer is one of the most powerful catalysts for this although not often as I intend. Sometimes things seem hopeless, it seems that it would take a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God to bring a good outcome. Faith can be so hard to keep when things seem to go wrong but miracles do happen all the time. As I thought about what a miracle if it would be if I was able to fulfill what I think is G-d’s purpose for my existence, I realized that up to now my life has actually been full of miracles; three near death experiences, severe poverty, homelessness, gross naiveté (or stupidity). Then I realized that most people (soldiers and civilians) in a war zone have near death experiences. Many people live lives that are miraculous, mine is far from unique.
Even knowing this there are realities to being alive in this material sphere. There is pain and grief, longing and loneness that can be overwhelming even (or especially) at those times when culturally we are supposed to be happy like birthdays and holidays and Thanksgiving. My Ed recently heard a man who was autistic talking about how he runs programs in his life; when he needs a meal he runs his “cooking program” and if he notices he is kind of glum he runs his “happy program”. What a good idea. This season has been sad for me being the first without my mother for important occasions but while I might not be able to make happy I can run my “its all okay” program.
As I thought about my mother my mind turned to other ancestors. I realized I have a great deal for which to be grateful. They were all such special people. I read stories or look at pictures of them and I feel connected. But they are just stories of ordinary human beings living extraordinary (and sometimes contradictory) lives. The are just images. I miss those I knew on this level of existence but know that there is a different sphere where my mother still sparkles. Here I find a peace beyond words and light and sweetness. I touch love and feel completely at home at last.
Thursday
Afterthought from Torah Study 1:20:1
This week the section of Torah that we studied was at least on the surface, particularly difficult to find a spiritual lesson. Abraham and Sarah are traveling in hostile territory and he has her represent their relationship as brother and sister because he feels he will be safer. She is taken by a king named Abimelech. God speaks to Abimelech in a dream telling him not to touch Sarah because she’s another man’s wife and if he disobeys he will die.
One thing a lot of these kind of stories tell us is how the prophets were so very human. Another thing this narrative seemed to be about is how fear can inhibit us from leading spiritually faithful lives and the various test that await us along the way. While this is true, as I thought a little longer; a little deeper something else came to me. I started at the last part we read. Sarah becomes pregnant with Abraham’s and her first (and only) child. She gives birth to the baby God has told her she will bear (even though she is in her 90’s). Why did this happen then? Why not months before or months later?
What occurred to me was that maybe promises that are made on the spiritual plane need some sort of catalyst to be executed in the material world. Just before Sarah conceives, Abraham prays for the health of Abimelech and his court and the women become pregnant. So maybe this is the catalyst, praying for someone else what you are wishing for yourself.
However if it was simply that then it too could have happened earlier. The difference was that Abraham was praying for the health of someone who he had offended and wronged (in assuming Abimelech would behave unethically and letting him go down that path unimpeded). And as Abimelech did take Sarah he wronged Abraham as well. It would have been so easy for Abraham to get defensive, angry and resentful, perhaps even guilty and anger with himself as it was God who stood up for Sarah not him. Instead he opened his heart and his connection with God on Abimelech’s behalf. Maybe this was the catalyst. It’s about being a part of, a channel for divine love not simply when its easy but in the harder relationships as well.
In my prayer life one of the primary things I desire is the miracle of, as lowly as I am, having the ability, courage and opportunity to fulfill an important purpose for God. So in stumbling in Abraham’s footsteps my prayer is for everyone, those I am close to and especially those with whom there is trouble, for the miracle of them being able to live a life that is actively following and fulfilling God’s important purpose for their unique selves, living lives that are rich in all creative goodness, happiness and God’s power.
How can I/we become catalysts? When in full measure without regard to distress we walk a purposeful path of love and beauty and pray this for others as well. In this way we all become part of the One Whole Holy Self. 1+1=1
One thing a lot of these kind of stories tell us is how the prophets were so very human. Another thing this narrative seemed to be about is how fear can inhibit us from leading spiritually faithful lives and the various test that await us along the way. While this is true, as I thought a little longer; a little deeper something else came to me. I started at the last part we read. Sarah becomes pregnant with Abraham’s and her first (and only) child. She gives birth to the baby God has told her she will bear (even though she is in her 90’s). Why did this happen then? Why not months before or months later?
What occurred to me was that maybe promises that are made on the spiritual plane need some sort of catalyst to be executed in the material world. Just before Sarah conceives, Abraham prays for the health of Abimelech and his court and the women become pregnant. So maybe this is the catalyst, praying for someone else what you are wishing for yourself.
However if it was simply that then it too could have happened earlier. The difference was that Abraham was praying for the health of someone who he had offended and wronged (in assuming Abimelech would behave unethically and letting him go down that path unimpeded). And as Abimelech did take Sarah he wronged Abraham as well. It would have been so easy for Abraham to get defensive, angry and resentful, perhaps even guilty and anger with himself as it was God who stood up for Sarah not him. Instead he opened his heart and his connection with God on Abimelech’s behalf. Maybe this was the catalyst. It’s about being a part of, a channel for divine love not simply when its easy but in the harder relationships as well.
In my prayer life one of the primary things I desire is the miracle of, as lowly as I am, having the ability, courage and opportunity to fulfill an important purpose for God. So in stumbling in Abraham’s footsteps my prayer is for everyone, those I am close to and especially those with whom there is trouble, for the miracle of them being able to live a life that is actively following and fulfilling God’s important purpose for their unique selves, living lives that are rich in all creative goodness, happiness and God’s power.
How can I/we become catalysts? When in full measure without regard to distress we walk a purposeful path of love and beauty and pray this for others as well. In this way we all become part of the One Whole Holy Self. 1+1=1
Tuesday
~From WORSHIP~
What was important to early Friends was the personal experience of the inner light. George Fox said to clergy or others using literal biblical text to substantiate a religious argument ”I know what it sayeth but what does thou sayeth”. For Quakers it is all about the experiential dimension of spiritual awareness; that experience of epiphany. We cultivate this not just at rare moments but hold the real possibility of a continuous opening to this source of revelation, this most intimate part of ourselves.
One aspect of the human condition is that often in order to experience something we have to first learn or develop skills. You can’t experience the Internet unless you first learned how to run a computer. It is the work we do throughout each day of meditation or study that leads to the ability to fully open. This activity also has the benefit of moving us to being in harmony with the world and our destiny. So, as we grow more and more, the seemingly random moments in our lives can become transcendent and significant in making the world a better place, miracles happen.
Eyes that are closed cannot see the material world. Hearts that are close can not seen the spiritual light. No one else can open them for us. Its up to each human being whether or not to be a holy people. Whether of not to be ready to hear as God said to Abraham “fear not I am a shield to you“ and rest in the place of oneness, love and peace. It is waiting for us.
(the above image was found shortly after this was written in a secluded spot in the middle of the woods)
Wednesday
AFTERTHOUGHTS FROM TORAH STUDY 1:1:1
Over and over again I'm getting the same message. This ongoing repetition is very unusual for me and it makes the concept of 1+1=1 more and more immediate.
The most recent lesson is about Adam and Eve. "And the serpent said to the woman (the Hebrew says Adam was there with her), "as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God who knows good and bad." What is it that they are going to lose by eating this fruit? Some say a state of innocence, the belief that everything is good. An additional idea is that they lost the sense of unity and entered the world of duality. Suddenly there is good and bad, wrong and right, birth and death. Their egos materialize and they feel self-consciousness and shame. This begins our journey.
In thinking about this I was reminded of the Ouroborus. Many, many diverse cultures have this image of a snake in a circle biting its tail. It is a symbol of the eternal unity of all things, the cycle of birth and death. The Ouroborus can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, circa 1600 BC and the Ouroborus called the Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra encloses the words hen to pan "one, the all", i.e. "All is One". Its black-and-white halves represent the duality of existence.
God can see the duality but understands it within unity being the larger, total truth. It should be noted that being like something is not stating that one is something. While God might know and understand duality it is within a context, a framework whose sole existence is wholeness. As humans we can at best have only the most rudimentary understanding of this concept hence we enter the world of duality and ego and it is all we understand as reality.
At birth we start the journey in unity and cross into duality. We are born in innocence and wholeness, our egos separate and we go through life in the state of duality; me - you, until we come back again to the source. This is true on an individual basis and also as a species: circular journeys. At some point this road will near completion and it will be like a circle coming back to that place of oneness. In the world to come we are told that it will be a time of perfect peace and oneness, of Shalom. It is just around the bend.
The most recent lesson is about Adam and Eve. "And the serpent said to the woman (the Hebrew says Adam was there with her), "as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God who knows good and bad." What is it that they are going to lose by eating this fruit? Some say a state of innocence, the belief that everything is good. An additional idea is that they lost the sense of unity and entered the world of duality. Suddenly there is good and bad, wrong and right, birth and death. Their egos materialize and they feel self-consciousness and shame. This begins our journey.
In thinking about this I was reminded of the Ouroborus. Many, many diverse cultures have this image of a snake in a circle biting its tail. It is a symbol of the eternal unity of all things, the cycle of birth and death. The Ouroborus can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, circa 1600 BC and the Ouroborus called the Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra encloses the words hen to pan "one, the all", i.e. "All is One". Its black-and-white halves represent the duality of existence.
God can see the duality but understands it within unity being the larger, total truth. It should be noted that being like something is not stating that one is something. While God might know and understand duality it is within a context, a framework whose sole existence is wholeness. As humans we can at best have only the most rudimentary understanding of this concept hence we enter the world of duality and ego and it is all we understand as reality.
At birth we start the journey in unity and cross into duality. We are born in innocence and wholeness, our egos separate and we go through life in the state of duality; me - you, until we come back again to the source. This is true on an individual basis and also as a species: circular journeys. At some point this road will near completion and it will be like a circle coming back to that place of oneness. In the world to come we are told that it will be a time of perfect peace and oneness, of Shalom. It is just around the bend.
Monday
AFTERTHOUGHTS FROM TORAH STUDY
This week we finished the book of Deuteronomy ready to start the cycle over again. Moses is about to die and in a final farewell gives words of praise, assessment and destiny to each of the tribes of Israel before they cross the river Jordon. As the crossroads of three continents it is natural that this is a place of tension. Perhaps just so with a spiritual life there are tests about whether or not we can hold our hearts in the right place amid the turmoil of life.
In my life this seems like just where I’ve been standing this last week, on the cusp of entering a promised land. There has been so much beauty all around me, so much joy, bliss, so much gratitude, forgiveness, so much wisdom and understanding, so much peace and love and light. Feeling that unending love makes it so very real. The lesson from my time on the mountain of simply 1+1=1 with 1 being pure love stays with me. The experience that most of us go through our life with of separation of "us" "them" that 1+1=2 is an illusion, like a game. The recent adventure held me in this space for a 36 hour stretch and for the first time I was flying solo. It was quite a experience, one I am intending to repeat. It feels like I am developing the skill to enter and leave the game at will rather then being caught up in it as if it was reality. It feels extraordinarily empowering.
The Israelites journeyed forty year in a circle to come back pretty much to where they started yet they were radically changed. Just so for me. I felt myself like a souring bird. so much in love, so much embraced in light. On my walk after class I saw ahead of me a large house like a palace rather then a landscape. Why? What is there for me? What is there for us? I’ve felt like I am standing on a threshold. Perhaps it isn’t only me. The nature of our world at the moment would seem that this could be true on a global scale. Disease, war, natural disasters and unrecoverable degradation, energy supply and demand, global food supply grown with genetically modified seeds so they can’t naturally reproduce but have to be bought every year. Whether we are or we are entering an unprecedented world wide struggle to survive or not it doesn’t hurt to listen and be spiritually prepared.
In this Torah portion Moses tells each their blessing and their failing. Here today it is useful to consider; what are our blessings and where are our stumbling blocks so that when we cross over we as Benjamin will be “beloved of God” and as Joseph “blessed of God be his land… with the best from the ancient mountains” as from Mt Monadnock I remain in a the best state I’ve ever felt; a state of grace. It’s there for everyone.
In my life this seems like just where I’ve been standing this last week, on the cusp of entering a promised land. There has been so much beauty all around me, so much joy, bliss, so much gratitude, forgiveness, so much wisdom and understanding, so much peace and love and light. Feeling that unending love makes it so very real. The lesson from my time on the mountain of simply 1+1=1 with 1 being pure love stays with me. The experience that most of us go through our life with of separation of "us" "them" that 1+1=2 is an illusion, like a game. The recent adventure held me in this space for a 36 hour stretch and for the first time I was flying solo. It was quite a experience, one I am intending to repeat. It feels like I am developing the skill to enter and leave the game at will rather then being caught up in it as if it was reality. It feels extraordinarily empowering.
The Israelites journeyed forty year in a circle to come back pretty much to where they started yet they were radically changed. Just so for me. I felt myself like a souring bird. so much in love, so much embraced in light. On my walk after class I saw ahead of me a large house like a palace rather then a landscape. Why? What is there for me? What is there for us? I’ve felt like I am standing on a threshold. Perhaps it isn’t only me. The nature of our world at the moment would seem that this could be true on a global scale. Disease, war, natural disasters and unrecoverable degradation, energy supply and demand, global food supply grown with genetically modified seeds so they can’t naturally reproduce but have to be bought every year. Whether we are or we are entering an unprecedented world wide struggle to survive or not it doesn’t hurt to listen and be spiritually prepared.
In this Torah portion Moses tells each their blessing and their failing. Here today it is useful to consider; what are our blessings and where are our stumbling blocks so that when we cross over we as Benjamin will be “beloved of God” and as Joseph “blessed of God be his land… with the best from the ancient mountains” as from Mt Monadnock I remain in a the best state I’ve ever felt; a state of grace. It’s there for everyone.
Reflections from the mountain
As I left on the adventure of camping for 3-4 days by myself on Mount Monadnock the biblical passage "you shall be holy because I am holy" surfaced again and again. The following is what came to me during this time of prayerful contemplation.
Reflections from the mountain:
"You shall be holy because I am holy". It says "shall" - future tense, not past or present and it is a command, a requirement. Although that essence of holiness is really who we are each and every moment, how do we manifest this in everyday reality? What can we do to make this truly and exclusively present in our lives - in who we are and in what we see? How do we do this not just for the moments we find to pray but hold holiness, an inner sense of total bliss, within and around us and have all our actions conform to this state of grace; to be truly holy people? Biblically it was through sacrifice; in Hebrew, korban. Korban means to draw close. As we go through our everyday lives we make choices. Most choices are sacrifices, one path is sacrificed for the other. Are these choices for our personal benefit? Are they to make our lives easier? Are they for societal norms? Or are they in order for us to draw close to God? It is your choice whether to stay in the place of centered, calm peace; to feel simply a part of the God's oneness and love and happiness to stay in holiness or let the currents of trouble and distress carry you away.
All wisdom has already been given - over and over and over again. There is nothing new to be imparted. The highest form of wisdom is all around. Stop, look and listen. Open the mind to it and it will flood in. Open the heart to it and be embraced by God.
Why make it so complicated? It is as simple as one plus one equals one.
Each of us has a purpose a destiny. We have a myth that is our job to make right and whole; to mend. In this way we meld ourself to God and God's plan. There are no coincidences. It's right in front of us, plain as day the task for each of us, the other people with whom we are connected in the story of our soul. Time is fleeting, our beloved awaits. How can you turn away and think holiness infinite happiness is not for you? Do not deny the love in your heart, the love of your life, the love of your soul.
Do not be over concerned about people who can't hear or see. Bring them along as best as you can but do not blame yourself if they don't get it. Life is what you choose to make it. Everyone has free choice. This camping trip could be described accurately as cold and wet or awesomely beautiful and beyond words inspiring. Just as it is your right to make your choices so it is with others. It is not your concern what others decided to make of their lives. That's between themselves and Creator. If people with whom you think you are connected turn away, do not worry. When one door is shut another opens. The myths span human history and can play out in a wide variety or ways and with a wide variety of individuals. You are but dust in the wind, nothing more except that of God.
Stop denying me - everything, everything is possible where love is concerned.
"Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they study war no more". When shall this occur? It will happen when leaders or everyone else understand that 1+1=1. This is why war, racism, homelessness, all oppression, all man make trouble makes no sense. 1+1=1. There is none else.
You don't believe me? Test it. You go up; travel higher and higher and then you will know. Study the sacred texts, learn from those who have gone before, do good deeds it will bring you to the place of understanding. 1+1=1
Enjoy the world and all of its diverse splendor. Its there for you. You are loved by an unending love.
1+1=1, 1+1+1+1+1+1+1...=1 - God is love, that's all it is about. All earth bound love is just a tiny, tiny spark of this infinite source. It is our job to bring this, to manifest it in the world. - Love - Some people get confused. They think that if they love someone other then their spouse they are being unfaithful. But, adultery is about lust not love. Its about dishonoring a pledge. Lust (which includes hunger for many things in the material world, things other then of the spirit) and love are as different as the light is from the darkness. Since all real love is a spark of the eternal love, all expressions of this love strengthens the essential bonds between married people. There is a theological question, "if a man's wife dies and he marries another to which is he bonded in the world to come"? That pure spark of love that he has for both, that both have for him is the only pure reflection. (1+1)+(1+1) still equals 1. These sparks unite with all the others carried by the soul into infinite oneness. When souls unite in this place, whether in this world or the world to come, they are all fulfilled. All expressions of divine love is acceptable. Denial is not. Do not be fooled by lust or obligation, distrust or disillusionment or the times you have been hurt. Rather look to where the light is shinning. There you will find that for which your soul is really yearning. There you will find yourself centered and joined with pure love and peace.
We move through our lives like a body through the woods on a sunny day. Sometimes we pass through shadow of the trees sometime into the light of the sun. Even when we stand in one place the wind can cast upon us shadows from the leaves or blow them to the side to admit the light. It is all for the good. We move in and out until we find our place of rest. There I come into a grove of light that is so beyond the brightness of the sun that when I close my eyes it is too strong and I have to open them again lest I go blind.
What does it profit you to live a life according to what other people say is the law of God if in doing so you turn away from the Truth God is speaking to your own heart. In the end you will see that there is no contradiction. We have all the knowledge we need. 1+1+1=1. Understand this and "you shall be holy because I am holy".
I left home saying the camping trip was going to be an adventure and so it was. Just so I left the trip thinking that is true of life as well. It is all one big adventure.
Reflections from the mountain:
"You shall be holy because I am holy". It says "shall" - future tense, not past or present and it is a command, a requirement. Although that essence of holiness is really who we are each and every moment, how do we manifest this in everyday reality? What can we do to make this truly and exclusively present in our lives - in who we are and in what we see? How do we do this not just for the moments we find to pray but hold holiness, an inner sense of total bliss, within and around us and have all our actions conform to this state of grace; to be truly holy people? Biblically it was through sacrifice; in Hebrew, korban. Korban means to draw close. As we go through our everyday lives we make choices. Most choices are sacrifices, one path is sacrificed for the other. Are these choices for our personal benefit? Are they to make our lives easier? Are they for societal norms? Or are they in order for us to draw close to God? It is your choice whether to stay in the place of centered, calm peace; to feel simply a part of the God's oneness and love and happiness to stay in holiness or let the currents of trouble and distress carry you away.
All wisdom has already been given - over and over and over again. There is nothing new to be imparted. The highest form of wisdom is all around. Stop, look and listen. Open the mind to it and it will flood in. Open the heart to it and be embraced by God.
Why make it so complicated? It is as simple as one plus one equals one.
Each of us has a purpose a destiny. We have a myth that is our job to make right and whole; to mend. In this way we meld ourself to God and God's plan. There are no coincidences. It's right in front of us, plain as day the task for each of us, the other people with whom we are connected in the story of our soul. Time is fleeting, our beloved awaits. How can you turn away and think holiness infinite happiness is not for you? Do not deny the love in your heart, the love of your life, the love of your soul.
Do not be over concerned about people who can't hear or see. Bring them along as best as you can but do not blame yourself if they don't get it. Life is what you choose to make it. Everyone has free choice. This camping trip could be described accurately as cold and wet or awesomely beautiful and beyond words inspiring. Just as it is your right to make your choices so it is with others. It is not your concern what others decided to make of their lives. That's between themselves and Creator. If people with whom you think you are connected turn away, do not worry. When one door is shut another opens. The myths span human history and can play out in a wide variety or ways and with a wide variety of individuals. You are but dust in the wind, nothing more except that of God.
Stop denying me - everything, everything is possible where love is concerned.
"Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they study war no more". When shall this occur? It will happen when leaders or everyone else understand that 1+1=1. This is why war, racism, homelessness, all oppression, all man make trouble makes no sense. 1+1=1. There is none else.
You don't believe me? Test it. You go up; travel higher and higher and then you will know. Study the sacred texts, learn from those who have gone before, do good deeds it will bring you to the place of understanding. 1+1=1
Enjoy the world and all of its diverse splendor. Its there for you. You are loved by an unending love.
1+1=1, 1+1+1+1+1+1+1...=1 - God is love, that's all it is about. All earth bound love is just a tiny, tiny spark of this infinite source. It is our job to bring this, to manifest it in the world. - Love - Some people get confused. They think that if they love someone other then their spouse they are being unfaithful. But, adultery is about lust not love. Its about dishonoring a pledge. Lust (which includes hunger for many things in the material world, things other then of the spirit) and love are as different as the light is from the darkness. Since all real love is a spark of the eternal love, all expressions of this love strengthens the essential bonds between married people. There is a theological question, "if a man's wife dies and he marries another to which is he bonded in the world to come"? That pure spark of love that he has for both, that both have for him is the only pure reflection. (1+1)+(1+1) still equals 1. These sparks unite with all the others carried by the soul into infinite oneness. When souls unite in this place, whether in this world or the world to come, they are all fulfilled. All expressions of divine love is acceptable. Denial is not. Do not be fooled by lust or obligation, distrust or disillusionment or the times you have been hurt. Rather look to where the light is shinning. There you will find that for which your soul is really yearning. There you will find yourself centered and joined with pure love and peace.
We move through our lives like a body through the woods on a sunny day. Sometimes we pass through shadow of the trees sometime into the light of the sun. Even when we stand in one place the wind can cast upon us shadows from the leaves or blow them to the side to admit the light. It is all for the good. We move in and out until we find our place of rest. There I come into a grove of light that is so beyond the brightness of the sun that when I close my eyes it is too strong and I have to open them again lest I go blind.
What does it profit you to live a life according to what other people say is the law of God if in doing so you turn away from the Truth God is speaking to your own heart. In the end you will see that there is no contradiction. We have all the knowledge we need. 1+1+1=1. Understand this and "you shall be holy because I am holy".
I left home saying the camping trip was going to be an adventure and so it was. Just so I left the trip thinking that is true of life as well. It is all one big adventure.
Friday
From off the Meeting House Floor
2/20/04
There are sections of the Bible that are confusing. Sometimes I can find insight when I look in those places. This week I was studying about the “ner tamid” - the eternal light. This is an instruction about the lamp and that should be burning at all times in the place of meeting. Its in the placement in the text where, to my mind, there is an anomaly because it is presented immediately after the Israelites are giving the ten commandments but basically before anything else. On the surface it seems akin to going to a builder and talking about the porch light; where it needs to be placed, how it looks, how long it is to be on, before you talk about what the structure. Where is the building going to be? Who is going to be in it and what going to happen inside? What’s important about the porch light? Why does this come first?
Sages say that the “ner tamid” is about something beyond a physical lamp, its speaking to that light within, that divine spark in each of us. For many of us this is very useful and often a metaphor that we look to for that of God within. We can feel it within ourselves we can see it in others, whether it is like a gentle like a still wind or fierce like a piercing north gale.
A number of queries can come from this that could be good for Friends to consider:
Do we tend our measure of this Light?
Do we care for it - keeping the glass chimney clean and clear? Or do with load it down with baggage, whether material stuff or distress?
Do we bring it what it needs to grow and be strong or are there times when we take it for granted?
Are we comfortable with this spark in ourselves and others even when it is that fierce, fierce light?
Do we work or struggle to hear it even when its almost silent?
Do we make this light the very first thing; when we rise in the morning, when we walk out the door, when we start a new project, when we greet someone for the first time in the day, is this the very, very first thing that we look to, that Light.
It is this Light of God that shines so bright in the world that is our strength and it is our hope.
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Feb. 29, 2004
“Oseh shalom brimrovav hu ya seh shalom alenue vkol isreal vimru amen”
“ May the source of peace in the heavens cover us and all the people in peace.”
This is a prayer that is said over and over again in many different ways in many different languages. It is a good prayer. However if praying was enough it would have happened by now.
For God to grant us this peace maybe we must be ready with clean hearts, minds and souls. If there is strife in a community of Friends perhaps it shows we are still chained by our egos for it is our ego's acting out that cause us to be unkind or take offense and lash out.
God has given us the opportunity to bring peace to the world so let us begin.
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Mar. 6, 2004
This morning in meeting for worship I began my prayers with the blessing for the miracles of life.
Soon after an eagle like bird joined us. Sitting on a branch right outside the north window, she spread her wings to the sun. The caws of the crows announced her presence. Just so for us; we sat on benches turning our soaring hearts to the light, doing our best not to be distracted from the myriad of mundane thoughts flying around our brains.
As the bird flew off I wondered if she would return. The crows spoke where she was. Like that bird, we are surrounded by the cackling of our every day concerns. They serve a purpose of telling us where we are. Like the bird, in worship we try to leave them behind and stay in the light. We look for that inner place of peace where we can let its brilliance surround and comfort us.
Toward the end of meeting the bird returned. She had left behind the noisy crows. Just so for us as we journey beyond worldly issues, even beyond words themselves, to simple be in the wondrous presence of our Creator.
I ended where I began, praising God who clothes the naked whether with feathers or cotton. Praising God who has made the bird a Turkey Vulture and me the essence of who I am.
March 14, 2004
Imagine If this morning you empty all the thoughts you had during the week onto a table; much like a women might to organize her pocketbook. And then you group these thoughts into piles; one for work, another for family etc. How big would the pile be that was thoughts about God? This particular pile of thoughts would include how to bring to the world this Light, this Love, this Peace.
Over and over again the adage you reap what you sow proves itself. Our thoughts are the seeds of our lives; by them we make our reality. Look at your table. By your thought are you making manifest mostly material interests, pride, guilt or intellectual masturbation? Or are we making God more real in our lives? Are we concentrating on the beauty joy and love of creation where God is present and is made manifest in all our endeavors.? What’s on our tables? This is the food of our souls.
March 21, 2004
Whenever we catch a glimpse of a sunset, the songs of returning geese, the warmth of a spring breeze and fail to take a moment to appreciate its beauty we are rejecting God. Every time we have an opportunity to challenge prejudice or alleviate oppression and we fail to act we are disappointing God. Every time we disrupt another humans relationship with others we are abusing God. And every time we turn our back on love or lack compassion we are hurting God. What has God ever done to us? What has the Eternal Spirit done to deserve all the rejection, abuse, disappointment and pain we heap upon him/her/it daily. Do we think that an hour or two in prayer is enough to repair this? When are we going to turn around, consider repentance; acknowledging our responsibility to the one great force of the universe. Are we waiting for a particular month or year? When are we planning to make our amends to this source of infinite goodness who wants nothing more the our happiness and peace between our fellow humans? today? tomorrow? Death actually comes quickly. the chance can so easily slip though our fingers. The time is now, at every hour of every day.
March 28, 2004
It we quiet our minds and in prayer /meditation connect to our Creator we have taken one step on a long journey. If we quiet our hearts we have taken another step. If our mind and hearts are joined by our bodies we are further along. However if the distractions of our mind, hearts and bodies are simply shut away temporarily in a side room its like worshiping in Friends Meeting when there is a party going on outside.
The breathe of God can be used to clear these distractions and leave us fresh, open and vulnerable in the divine presence. Even then however we haven’t reached our destination. It is only when we join the party with our total peace that we will reach our true goal. Now we can dance through the spheres of faith, wisdom and understanding, love and discernment, beauty, eternity, awareness, silence, and that of God within everything. Nothing else matters - nothing matters – nothing but nothing – Ein sof.
Sat, 28 Aug 2004
Fear is a powerful and dangerous state whether is is fear of something different, or fear engineered by a system with all its wars such as a "war on terror.” Even if something catastrophic happens, fear is unproductive.
Who are we suppose to be scared of; other people. Who are we suppose to protect against; other people. We are told it could be anyone; the stranger or the teacher but especially someone who looks different, prays different, loves different. Coincidentally it is usually someone we have stolen from or want to steal from, whether land or oil or labor.
When we fear someone they become the enemy and it becomes impossible to repair the damaged relationships. Yet our higher selves can sense that there is that of God within each of us, a brother/sisterhood with everyone.
Fear not only alienates us from each other but we become far more easily manipulated and willing to act in ways we normally feel are shameful. In a culture of fear, authoritarian leaders can justify whatever decision they think will assure them more complete control. People fall under the spell of an illusion that they are powerless to prioritize anything that isn't protection. When we are told its for our own good many accept the unacceptable. Rumor feeds alienation and things that we find bewildering are ignored.
The truth is that we need to develop the courage to walk through the flames of change. When we are willing to journey into the unknown and uncertain for a higher purpose, we have potential to gain great spiritual awareness.
As I thought about the "war on terror" I realized that actually this was something I needed to pay attention to, but instead of coming from outside sources whether down the street or across the ocean I need to look at those places within myself.
There is a proverb about a grandparent and the wolves. A grandparent says to their child "There are two wolves fighting to the death within myself. One is the wolf of compassion, love and goodness, the other the wolf of hatred, greed and fear. Which one will win asks the child?
The grandparent answers; whichever one I feed. Next time I hear about the "War on terror" I will remember this and say yes this is my battle, my challenge too, to only feel goodness.
What can I use to gain enough strength to conquer this fear? For me this involves study (using my mind) worship (using my heart) and good deeds (using my hands). Walking the good path of spiritual faith and practice. Walking in beauty and new ways of being.
Sept 19, 2004
How do you take hold of the air, or grasp the water in your hands, or embrace the light? Yet these elements that seemingly have no tangible substance are so powerful that even if we could tap them in wind, hydro or solar power plants we could never use a fraction of their potential.
Just so the human heart, spirit and soul.
God has given these as gifts to each and every human being on the planet. Air, water, light, heart, spirit, soul it makes no difference whether we're rich or poor, specially challenged or physically perfect, wanted or rejected by society, good or bad. By being born they are our birthright.
With this kind of inexhaustible power at our fingertips and within ourselves there is no good reason to be afraid. Yet fear itself has a dangerous and seductive power. It begins by alienate us from each other. When we fear someone they become the “other” or worse, an “enemy” and it becomes difficult to relate to them or even ourselves as people of God.
Fear also makes us become far more easily manipulated. People fall under the spell of an illusion that they are powerless to prioritize anything that isn't protection. Rumor feeds alienation. Things that we find bewildering are perceived as being beyond our comprehension and our sense of our own intelligence is diminished. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t protect ourselves from realistic threats rather we need to keep any in perspective and not let our innate inner power slip away or be marginalize…
10/24/04
George Fox said to "live in the Life and Power that takes away the occasion for war" Gandhi said that "we must be the peace we want to see in the world". What did they mean? By peace did they and do we mean simply the lack of war? Did they and do we mean a state of rest and freedom from anxiety? The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. However as with all Hebrew words it actually has multiple meanings. In addition to the absence of war and that inner state of serenity it means wholeness, completeness and being in a state of realized oneness with God. Perhaps (at least for me) this is the answer. "That Life and Power", "Being peace" refers back to a sense of completeness, of being wholly (holy) in the Spirit of God. Perhaps it is when we can reach this state of consciousness and can hold onto it throughout our hour to hour daily lives both individually and collectively that Eden will return to the world once again.
10/31/04
When sitting in worship/meditation our material self start to drift away and we connect with that which is eternal; that source of infinite compassion, truth and peace. In this state we sometimes we get "messages" whether from the cry of a blue jay, seeing the face of a friend, a spoken or written word or a inner sense of a personal insight.
Recently in this place I was reminder of the lyrics to a song "Messengers on High". the last verse is "every soul we chance upon and every floor we dance upon all can be a messenger on high." There was one word spoken in a heavy accept and instead of "floor" I thought he said "flaw". What an interesting concept!
I usually carry my flaws so heavy that instead of me dancing upon them, they dance upon me. Thinking about them as having a higher purpose, bringing a message or something that can carry me forwards not backwards, turns them into a blessing. Then my mind turned to a particular prayer which says "renew our faith in life, release us from pain and strife, remind us of who we are as we return to you." Reminding us of who we are is so that we can be "messenger of high" and through this experience not only are we a help to those around us but together we return to that place of connection, and oneness with that which is pure love.
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11/07/04
As scientists gaze at the stars using more and more sophisticated equipment they come to realize that beyond the farthest star are whole universes and beyond that more beyond. Just so, as we turn our eyes to heaven in prayer or close them to look inside our hearts. When we ask "who" is this source to which we direct our minds we finds no limit to the question.
Sometimes in prayer we might also find ourselves asking "why". Why do good people die or Bush is elected President or any of the other questions for which there is no solid answer. Contemplating such questions which are beyond our ability to answer with facts becomes futile. This can leave us questioning what are we that we can aspire to have a relationship with that which is so far beyond the beyond of our understanding.
In the Bible when Sarah dies it says that she was 127 years old. However the Hebrew doesn't say 127 rather it says that she was 100 years old and 20 years old and 7 years old. This is the only place it breaks time down like this. Why? Maybe it is something like the riddles asked by the Sphinx. Sarah was 100 years old because she had the qualities of an elder, a matriarch. She had wisdom, experience, serenity and power. She was 20 years old because she had the qualities of a bride and young mother. She had stamina, love, commitment and beauty. She was 7 year old because she had the qualities of a child. She had enthusiasm for life, wonder, joy and innocence.
Perhaps this is how we can answer the question about ourselves. When we exhibit the qualities of wisdom, serenity, love, beauty, joy and innocence we can connect to that source that is beyond the beyond and bring this force into ourselves, our families, community and the world.
11/28/04
Thursday (Thank-giving) night I had a dream. I was helping some folks do something when an office chair just by itself, rolls up and starts to follow me around. So I decide it wants to take me somewhere and I sit down. It turns and rolls into an elevator that goes up and up and up. Finally the door opens and I am so far up that even the clouds are far away. There is a lot of building going on with girders and beams. Divine beings are bringing things to be used in the construction up a ladder then going back down. They are working at an accelerated pace.
This remind me of a Bible passage I studied a few weeks ago where Jacob saw that ladder. When he awakes from his dream he declares in surprise that he has slept on holy ground and honors it in his way. For me, I hold that every place can be sacred, every time a time of blessing, each of us holy people; it all depends on what we do with it.
This week I studied is a continuation of Jacob's story. He is returning to his ancestral home after fourteen years in hopes of making amends with his brother Esau. He left out of fear that Esau was going to kill him for stealing their father's blessing. Just before he gets there, Jacob learns that his brother is waiting for him with an army of 400 soldiers. He is afraid and reminds God of the bargain they made. For those who are troubled by the concept of bargaining with God it is troubling that Jacob had so little faith that he reminded God of his promise. Certainly we can see from this how fear can interfere with faith.
In addition though, one of the beauties for me is that these texts portray the patriarchs and matriarchs of all of Judaic/christian traditions as ordinary human beings full of the same traumas, guilt and anxieties that trouble us. Through this and the previous lessons we can see that as with them, we have the ability to transcend the material and be and to act as holy persons, right here - right now, each and every day, every minute. As we rise to the higher planes and become these holy people (our true selves) we can bring this holiness down to our communities and bring holiness to the world.
12/12/04
I recently saw a project where they asked the children if they could ask God one question what would it be. A lot of the children said things like “was it hard to create the world?”, “Were you tired?” A ten year old girl asked “why did you create bad things?” “Why do you let bad things happen to people?” These are questions that troubled many of us and I have thought about it for many years. When I came to understand that it is precisely because we live in a world or experience of duality. On a basic level there is no way we can have life on the planet without having death. Certainly there are horrendous, terrible, painful awful things that happen in the world but also there is beauty and joy. It is in this duality that the world continues. Like a magnet with plus and minus that repel and attract each other, this provides a system of energy.
But there is something inside me that seeks a place beyond the duality. In this seeking I feel a presence; a presence of something beyond life an death, beyond whatever exists in this dynamic, a presence that is even beyond the beyond. I feel a force of such great, great love. This universal love envelopes my life and take me beyond this world of good and bad. In this source I find my strength. And so if I am going to offer a prayer I would be simply say thank-you. Thank-you for your presence. Thank-you for the beauty. And thank-you for the infinite great light and love and peace.
12/19/04
I can’t help but believe that on some level or planes of existence there is no such thing as time. Yet in this material world it very much is a part of our lives. The seed germinates, grows, matures and dies. Although that process can be interrupted, there is no way of getting the plant back into the seed. Just so with our lives.
However we do have choices on what we do with our time. Sunday mornings we can go into a Quaker Meeting house. As we sit in worship connecting with that spark, that power within each of us, we transcend mundane time. Time becomes something holy. If we choose, we can take this with us when we leave the building. We can if we make a conscious choice, take this experience into our everyday lives. In this way ALL our time is sanctified and it loses it power to overwhelm us. From here, the points of difference between people, those places in other people that we feel are bad or despicable, they fade away. And the only thing that’s left is that spark, that goodness, that Love.
12/26/04
In Deuteronomy 6 is a phase that has been quoted over and over. “V’havta et Adonai elohecha b’col l’vevecha u’v’col nafshecha u’v’col m’odecha“ – “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul.” Often this passage is coupled with one from Leviticus 19 “Your shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” “V’havta l’rayacha b’mocha” For Friends the phase that there is that of God in everyone ties these two together for if you love God and you see God in each other then it follows that you love each other and importantly, yourself.
Its one thing to say these words its quite another to do them. This morning I’ve been remind of another passage from Psalms 104 that says “How manifold are your works oh God, in wisdom you have created them all.” The Hebrew is “Ma rabu ma-asaycha Adonai kolam b’chochmah” Which could also be translated “all of them created with wisdom.” This pairs with another Quaker phrase “you shall walk cheerfully over the earth answering that of God in everyone” .
What is it that we recognize in each other? How can we answer that of God if we don’t see it? What can we see? IF we really look we can see wisdom; the wisdom contained in everything around us, in people, in the beautiful world and all of creation. In seeing this wisdom we can have something to recognize when we see it again in ourselves and others. In this fashion the words that we should love each other as ourselves become not mere words but they become something by which to live our lives. As we answer this higher wisdom in our friends, in our community, in our possessions and in this beautiful world we recognize God’s blessings that are all around us. Then love and peace surround us and we dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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