Broken Thankfulness

I feel broken 
broken hearted

Broken hearted that one typo 
was perhaps a nail in democracy’s coffin
it not really about Trump

But that betray of Country for some is acceptable


Broken hearted so many smart people

don’t realize change isn’t always good

sometimes it is worse

much, much worse

Broken hearted at the blindness
rejection of wisdom,
opinion confused with fact
the search for that next thrill, or text

Broken hearted by the slaughter
planet pillaged
pipelines build carrying the earth’s blood, made toxic
 by the waste, greed, profanity

Broken hearted by
the number of people in fear for their lives
 because of the color of their skin
because of how they worship
because of who they love

Broken hearted by
 the number of people hurt, angry, alone
homeless
in more ways then one

broken hearted that we are pulled
further and further into a world of lies
tiny insignfianct things, empty words
“I didn’t see," I will send”,  “I care”

white lies

Broken hearted by my own stupidity

broken hearted that we have such pretty words
such beautiful dreams
such poor commitment to make it real
intention confused with action

Broken hearted by the rejection of people,
 through neglect
or drifting away
by people who say they’ll always be there
who couldn’t forgive

Broken hearted like Job,
 pieces on the ground,
 and yet he still got up,
still held his love of God.

And broken hearted that the only thing I can do is
say thank-you
see that today is a beautiful day.
say thank-you for sitting next to a fragrant rose
picked from an Eden Ed and I create

Thank-you

In the days ahead some will be well below freezing
But all we have is here and now
 it can be incredibly beautiful and sweet.

Thank-you for the opportunity to if we choose

be part of the unfolding
where everyone is feed
where everyone is safe and sheltered,

respected, equal
and where everyone's lips can say simply, thank-you

Down to my toes I am grateful
Thank-you!
                           12/18/16 (after Trump's election)

Path of Peace

discouraged, disheartened, depressed, devastated
Where is the path of Peace?
understand implications of prejudice, privilege
devastating pain 
so casually inflicted.

perspective and perception
look to the horizon
beautiful sights
look to eternity

Love did not trump hate
senseless fear. 
starting in our own hearts
Be courageous! 

healing through humor 
divine presence as trickster 
choices
get stronger,  grow 
move and change
change the narrative, 
change the outcome 
move the world

stand our ground
what is your ground? 
fertile soil of spiritual connection
in a tempest 
who we are is known

No it is not okay
But embrace joy anyway
Enjoy a beautiful sunset or flower, 
a chocolate bar 

Don’t give-up on who we are! 
Don’t give up on hope! 
Don’t give up on Love!
Be Peace. 
Be your true Self. 
Onward!

.......................
I suspect that probably all of us are feeling discouraged, disheartened, depressed and maybe even despondent.  We feel this way not so much because “our” candidate lost, for many of us H. Clinton was not our first choice. Rather because of what we have learned about who we are as a nation and where we see things going. It feels devastating. Where is the path of Peace?

A necessary balm for my soul at this very troubling time is to look to eternity. We might live in this material, finite world surrounded with the busy-ness of day to day tasks, with leaders who are contrary to what we hold true and precious, with other people who do not see or understand the implications of prejudice, privilege and devastating pain so casually inflicted.  But this too will pass with not even a blink of Brahma’s eye. Who was the greatest king or leader the world had every known 10,000 years ago? Gilgamesh existed less then 5,000 years ago and who really believes that D.J. Trump would be anywhere near the category of one the greatest world leaders?

So instead of dwelling on this scary moment,  I lift up that there is a part of us, an energy that was neither created not can be destroyed because it is part of a whole. It is not finite but infinite, not temporal so not limited by any human or natural disaster because it is eternal. Its a question of perspective and perception. Twice a day, instead of focusing on the troubles close at hand if we look to the horizon in the east or west we will see one of the most beautiful sights in the whole universe. Those days when it is cloudy and the phenomenal array of color and shape isn't visible, we all know it is there none the less. Just so for this time we are in. 

Difficult as it is to see, there are positives to this situation. No, I am not saying that it is or will be at all okay.  But there is learning from this, although frankly,  it is things I really didn’t want to see or know regarding my fellow citizen especially in terms of the hugeness of the deep and pervasive underlying sexism and racism.  D. J. Trump's election demonstrated the grip it has on white men in particular, plus  tapped into white women’s strong share of racism. In the broader picture, not all men of color are clean in regards to sexism and wealth and class play a huge role in who benefits. Love did not seem to trump hate but it isn’t that hate or indifference got the upper hand, it is senseless fear. An antidote is keeping it local, starting in our own hearts. This part is something we can do something about. Be courageous! 

Another thing I’ve learned is that the innocence of gullibility can have serious implications for everyone.  Proverbs 18:2   — "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion”.  It is hard to see this as part of the Creator's purpose but easier if we see it within the context of our soul experience beyond this one brief life.

From steaks, to university to get rich quick schemes, the phrase “a Sucker is Born Every Minute" said in regards to one of the penultimate showman, P. T. Barnum’s hoaxes,  applies today. “Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public.” is also one of his quotes. In 2016, P. T. Barnum has been trumped. What else can this teach us?  Remember, one important aspect of the divine presence is as the trickster. 

I hold for myself that I and all of us, have choices. We can laugh and we can learn and we can heal.  Obstacles present something to push against or move around which might give a new solution or path that we did not see before. We also can use any circumstance to get stronger,  to grow and to move and change; change the narrative, change the outcome and move the world. What new ways can Spirit be made manifest? 

Every challenge has opportunity; "The Mighty Oak Was Once A Little Nut That Stood It’s Ground…” What is important in this quote is the stand our ground part. But what is your ground? For some of us it is the fertile soil of our spiritual connection.  We are nourished and nurtured by an experiential knowing that is beyond human language. It is not when we stand our ground in times of calm that who we really are is known, even the seed fallen on a rock can sprout,  but it is in a tempest. Those of us who have been able to send our roots down into the midst, through both our joys and sorrows (for seasoned manure is best for growth), will stand the tests of time. We weren't promised that it would be easy.

A few days before the election I left my little Cape Cod bubble and crossed the bridge onto the mainland.  Seeing the amount of support for Trump was deeply disturbing. That night I was looking for some prayer for healing. Nothing spoke to me until I saw the the above quote about the oak tree and the 1st line of this prayer:  "Dear God,  I’m quirky I know. I don’t always do things in a traditional way. But I know what’s right. I know how to stand my ground for what I believe to be true. Still, I need Your help dear God. You planted the seed. You nourish me. Shelter me now from the elements that stand in my way. Help me grow.” Growth can be painful;  learning expensive. I do so wish this hadn’t been such a steep price.

Some prayers that feel appropriate at this time; "May the Source of peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.”   And “ Eternal Source, may we face the morrow with hope made stronger by the vision of Your deliverance, a world where poverty and war are banished, where injustice and hate are gone. Teach us more and more to respond to the pain of others, to heed Your call for justice, that we may bring nearer the day when all the world shall be one. On that day the age-old dream shall come true..” 

Finally, lets not give up! Find something joyful. Stay strong and gentle with each other and ourselves. Enjoy a beautiful sunset or flower, a chocolate bar or all three.   
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)”   
Lets really be these people! We can do it!
Don’t give-up on who we are! 
Don’t give up on hope! 
Don’t give up on Love!
Don’t give-up on each other!
Be Peace.
The Path is within you.  
Be your true Self. 
Onward!

In Love,
Rachel

Walking the Path of Love

It came in a dream and then a memory of a dream; elusive upon waking. A mass of extraneous things swirled around the seed of truth. The things the mind hooks onto are easy to remember.  They seem annoying, a distraction but the realization came that they fill an important function by presenting the aspects that tell where the path is not.  These need to be cleared out before the essential is reveled.  It does no good to clear the undergrowth from the whole forest. It is only when we can clear away the obstructions from where we want to travel that we can rise to a higher plane of being and walk the path. 

What are the components of this undergrowth? Much is a normal part of the human condition, thoughts or feeling that possibly everyone has from time to time: 

a.  Competition: finding the path has nothing to do with being the victor or loser,  winning or losing. Rivalry, antagonism obscures the path.

b. Judgement: The path of love has nothing to do making a negative assessment, recrimination, judging someone to be troublesome or mean. 

c. Differences:  It also surprisingly, has nothing to do with reconciliation, the repair of a past relationship, overcoming rejection or irreconcilable differences.  This type of love is not about expectations. 

d. Success: It is not about success, achievement,  being given a great honor, recognition and the pleasant feeling this engenders. 

e. Failure:  it is also not about failure; everyone, everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.

f. Friendship: Odd as it sounds, its not about the love people feel for each other, even those who set the heart racing. 

To get to the core of the message all this has to be cleared away.

The essence of how to walk the path of love can only break through when everything seems lost, when all hope of doing or making things better is gone. Realization comes after,  in that dream of being chased,  there is no where to turn,  not intellect, not feelings, not strength, not even faith.  It is then that a voice comes; at this time when there is nothing else to hold onto, there is a feeling of being receptive, resigned and complete surrender. It's a secret message but in plain sight, it comes and says something so simple it seems idiotic. Pure, unconditional Love can be held in one’s heart. It’s possible. As President Obama said quoting MLK Jr. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

The instruction that came through the dream about how to walk this path, was simple. At times of meditation think about a person only in terms of how they are wonderful, miraculous and special. Reject the components of this undergrowth; judgement, differences, success, failure, friendship.  See, feel, sense the inner essence; see  only the eternal, not finite, beauty. The negative or positive stuff might be true but it isn’t Truth. For this moment it doesn't matter.   Cleared away what is left is brilliance, uniqueness and beauty; just radiant inner goodness, with no, expectation. None. No right or wrong, no if / then. No quid pro quo, no strings, no "going back to how things were,” no opinion, or business, just simply being in that space of pure positive soul to soul connection.  In prayer BE in the place, hold this energy. This is relating on a higher plane. On the lower plane of life there is good and bad and tangled agendas, like a piece of paper filled with so much writing that eventually there is no space to write even one more letter. But on the higher plane it is all blown away with one breath, disappearing ink; no duality. 

Imagine the world where this is practiced; a different way of being with each other surrounded by peace and joy. Certainly we all will fail at this but what would it be like if we don't give up? Imagine starting right now … Imagine … 

Holding the Center

The Reason

Everything has a reason.

There may not be predestination, we do have free will,
however,
some sort of reason could be behind everything,
a Being
a Name.

Maybe bringing a lesson for us,
maybe a test.
Or a training
or a forming as in hammering and heating steel into a plow.
Maybe it's an opportunity.
Maybe all the above combining to feel like
crisis "a combination of "danger" and "opportunity"
or an Emergency,
ency; indicating an action, state, condition, or quality
and so we
emerge,
if we choose.

Finding the way, the righteous path can be difficult,
treacherous,
analogous to a dark tunnel,
light shinning ever so dimly above.
Things not as they seem.
Positive can be negative,
negative can be positive,
good and bad intertwine.
Its hard to know the motives of others
or self
in the material plane.
Truth can have many seemingly contradictory faces
especially when the 3Ps are involved,
power, property (money), or prestige.

The question is,
 do we learn from seeming crisis
or rinse and repeat?
Creation in a sense is fractal,
many many reflections of the wholes
of Divine presence.
The same experience can be an equally important lesson 
for a group
an individual,
selectively tailored to meet each's needs.

At present a presence presents a present.
Here and now the Divine essence is giving a gift.
Endless, eternal Reality,
transcendent, absolute Truth
erased the fictions
the contradictions.
There is perfect Clarity,
Light,
Balance,
Love
the Reason, if we choose.
If we choose hold hands
and allow this Light
to flow through us into the world.

Are You Ready?

Are You Ready? 

Ready for thee unexpected?
Perhaps a new success
Or failure,
Like the fortune cookie said,
Your hearts desire or
Thy spiritual awakening.
Fully conscious of the potential of our souls
Imagine
Enlightenment, or a huge step in that direction.
A new year
The world, an unexpected wonder filed with
Unexpected beauty, joy and pure fun.

Worshipful New Year's eve at Mattapoisset Friends;
A pleasant drive with my best friends.
Along 6a lights in Sandwich,
Large figures of what a child called fairy lights;
A fireman with hose, another a wrench.
A family and a large heart.
A friend drops by,
The mystery unfolding
Light returns so quickly,  amazing.
One week,
Flood lights in Eden’s parking at 5,
The next 4:30 still a faint sunset in the sky.

Those things that we are resigned to,
Not optimal but fine
Turn into an expected blessing
In a blink of the eye.
The light breaks through and then
Lights, camera, action.
Things are waiting
We are on hold
Waiting,
Waiting, then whoosh
Like a door being opened
Truth is reveled,

Nothing hidden
What if you or I got something major wrong?
What If they were right?
Can we be sure
If we have been fooling ourselves?
How will this Truth feel,
Will "oops, I'm sorry" work?
In life or death
Ready?
Ready or not
Here we come
Or go.

But then total understanding,
forgiveness.
A knowledge,
It's all okay,
Peace
At least with you.
You are Loved.
We are Loved.
Always have, always will be,
As it was in the beginning
Now and forever,
World without end.

So for 2014
May peace prevail and this new time of year
Be bright for everyone with renewed Light,
May our journey be free of fear
being Spirits that soar beyond the night

May things that need repair be repaired
With change happening as You will
May the struggle for justice be dared
With courage to climb that hill

May Joy and Beauty abound
May Peace encompass the earth
May Love be our fertile ground
And we be part of Your new birth
                                   ~rch

Imagine

Imagine,
Imagine if you, were the Messiah, Moshiach, Moses
the Second Coming or the First,
the Mahdi, Maitreya (future Buddha of this world)
Kalki, Saoshyant (Zoroastrian brings the final renovation).
Yes you and likewise your neighbor.
Not to be crucified, only Love
made wholly holy, whole.
Think about it.

What if something clicked and seeing these words
you realize deep down, that spark within
you were, were truly truly the world's savior?
What would you do?
What would be suddenly unimportant and
What would you let go?
The petty squabbles, transitory pleasures,
possessions, comforts,
soap operas and sports whether live or televised?

Do we actually know who we really are?
Some part of us,
some essence
that cannot be reduced to any of the parts of the material world,
something that is immutable, that will not change
over time
or space?

Logically, one of two things is correct.
Either you are
or you are not.
For thousands of years everyone assumes we are not.
What if we are wrong
or asleep?

What if reading this is the catalyst
to wake you to your potential
latent responsibility as the One?
to hatch or birth a new way of being
Our soul's purpose
bringing Peace
beauty, joy, the Word
no racism, no power over, no "other"
To engage each other only in Love and Respect
Today, here and now

Listen,
listen to that still small voice, calling
the soul's possibility
See,  see the Light
that which existed before the sun

Something is already being built
inside the house of cards in which we think we currently exist
of global disasters, atrocities, catastrophes, political, environmental, mass destruction, massacres
a structure of which we all are an essential part.
Not based upon kings or queens, clubs or spades or diamonds
but connects through the heart
transcending, infinite and eternal all part of a whole
understanding that another person's suffering is really our own
and their brilliance and glory is also ours to share.

Imagine it,
Imagine you are the Messiah.

Each of us the One the world is waiting for.
Make believe
Who knows
what a wondrous world is being created?

Why not?
If not now, when?
Imagine

~Rachel Carey-Harper 1/2/13

(picture of imagine rock and the door to Eden, Doctor Lords Rd. E.Dennis MA)

We are Perfection

We are Perfection

Among the wintergreen, taste reality.
Full moon, 5 wild turkeys,
salamanders, ants, spider webs,
owls, bald eagles,  fish and insect
Perfect harmony.
Smell Oxygen, 

so many trees.
Embraced in only this
Forest, pristine,
Perfect solitude.

Universal music,
Opening
richer then the greatest symphony,
a feast
greater than the most succulent buffet.
Water
flows over rocks,
Wind
in branches, notes and rests
Perfect timing.

A sun dappled face
sparkling pond
Human
even at finest, such a poor substitution.
This is reality,
not the tv news,
Facebook,
the selling, the buying,
Cash flow vs the flow of Creation
Perfect divinity.

We Choose,
Every minute of every day.
Look around,
how could this magnificence
possibly fit in a room,  or building
or one person.
Each and every one of us
Essence -- essential!
Glory,  the highest
Perfection abounds.

Yes, sometimes it feels
 impossible struggle,
just walking
through a blizzard with chances slim 

will make it home
Alive.
But then, too difficult to pass
Simple.
Why all the prejudice, oppression, Trouble?
Perfect harmony

The splendor,
Gifts Creator gives us
Sometimes we feel unworthy,
we say "oh no, no
I can't accept this".
Sometimes the opposite
we say "thanks
but what I really want and need is ..."
With every new gift comes responsibility.
Perfect service.

Just to be
Here and now
sufficient unto the day,
the hour,
the moment.
Nothing else
Perfect Love,  Wholeness,
Holiness,
One.
We are Perfection.

            Mount Monadnock 9/12/11 - 9/15/11   ~Rachel Carey-Harper

Oneness of All: a prayer

Prayer to try and bring out the best when feeling the worst.


Oh Lord please lift the shadows and darkness from the eyes of those 
who hurt and destroy 
so they can see the Truth and the consequences of their 
            actions,  
                 their words, 
                            their motives. 
And Lord I beseech you to especially lift the shadow from my eyes as well.


Oh Lord please lift the terrible heaviness from my heart, 
the grief and mourning
            for all the loss and anguish 
                        brought to the world. 
And Lord I beseech you to especially lift the heaviness from the hearts of those on a destructive path.

Oh Lord please lift all that keeps each of us,   our friends and those who oppose us,  
separate from you so that we can 
        rest 
             in your goodness 
                        and bring harmony to our gorgeous planet. 
And Lord I beseech you to especially lift this veil of disconnect so we put our complete trust in your infinite power, beauty; 
Sensing the Oneness of All."

mini vision

Recently I had a mini vision. It was like a very short video of a still forest with a path meandering through the woods. At the back of the path a tiny light began to shine gradually illuminating the whole path. A caption scrolled across saying:
                           See the path, follow the light, its that simple. 

                                                                                              ~rch~  Mohawk Forest

A current meditation

A current meditation
The greater you are, the more you need to search for your self. Your deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking, penetration of thought, liberation of mind — until finally your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of her lights. When you train yourself to hear the voice of God in everything, you attain the quintessence of the human spirit.  Usually the mind conceals the divine by imagining that there is a separate power. But by training yourself to hear the voice of God in everything, the voice reveals itself.  Then right in the mind, you discover revelation.

Then you find bliss, transcending all humiliations or anything that happens, by attaining equanimity, by becoming one with everything that happens, by reducing yourself so extremely that you nullify your individual, imaginary form, that you nullify existence in the depth of your self. “What are we?” Then you know every spark of truth, every bolt of integrity flashing anywhere.

Then you gather everything, without hatred, jealousy, or rivalry. The light of peace and a fierce boldness manifest in you. The spender of compassion and the glory of love shine through you. The desire to act and work, the passion to create and to restore yourself, the yearning for silence and for the inner shout of joy — these all band together in your spirit, and you become holy.

...

The most significant talent is the ability to penetrate to the depths of our own being. But to effect this penetration it is important to know that it is an easy endeavor, that labor and exertion only impairs this august domain, that it is necessary to heed the claim for the delight of inner tranquility. Thus will be enhanced the substantive significance in the fruits of creation, and the sparks of holy light will begin to flash on all life and its spiritual concerns. . . .

And eternal truths will be released to us from the fountain of life, the source of the soul, which knows no falsehood or deceptive speech. It is hewn from the torch of truth. What flows from its light is only truth and justice which will abide forever.
...

It turns out that the unity achieved in our souls serves to unite the world as a whole. And all those noble effects of the riches of the soul which everyone who is wise of heart, of a sensitive and holy spirit, can feel within himself through his own ascent because of the manifestation of the mystical discovery of inner unity — these spread and release light and vitality and become a source of blessing and an ornament of peace to the world and its fullness.   ~ Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook

first breath to last exhale

9/1/13 message -- From off the Meetinghouse Floor

A bedrock principle of Quakerism is opposition to all war.  Does Syria's chemical weapon's attack make any difference for this peace testimony? President Obama and Kerry made great points, laid out the case for a military response.  I thought about it as I put the "War is not the Answer" sign in front of my Meetinghouse this past Sunday.  What is the answer? What is the answer when atrocities happen, when madmen have unspeakably terrible weapons?  

Just before she died, Gertrude Stein asked: “What is the answer?” No answer came. She laughed and said: “In that case, what is the question?” Then she died. So perhaps rather then thinking "what is the answer" it is better to ask "What is the question". 
One question could be about how did, do and will we live our lives from the time we take our first breath to the last exhale? to will live in that power that takes away the occasion of war? Do we live in a way that feeds exploitation, domination and violence? 

 The way of true Love is not always strewn with rose petals. 
 The way of true Love is most often not easy or comfortable. But if we travel it faithfully, if we put our trust in that which is eternal, if we hold in our heart and focus our mind on the aspect of the love that is unconditional for all side of a struggle, the perpetrator as well as the victim, a Love not based upon anything done or said good or bad, on judgements, not based even on any past or present friendships, rather a love that just is. Living in that space we can find courage, we can find compassion, we can be content. Living in this question of honestly how do we live our lives then we are in a better position to "walk cheerfully over the earth answering that go God in everyone."

…..

I, God, am in your midst.
Whoever knows me can never fall.
Not in the heights,
nor in the depths,
nor in the breadths.
For I am Love, which the vast expanses of evil can never still.

- Hildegard of Bingen

Inner peace

8/25/13   message -- From off the Meetinghouse Floor

Many of us come to realize that it isn't useful, positive or healthy for our spiritual purpose to cede control of our inner, emotional landscape to others. Knowing this and making it real in our lives though, are two different things. 

It is all too easy for someone else's distress directed at us to cause us to be angry or sad. Sometimes in the face of irrationality we beat ourselves up as of course it is all our fault not realizing that thinking we are primarily to blame is another form of egotism. Likewise, it is easy to feel happy when someone expresses love or appreciation or compliments us  instead of having joy an intrinsic part of our being. If joy in our lives is predicated on something outside ourselves, things or other people, then it is impossible to be fully in the place of gratitude for all the gifts with which God  surround and enfolds us. With conditions,  love becomes a zero sum mentality with only so much to go around and everyone in competition for theirs.  If affirmations are instead only a small decoration on an already perfect ship then our rudder can point our souls to thier true direction without being tossed by the various tempests that swirl around our lives. 

Then and only then, we have choices. We can choose to be outraged at injustice or oppression perpetrated against others rather then have it be a byproduct of our processing disrespect directed at ourselves. We can also choose to affirm others freely without the strings of an expected reciprocation.  Spirit then become more real and life takes on a more complete beauty and purpose. Inner peace becomes realized, second by second, minute by minute, until we hold this space as ourselves forever.

Divine Paradox again

8/11  message -- From off the Meetinghouse Floor

I am aware of two contradictions that none the less are true, another divine paradox. I am God's beloved, special, unique beautiful bride, the reason the world was created. I am also but dust and ashes, the refuse left over, a molecule in a grain of sand in a desert made of all the deserts of the world combined, less significant then a mosquito. Whichever I am acting out of, acting with the wisdom and strength that comes from on high,  the other side is there as well, it doesn't make sense to be anything but secure in Creator's love and at the same time, truly completely humble. 

                                            ~rch~   Love (unfired majolica plate)

Divine paradox

8/4/13 message -- From off the Meetinghouse Floor

Gods timing is perfect. Remember this when you feel inpatient, particularly in wanting a prayer answered. Things happen in the material world in sequence b follows a. In the eternal this is not so, everything simply is. There is no past, no future, beginning or end.  in this play we think of as reality however, there is a dynamic unfolding. This is the essential aspect of the paradox that everything is foretold yet we have free will. In the end there is only goodness, god-ness, goddess, go to its Source.

renewal

 7/14/13 message -- From off the Meetinghouse Floor 

Some people like to name God,  that Source of pure love, of light,  our “Creator”. Rightly so,  as probably since human beings began,  we have marveled at the intricacies of a flower,  the incredible colors of a sunset and seen a larger hand at work. That aspect of the Creator has though an opposite side. That flower eventually withers and falls,  the sunset eventually turns to darkness and that too is part of the Divine.

Just so with not only ourselves, our bodies,  but those things we build,  whether a house, a business or a spiritual community. Everything has a season;  like birds flying past a window. As human beings we like to hold on to things, hold on to beauty. We take pictures to remember that flower or sunset because we know in time even our memory will fade. But in reality in time even that photograph eventually will crumble and disappear.

Another metaphor used occasionally for the concept of God is as a potter. As a potter myself I know one of the hardest things is to determine when, after careful work and attention,  a pot needs to be destroyed.  Its a very difficult thing to do but having created that piece I know the inner flaws, the potential for bigger problems.  But it does not go to waste. That same clay is put back into its beginning state. Then it is reformed into another pot.  

While we hate it when something,  or relationship or group needs to be reformed it is as integral a part of the unfolding creation, God's plan,  as a birth. Sometime it might be small, a handle on a mug needing to be removed, sometimes something bigger. When playing spider solitaire to make it through the game requires smart organizing. But that is not enough. It also requires over and over again using the back button to return to a place where there is an opening and building again. This is also true in life.The lesson of renewal is important because while change is said to be the only thing we can be sure of,  we can also be sure of renewal. 

 There is an Eternal force that renews everything,  nothing goes to waste. So in the end all of it is for the good. Nothing lasts as it is forever,  

except Forever.

What is your Desire?

Thomas Merton in Thoughts of  Solitude said "Our desire to please God, pleases God." In a broader context, if deep in our hearts we have the desire to bring Love,  to bring Light, bring Peace into the world, if we have infused in our being only the desire to connect to that Source from which all that rises,  that desire then by its very existence,  does in fact connect us to the Divine Presence.  Regardless of the effect,  the result,  regardless of whether we think we have failed,  the connection with goodness is accomplished because of our desire. In and of itself the intention affects the higher purpose, so everything is for the good, its all okay because there is nothing else but that Source that delights in our desire to do good and be connected.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. i I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about  it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

                                                             Thomas Merton in Thoughts of  Solitude

Choices:

Choices: 
We all make decisions, maybe thousands from the time we wake up to when we go to sleep.  For most of us here today our choices are between good things.  Are the clean socks that we decide to wear blue or brown, do we make a peanut butter sandwich or go out to lunch with a coworker, do we use flannel or regular sheets on our bed?   However some of our community only have the power to select between two bad things.  Clean socks of any color are a huge luxury,  lunch or even their first morning cup of coffee could be a big question and never mind flannel or regular sheets, one of the hardest choices of all they have to make every day whether to go and sleep in the shelter, if they can get in,  go to a church and sleep on the cold floor or in a tent and brave the elements, wind, cold  rain. There aren't any good alternatives. For a society that has a big enough heart to collectively cry and mourn for over a week for Sandy Hook, why is that 14 people died this year on our streets because of our neglect. These neighbors were somebody's children.  Where is the national outcry?

It is  is unconscionable and yes, the solution must rest with our government officials. Now some of our our folks are great.  Janice Barton continues to be a great representative of the Barnstable Town Council  but you and I have abdicated our responsibility to hold them all collectively accountable.  Setting aside money like many towns do to help struggling families pay the rent in the range of $100 to $350 a month  is totally inadequate to house a truly poor person on the Cape Cod. It primarily funds the landlords of the town.  Plus it doesn't provide the counseling or education necessary to make it a sustainable solution. Building a brick and mortar building might take years but here and now we have a model in Homeless not Hopeless.

Hillel, 110 BCE - 10 AD Jerusalem,  known for the development of  the Talmud and two sayings:   "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the commentary; go and learn." And the second,  "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others though, what am I? And if not now, when?"

It is time for you and me to examine our choices. What are we?  I offer myself as a small example. Yes there have been times I've been greedy and thought only about myself but I have made choices to do things differently. I could very well afford to live in a large house with expensive gadgets and drive a fancy car with yearly vacations to someplace warm.  But instead I choose to live relatively simply (although I an not spartan) in small cottage and drive something that my friend Alan calls a "toy car".  Not only is my carbon footprint reduced, which is important, but  I invest in something I believe to be more permanent by giving that money to buy this house, the one on Baxter St and earlier support for Homeless not Hopeless.   And tonight the choice I am making is not to sleep in a large house or even my small cottage but to sleep in one of those tents, outside in solidarity with those who do this night after night after night.

Scale doesn't matter. What does matter is you do it, you help.  I encourage people individually and our towns to simplify just a little and turn it back to community so that we all can afford to care more, using less for ourselves we have more to share.  Imagine if each town donated an abandoned building and even 1% of revenue for renovations, imagine if each of you likewise contributed to HnH.   If not now, when?

I'm reminded of this it in the following story. A person had three friends. One friend was truly beloved, a second was also loved, but the third was taken for granted.  All of a sudden this person was ordered to appear before the king and were very frightened.  He called  each of the friends to go with him. First, of course his closest friend who said it would be impossible. Disappointed but confidently he then turned to he second friend who said, “I will always love you but can go as far as the gates of the palace.”  Extremely sad, the man had only the third, neglected friend left, the one to who had been taken for granted. When asked this friend said with assurance, “I will accompany you anywhere, but first I will go directly to the palace by myself and plead for you with the king.” The first friend reflects a person’s stuff and wealth, which cannot accompany you to the grave. The second friend represents a person’s relatives and friends, who can only follow you to the grave site. The third and last friend represents the good deeds of a person’s life. These never desert you. You choose. I invite you to join me in personally making choices that live on, using this power for positive change for wholeness, for Love.


I will close with another statement from Hillel "whosoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whosoever that saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." Its all about choices. The thing about choices that favor the material is they are ephemeral, like soap bubbles, most are here then gone the next moment.  so at this time of solstice,  as it says in Isaiah 58:8 . Lets work so our light will break forth like the dawn, our collective healing will quickly appear and our good deeds go before us”  On this path we will create a world of Love and peace.
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121223/NEWS/212230324/-1/TABLET100

approaching storm

Have no fear,
for me at least, all is as prepared as possible including building trust and faith in Spirit.

As I walked around putting things in order before Hurricane Sandy, one large worry was all the big old trees we have, quite a few near the end of their lives. Not only was I concerned for damage to buildings but the loss of old friends. During prayers it occurred to me that if one should go it would let in more light.  Because they are in shadow or shade, those places where very little colorful grows, will be able to bloom.

Perhaps too with our lives. The major losses, whether death of a parent, traumas like getting fired from a job can bring an opportunity for the Light to shine into our  lives in new ways.  After the messes and most pain are cleared away,  cracks appear in the shadow material and allow us,  if we choose, to examine and renovate.  New growth is possible in ways we couldn't have imagined.  If we are open,  we can blossom with unexpected vibrancy.

I also realized that there is an essence of my trees that will always be with me, not only in memory but in terms of place. Where they now stand affects all around it.  As other things come up they are influenced by what went before.  Also with important people and experiences in our lives.  The sparks that exists in everything, trees and people, are eternal not only in and of themselves but in what they influence. These sparks are reveled through our awareness. They connect us with the infinite supernal and perfect Love, that peace that surpasses all understanding.

Place is one of the essential aspects of eternity.  And eternity is one of the defining aspects of God. So we can, through this, see and know it is real right here, now. We are an intergal part of a whole. In Hebrew there is a word "makom" which not simply is translated as place, often as a holy space, but is actually one of the names for God. It is where Abraham stopped with Isaac for a time of spiritual encounter, it is where Moses meets God a the burning bush, and is told to remove his shoes ancestral homeland, sacred, hallowed ground.

Through identificaion of our place we ground our essential nature of the Divine.  It is here the expectant possibility of Life,  that transcendent beauty,  unfolds forever and ever.
What a great adventure!

racism free world

From NEYM Committee of Racial, Social and Economic Justice NEYM Sessions workshop 2012: Title: True Visions of a Non Racial World exercise: Close your eyes, breathe deep and slow, relax. You are in the year 2042 and goals for a racism free world have been realized. Move around freely, observe carefully, see the colors, experience the smells, the sounds. ask questions of the people you meet. What kind of world is out there?, What structures must exist in this world you are in to account for what you have seen? , What is the economic, political system?, How is education organized?, What makes this society tick? Invite people whenever they are ready to go to the table with paper and art supplies. Draw this world you vision.
 This is what was created (click for larger image)

Story: a child holds and gives birth to a new world. All the children of every color play in healthy neighborhoods. They dance through the woods and over stone walls. They play in the fields and by streams of fresh water. They form friendships and read in libraries books by Morrison, Steinbeck, Steele, Shakespeare, Hughes, Achebe and Updike. They walk together hand in hand into a very happy world of flowers, dancing, clear lakes and mountains, music and deep worship.

one simple word

Hello Hyannis 

I am here to share something I know true for myself and some things I just don't understand. First what I know on a soul level is that the Hebrew word Hineni, which means "here I am"  is for me, the most important spiritual word. Like a child in school answering the teachers roll call we can be present, raise our hand and say to our Creator "Hineni, I am here, here in this moment, in this now, fully present and ready".

It is what Abraham said to G-d as he started his journey which began the Jewish people and the belief in one Supreme being. It is what Moses said at the burning bush before he spoke Truth to Pharaoh’s power and led the people out of slavery.

Hineni is also in Isaiah 6. Isaiah receives his prophetic calling when he hears God ask: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Isaiah stands up. "Hineni! Send me!" he says. Can we do this too even if it means confronting ourselves around our individual prejudices?   

(Isaiah in verse 58 says  “Is not this instead the kind of behavior acceptable to Spirit:  to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords, to set the oppressed free and break every chain?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— "  to provide the poor wanderer with shelter hmmm

And this is where the things I don't understand come up. Given our human innate ability for compassion regardless of our particular beliefs, how is it that the current leadership of our Salvation Army makes the homeless feel unwelcome and sets up barriers for them instead of providing services with an open heart? How is it that the town of Yarmouth kicks people out of shelter at the beginning of winter with no sustainable, (and sustainable is the key word here) alternative? Who profits? How is it that our media is silent at the suicide in this complex brought on by despair at this eviction?

How is it that we have so, so very many people suffering and dying on the streets? Aren't we, in this, for better or worse, predominately Judeo-Christian country supposed to be our brothers and sisters keepers? What is preventing us from standing together like Moses and Abraham and Isaiah and say " here am I"?

If we can move whatever is in our way and raise our hand a door will open and Light will come into our lives and the world. Like this time of the solstice, Hannuka, Christmas, as the Light is reborn in the sky  saying Hineni is perennial,  like a weekly roll call. Stepping up we become more authentic human beings for Light does not fear Truth nor Truth fear the Light for the Light eradicates ignorance. Just so for us. Are we courageous enough to let go of even our cherished oblivion and blindness?

  Isaiah 58 continues "when you see the naked clothe them, and do not to turn away from your own kin.  Then your light will break forth like the dawn,  and your healing will quickly appear;  then your righteousness will go before you, and glory will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and you will be answered;  God will say to you: Hineni."

This loving force can be here for us.  All it takes is one simple word.

Who are we?

On New Years Eve in response to an invitation to a New Years Day potluck,  an advocate for the homeless replied, "Unfortunately I cannot attend. A woman was just released to the streets from Cape Cod Hospital after being in a coma for 3 weeks from a domestic beating. I will be too involved tomorrow helping her and also another homeless woman who has MS who is losing her health, lost her house and is now on the street. I've got to figure out other plans for her as she is too weak to come on the overnights." This left me horrified and stunned at the lack of not only compassion but also simple decency, basic humanity, in our community. Is this indicative of who we really are? Where is the outrage?

Every night on the television there are impassioned pleas to help children in far away countries who are hungry, to help homeless and abused animals. How many Cape Codders respond with a donation? While those are all worthy causes, should they take precedence over a neighbor in serious and desperate straits? Is a homeless, abused dog more worthy then a woman? Who are we really?

I got an answer to this in the list of resolutions the following morning in the Cape Cod Times. Not one of those resolutions was in any way about doing a better job of helping those in need, even though, with the homeless memorial a week earlier, the issue was front and center. Frankly I am ashamed. I am ashamed that these women are homeless. I'm ashamed of our priorities in general. I what to shout, to scream, "Friends, it's time to wake up, time to be the better people we really are!" But in one way or another this has been said over and over and over again. Yet, as few as one tenth of one percent of Cape Codders step up to the blessings of this challenge—and those few do so repeatedly. But 99.9 percent of us choose to shut our eyes; we simply don't care. It would be great if in 2011 this was proved wrong. This could happen if everyone reading this, who in 2011 is moved to respond to one of those tear jerking ads, also give double that amount to one of agencies that address the homelessness of our neighbors. This lack of compassion would be overturned if every town on the Cape had at least one home for those who have none. There are people with proven track records willing and able to organize and manage these facilities; all it takes is the will of the people, you, us, insisting that  our town leaders say "here, take this abandoned property off our hands."

What is God (however you define this) asking of you? Who are you? Who are we? Really? And the ironic thing is we reap what we sow. These circumstances are a test. Ultimately , we pass or fail by what comes back to us in this life or at some sort of final accounting of our souls. Put out love and goodness, love and goodness surrounds your life; put out indifference and there will be no one there for you when you are in need. Who do you want to be in this new year, and where do you want to be in the next? Who do you want us to be as a community? When are we going to collectively recognize that we are all integrally and intimately connected, that the entire world — even though it seems to be filled with almost infinite independent parts — is really only one holy, whole presence? Only when we realize and act on this wholeness, can Peace and Love triumph.