Being Of Service

I feel and am very aware of the love, light, joy and presence in everything I do and say and my environment in general. It’s a wonderful sense and it’s great to be immersed in that, very fulfilling. At the same time I struggle with what to do with that "knowing". All around me I see some people trying to find meaning in material, meaningless things. Other people are trying to find the sort of spiritual connection I talk about in my book, Three Simple Questions: Being In the World But Not Of It. I try to reach the people but my efforts fall short. I suspect that "way will be shown" - just not yet. Time to meditate.

Spirituality

While attending a workshop on spiritual development this past weekend it became clear to me that there are certain activities that people consider spiritual (meditating, journaling, contemplating, etc.) and certain things they do not (work, household chores, child-care, etc.). The fact is that all activities are spiritual if the intent is there: "A man should receive God in all things and train his mind to keep God ever present in his mind, in his aims and in his love. Note how you regard God: keep the same attitude that you have in church or in your cell, and carry it with you in the crowd and in unrest and inequality.....In your acts you should have an equal mind and equal faith and equal love for your God.....If you were equal-minded in this way, then no man could keep you from having God ever present." (Meister Eckhart). I spent a good part of today sanding a mantle I am refinishing. While sanding I felt grateful, thanked the wood, honored its beauty and imperfections. That was a spiritual approach.

Humanity

I have a very strong connection to that loving force I call God. Jesus did too and a great deal stronger than my connection - but I’m working on it. He was also human as am I, which certainly complicates things. In my case I can sense and am very much aware of when I switch back and forth from the human to the divine parts of self. The divine is like a clear mountain stream, very loving and without ego desires or attachments. My human side is murky and riddled with ego desires and attachments. When acting and being the divine, the human part does not even exist. Acting out of the divine feeds my soul.

Peace

I feel a strong sense of peace and well-being while also expecting that we are approaching dark, troubling and difficult times. My sense of peace comes from my love of life, faith and trust in the beauty of eternity. I know that things will be just fine. Our president behaves just like a hurt, angry child and like any hurt, angry child he does not need more judgement and criticism. Judgement and criticism will not help anyone. Unconditional love might.

Gratitude

I just took a bath and feel very grateful that I was able to do so and that the other physical necessities, like warm clean water and a tub, were available to me. It strikes me that I could focus on the things I cannot do or have like I cannot take a shower since I am not that coordinated or putting deeper, hotter water in the bath which would be wasteful. Many years ago when I could not stand, unaided, and had been using crutches for a couple of years a person asked me the question "How can you be grateful, you cannot walk!?" and my response was "You cannot fly and it doesn’t bother you". My meaning then and now is that if I accept things the way they are, it is possible to be grateful.

Speaking My Truth

Maria, my wife, and I went to the movie "Hidden Figures" today, an excellent movie about three black women who were very good with numbers and math who worked at NASA during the sixties. These three black women were struggling within a decidedly white male culture that did not believe in them and wanted to hold them back. They were, of course, successful but had to be assertive and hold to their truths along the way, very inspiring. Their struggles spoke directly to me since I am promoting love and spirituality within a materialistic and often reductionistic culture. I also need to be assertive and speak my truth. I love humanity and what I do, very much like them. We shall see if I have an impact.

Need For Love

When Jesus came and was touched by the force he and I call God he learned and taught of great compassion, love and forgiveness. According to religious scholars, and I agree, religious leaders in the centuries after Jesus then added rules of conduct and some mythology. The additions were quite understandable and even required given the time in history. Today many people such as myself find the additional rules of conduct and mythology to be disturbing, often conflicting with Jesus’ message. Some people tend to reject the whole package, including God and Christ. However, if we as a species are to get through the coming years, we need the great compassion, love and forgiveness.

Balance

Today I overdid it, I did to much and pushed myself to do more than I really could and it is important for my humility that I acknowledge that. I’m not beating myself about it but I am "awake" (in the Buddhist sense) and aware but I am still quite capable of human frailties, particularly if I allow my ego attachments and desires to run the show. In this case I spent the afternoon making stuffed grape leaves with egg-lemon sauce, a simple thing - for most people, but not someone with coordination and speed issues such as myself. Stuffing the grape leave requires coordination and something that takes most people twenty minutes is likely to take me two hours. I need to recognize my limitations and balance them. I will now take it easy for a couple of days.

Love Energy

Mark Anthony comments that "At any given moment we are surrounded by invisible waves of energy loaded with vast amounts of information. We may not be aware of this energy, but it’s there. If you don’t believe me, then simply switch on a radio." If part of that energy is Love from the numinous realm I spoke of yesterday, the energy changes things away from the fear, anger and hurt to something positive and constructive. The practices I outline and suggest in my book could bring that about.

Choices

It is clear to me that, as Conrow Coelho writes, "Without the healing power of the numinous [love or God] realm, our wounded psychological patterns will prevail." Meaning that without love we as a species will make decisions based on fear, anger and hurt, decisions that could ultimately hurt or destroy us or the planet we depend on. I will do everything I can to see that does not happen, which is why I wrote my book. I use the terms "love or God" because, as far as I can tell, the words used make no difference, the actions taken matter. She goes on to say "Experiences of truth, beauty and goodness may involve numinosity or a kind of resonance with the sacred presence".