Only Everything

As an expression of her pain and frustration about all that is happening in the world, a friend recently posted on Facebook,

Is there anything still considered sacred?

To which another friend replied,

Only Everything.

When I read the first post, I connected with what was alive in this friend. I, too, when observing some of what is going on in our world wonder if we have completely lost our sense of connection with the sacredness of all life. I was not sure how to respond, so I didn’t.

I am certain that many of you reading this post share that pain and frustration. At times, we feel angry, sad, helpless and hopeless. We mourn. We scream. We cry. We curse. I know. I have been there. I still go there from time to time.

Still, we all know in our hearts that a better world is possible. Even so, we may think that we don’t know how to help bring it about. We may even think that there is nothing we can do. When I read the response from our mutual friend, I felt uplifted and hopeful.

Just the simple words “Only Everything” helped to remind me that there is something I can do. I can be mindful that everything is sacred. As author, teacher and Franciscan priest, Fr. Richard Rohr reminds us in his book, The Universal Christ,

Everything visible, without exception, is the outpouring of God. What else could it be? “Christ” is a word for the Primordial Template (“Logos”) through whom “all things came into being, and not one thing had its being except through him” (John 1:3).

What can we do? We can begin by knowing ourselves as the “outpouring of God” – the Christ embodied. When we know ourselves as that, we can choose to behold from the mind of Christ the Light of Christ shining in and through all. That is a conscious choice that each of us can make. And, it does make a difference.

When we choose to behold the Christ in and honor the sacredness of everything from the perspective of our indwelling Christ, everything changes. The Christ sees the beauty of all. The Christ hears everything as an expression of love or a call for love. The Christ speaks with empathy and compassion. The Christ acts in ways that respect and honor all people and all creation. As Paul said in his letter to the church at Corinth,

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Each thought, word, and action expressed from the consciousness of the Christ contributes to creating the world that our hearts know is possible. I encourage us to not lose hope, but to remain strong in faith that we do make a difference. We may not be able to see it immediately. In fact, we may never know the impact we have on others or the world around us. We can only trust that when we align to the Christ within, the Christ does its perfect work as us.

I invite us to allow the words, “Only Everything” to be our mantra this week. Allow it to be a reminder that we are one with everyone and everything. As we behold the Christ from the consciousness of the Christ, we uplift others, ourselves and our world.

It's Not About You; It's All About You

As I write this post, I am sitting in a beautiful, comfortable space with a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains. Thanks to the generosity of some friends, J and I have had the luxury of spending a few days in Breckenridge, CO relaxing, hiking, and enjoying the cooler temperatures.

Yesterday, we hiked the Spruce Creek Trail. It runs along, you guessed it, Spruce Creek just south of Breckenridge in the Arapaho National Forest. We enjoyed our time in nature, hugging the trees, sitting on the boulders, and dipping our hands into the icy-cold waters of Spruce Creek. There were few others on the trail, so we also enjoyed periods of relative solitude as we hiked at our own comfortable pace and breathed in the fresh clean mountain air.

As we walked along, the trail became less rocky and our surroundings more densely forested. I suddenly became keenly aware of the root systems of the trees which lined the trail. Because of the rocky terrain, the roots are close to the surface. Of all the beauty that surrounded us on that hike, I was most in awe of this intricately interconnected network of roots which we were walking on, over and around. The trees linked together by the interweaving of their roots was a present visual reminder of the interconnectedness of all life. I began to take each step with more reverence.

It was a gift for me to have the opportunity to witness the connection that usually happens beneath the surface. Becoming consciously aware of the interdependence of the trees, the soil, the water, the animals, the air, and us humans was breathtaking. I better understand now how some people can claim that nature is their church. This was certainly a sacred spiritual experience.

This hike provided me with a new insight for a lesson I gave at Unity Spiritual Center Denver on August 11. It was entitled, It’s Not About You. You may listen to it here or watch it here. Reflected on it now, I wish I had entitled it, It’s Not About You; It’s All About You. That may seem contradictory at first glance, but it speaks to the interconnectedness of all life and how every choice we make not only affects us individually but also impacts the whole. 

My lesson was a reflection on a couple of articles I had recently read about author, spiritual teacher and now, candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for President, Marianne Williamson. The articles linked her spiritual/religious beliefs to New Thought of which Unity is a part. They criticized her for blaming people for creating their own illnesses, financial insecurity and other life situations through their way of thinking. The articles’ authors claimed that her “self-centered individualism” could be dangerous and would not support good public policy.

I was intrigued by this perspective for two reasons. One, it concerns me that people reading these articles and others like them will get the wrong impression of New Thought and our teachings. Two, that while exaggerated, these critiques of our beliefs might hit too close to home.

When popular culture and the media associate our teaching most closely with the book and subsequent film, The Secret, and books such as Napoleon Hill’s, Think and Grow Rich, it is understandable that our teachings might be perceived as self-serving. Additionally, when our teaching becomes so myopic as to convey that through the power of our thoughts and feelings, we are solely responsible for everything that happens in our personal lives, including illness, we alienate many who might otherwise benefit from learning about New Thought. Further, we impose metaphysical guilt on New Thought adherents who get sick or face other challenging life situations.

While it is imperative that we learn the impact that our thoughts, feelings, words and action have on our lives, I am concerned that when our teaching implies that we are solely responsible for our experience and that we can create anything we want so long as we think the right thoughts and generate the right feelings, we risk supporting the idea that we create in isolation.  In my way of thinking, this does not promote the concept of unity. In fact, it has the potential to purport separation. The Truth is that we are in constant relationship with the Whole, and we are co-creating with the totality of creation.

Those who are less familiar with our teaching and those who are new to our teaching may assume that we are promoting a “self-serving individualistic” philosophy of life. Further, many who apply our teachings solely for their own personal gain are missing a crucial point. I encourage us all to go deeper.

I wish I could share with everyone my experience of the interconnectedness of the root system in the forest. While I was able to witness a sampling of it on the surface, I know that the network of roots extends much deeper underground. It is awe-inspiring to consider how all life in the forest is interdependent. The life moving through it all nurtures and supports growth and sustainability. One only need observe the fallen trees and the new seedlings to recognize this.

We, too, are connected to each other and to all creation by an intricate invisible web of life that supports growth and sustainability. All too often, however, we are unconscious of this. We think, speak and act in ways that belie our interdependence.

When our New Thought teachings are received and perceived as being about “what’s in it for me” and do not invite and encourage us to include the good of all of creation in our desires, we are missing the mark and are in ignorance of the foundational unity teaching.

While it is important to understand how our thinking, feeling, speaking and acting affect our personal lives, it is also essential for us to know that we are also affecting all of creation with every choice we make. When I say, “It Is Not About You,” I mean that nothing is solely about any one of us. We are all connected, intertwined and interdependent just as the root system in the forest. When I say, “It Is All About You,” I mean that it is about each one of us awakening to the reality of our unity and making choices that support the well-being of all creation.

We are at a critical point in the evolutionary process. It is up to us to make the choices that honor the sanctity of our connection with each other, the environment, the Earth and all her inhabitants. The choices we make today, both individually and collectively will determine our future. It begins with you and with me and the choices we make moment-by-moment. May we be mindful.

It Is Not About You. It Is All About You!

The Problem with 'Evil'

After service this past Sunday at Unity Spiritual Center Denver, I was greeted by an inquisitive young man who is eager to understand more about our Unity teachings. He is Catholic and his girlfriend is a long-time New Thought adherent. Their spiritual beliefs are at odds, and they are searching for common ground. I gave him my contact information and asked him to get it touch if he, or they, want to schedule some time to get together and talk. I look forward to having that conversation.

During my lesson, I mentioned author, teacher, and candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, Marianne Williamson, in reference to two articles that criticized her spiritual/religious beliefs. I cited the articles to make a point about how some people view the New Thought movement and to invite us to question and deepen our understanding and application of our teachings. You may listen to that lesson here.

Being familiar with Marianne Williamson’s recent debate performance, this young man asked me about her reference to the “dark psychic forces.” He asked if she was referring to evil. In alignment with his Catholic beliefs, he was adamant that there are two forces in the world, one for good and another for evil. Further, he expressed his dismay at the New Thought teaching that there is no evil, even though the evidence of it all around us. The recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton being prime examples. I said that my guess is that while she did not use that word, Williamson was referring to “evil” as he thinks of it. I again assured him that if he would like to discuss this one-to-one, I would be happy to do so.

He is not alone in his resistance to the idea that there is no “evil.” This question comes up in nearly every new member and foundations of Unity class I facilitate. It is often difficult for someone new to Unity to understand how we can witness all the pain and suffering in the world caused by human beings and still contend that there is no “evil.”

Just to be clear, Unity does not teach that there is no evil, but that there is no power for evil. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, the cofounders of Unity, did not teach that evil does not exist, but that we, as Truth students, should deny the permanence of the appearances of evil and refuse to give those appearances any power. A primary teaching of Unity is that there is only One – One Presence, One Power, One Life, One Mind, One Source. Believing that evil is a power is tantamount to believing in duality.

Evil appears in the world, not because it has power, but because those who exact evil are not conscious of the One Power.

In her classic text, Lessons in Truth, author H. Emilie Cady says,

“There is no evil.

There is but one power in the universe, and that is God--good. God is good, and God is omnipresent. Apparent evils are not entities or things of themselves. They are simply apparent absence of the good, just as darkness is an absence of light.”

Charles Fillmore in The Revealing Word says,

“There is but one presence and one power, God omnipotent. But man has the privilege and freedom of using this power as he will. When he misuses it he brings about inharmonious conditions. These are called evil. Evil appears in the world because man is not in spiritual understanding.”

‘Evil’ is a word that we may use to name human behaviors which do not honor the sacredness of all people and of all creation, and which produce harmful and painful results. As Dr. Cady and Mr. Fillmore stated, evil appears because humans lack the awareness of the true light of spiritual understand. In my way of thinking, the true light of spiritual understanding is the conscious awareness of our Unity in God, with each other and with all creation.

When she referenced “dark psychic forces,” I don’t believe Ms. Williamson was referring to what some might call the “devil” or “Satan.” New Thought teaches that there is no entity or power other than God. In reference to this, Charles Fillmore stated, again from The Revealing Word,

The "devil" is a state of consciousness adverse to the divine good. Other names for this state of consciousness are the Adversary, carnal mind, the accuser, and the old man. There is no personal devil. God is the one omnipresent Principle of the universe, and there is no room for any principle of evil, personified or otherwise.

When “evil” appears in our world it is the effect of humanity’s unconsciousness and the actions that are born from it, not the result of an external power. The “dark psychic forces” exist within collective consciousness and are the result of humanity’s freewill choice not to recognize and realize our unity.  

Yes, there is “evil” in the world. No, there is no power for “evil.” We will only rid the world of “evil” when we awaken from the dream of separation and realize our Oneness. Then and only then will we think and act in ways that honor the sacredness of all creation. It will not come through the worldly laws, but only through adherence to the law of Love. Evil will cease to appear when we “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul and mind. And, love our neighbors as ourselves” (Matthew 22:37) – love God as the purity of Love itself and share that love as it expresses in its many forms, including humans, animals, water, earth and sky.

Let us join together in the commitment to remember our unity. To envision a world living in unity. To do all within our power to bring forth that world through our thoughts, words and actions. And, to celebrate the realization of a “New Heaven and a New Earth where the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:1).

The "How" and the "What" of My "Why?"

In my post last week, I shared some thoughts about the importance of identifying our “why,” and encouraged us all to ponder that question for ourselves. In addition, I said that I had come to understand that my “why” is “to serve God.” Today, I am sharing that I spoke too soon. Upon further reflection, I realized that serving God is more about the “how” and “what” rather than my “why.” Additionally, I realized that while “Why?” is the fundamental question, “Who?” “What?” “When?” and “How?” are also important to ponder.

As I sat in meditation and contemplation last Friday morning in preparation for my Sunday lesson at Unity Spiritual Center Denver, it became clear to me that “serving God” is an aspect of how I will fulfill my “why,” or stated another way, how I will live my mission. With this realization, I went within and asked, “If it is not my mission to “serve God,” then what is it? What came was, “to co-create a world living unity consciousness.”

While I deeply resonated with those words, I recognized that even though my New Thought friends and family would completely understand, those not familiar with some of our common terminology might not. Because it is important to me to be able to relate to the entire world, and not just to those of “like mind,” I wanted to incorporate more commonly used words. After searching the Thesaurus, I landed on the word ‘engender’ in place of ‘co-create’ and omitted the word ‘consciousness,’ to arrive at my mission statement – “To engender a world living unity.”

I do not mean to suggest that my mission is to solely promote the ideology and Truth principles taught by the Unity movement, although that will be an aspect of my “what.” I mean that it is my mission to do all within my power and sphere of influence to encourage and support all people in knowing their unity in God, as well as with all humanity and all creation. In addition, it is my mission to support all people in living from the realization of unity as respects how we treat each other, our Mother Earth and all her inhabitants, and our environment.

Knowing God, loving God and serving God, which I have discussed in previous posts, are all aspects of “how” and “what” to best to live my “why.” I mean that they help to inform me of how I will “engender a world living unity” and what I will do to “engender a world living unity.”

We know God by surrendering our ego-dominated thinking and opening to higher knowing; by humbly letting go and letting God; by listening deeply to the voice of the Inner Knower; by using our power of faith to see the activity of God in and through all; and by trusting that all is working for our highest good, even in the times when it appears otherwise.

We love God by choosing love over fear. Loving God asks us to be self-aware and self-accountable. Individually, we are the only ones who can know if we are in fear or in love. We are the only ones who can make the decision to shift from fear to love. Loving God also requires that we are honest with ourselves. We must be willing not to deny when we are in fear, but to courageously admit it to ourselves and possibly to another, especially if we find that fulfilling that need helps in moving us back to love. Loving God also includes loving ourselves, even when we recognize that we are in fear and are acting from fear. It is not helpful to judge or condemn ourselves. When we own our fear-fueled thoughts, words or actions, and choose to love and forgive ourselves for them, we are more able to extend the same to others when they act or speak in ways that stimulate pain for us. Forgiveness is a key to loving God as ourselves and God as others. Through exercising these “how to’s,” we avail ourselves of the transforming power of love. As we are transformed, we help to heal and transform the world.

We serve God as we recognize and appreciate the unique and wondrous expression of God that we are. Each of us is here because we have something special that only we can bring to the world. It is important to us to own that, recognize when we are allowing fear to block us from giving of ourselves, and make the choice to move through it so that we can show up fully in our magnificence.

In addition, we serve God as ourselves by taking care of others and ourselves mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. It is vitally important that we care for ourselves. We can only extend to others the care that we extend to ourselves. As flight attendants remind us at the start of every flight, “secure your oxygen mask before attempting to assist others.” We cannot serve others when we are depleted.

We also serve God by choosing to consciously connect with the Life Energy that is living itself as all creation. We serve God by taking responsibility for the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink; the same air and water that we share with all the Earth’s inhabitants. We serve God by recognizing that we are all one, and allowing that recognition to inform our thoughts, words and actions. We treat each other as Mother Theresa once said, as though we see the face of Christ in each one.

To engender a world living unity, I must do my best to show up fully in every moment, to be present for whoever or whatever appears before me, to boldly acknowledge and freely share my gifts and talents with the world, to care for those who are hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, imprisoned, and without shelter, and to example loving kindness, compassion and empathy for others and myself.

All the forgoing helps to answer the questioning, “Why?” “How?” and “What?” The answers to “When?” and “Who?” are also imperative to define. There is no time like the present. Now is the time for us to begin to live in alignment with our deepest longing. Further, only we can do it. Each of us is responsible for making conscious choices in every moment to think, speak and act in alignment with our “why.” I borrow from first-century Jewish scholar, Hillel, when I say,“If not now, when? If not me, who?”

What is your 'Why?'

I remember that as I child one of the most commonly asked questions from adults was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I don’t recall my specific answers, but I can imagine that as a young boy they were along the lines of, “I want to be a fireman, or a policeman, or a doctor.” Since both my favorite grandfather and father were railroad men, I’m sure at some point I said, “I want to be an engineer.” Later, as a teenager, I wanted to be a dentist.

As I reflect on all of these possibilities, it occurs to me that there was a deeper question that was seldom, if ever, asked – “Why?” “Why do you want to be a fireman, policeman, doctor, engineer or dentist?” Today I recognize that pondering the “why” has the potential to take us deeper into ourselves and provide us with a clearer direction and more inspired place from which to move forward and make choices.

When I was a child, I saw firemen and policemen as helpers. As Fred Rogers, shared with the children who watched Mister Rogers Neighborhood,

“When I was a little boy and I saw scary things on the news, my mother would always say ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’”

Fireman and policemen were the ones who helped others. They were the ones who, to a young mind, were the heroes. I wanted to be them.

Any thought I had as a boy of being a railroad engineer was based on my admiration of my maternal grandfather. He was a hero. At least in my mind he was. He was warm, loving and attentive. I have fond memories of climbing up in the railroad engine and sitting in his lap as he sat at the controls. It was a special time for me. I wanted to be like him.

I also have vivid memories of my childhood physician, Dr. Duggan. Even though I was more than a little nervous about going to the doctor and feared having to get a shot, he always made it easier. He understood. He was kind and compassionate. Looking back and seeing him as my example, I can understand why I would have wanted to be a doctor. Of course, it didn’t hurt that doctors made a great deal of money and lived in the finest houses in town. That did not escape my notice, even as a young boy.

As a teenager, my desire to be a dentist had nothing to do with wanting to be a helper. It was solely based on the image. My high school girlfriend’s father was a dentist. They lived in a nice big house in the newest neighborhood in the area. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to be a dentist so that I could make a lot of money and have all that came along with it.

I did not become a fireman, policeman, doctor, engineer or dentist. Life lead me into the insurance business. I was a commercial insurance underwriter and broker for nearly 30 years. I was successful according to the prescribed measure of success, meaning that I built a large book of business and made a great deal of money for myself and for the company. However, I was never happy. For years, I tried to convince myself that I was helping people by insuring their financial stability in case of an unforeseen accident or loss. While that was partially true, it was ultimately not my “why.” I was in the business for the money and the image that came along with it.

I knew that my soul’s calling was to be in ministry, but if I am completely honest, which I always strive to be, I was not connected with the deeper “why” until quite recently. I shared in last week’s post My Soul Desire that I have recently become more consciously aware of what drew me to Unity and what keeps me coming back to Unity. It is my desire to know God. That is the “why” for my decision to make Unity’s positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity my spiritual path. And, while it informed the “why” of my call to ministry, there is more.

When my “call to ministry” was confirmed to me in meditation early in my journey with Unity, I discussed it with my primary spiritual teacher at the time. I remember distinctly the advice she gave me. She said, “If you are doing it for yourself, don’t do it.” Of course, being the selfless person that I am (Ha!), I thought, “I’m not doing it for me. I’m doing it to serve God and to serve others.” Still, her words have continued to resonate in my mind for all these years.

Only recently have I realized what she meant. I have come to see that my initial “why” for entering ministry was more about doing it for me than about serving God and others. I saw ministry as a way for me to have more time for reading, writing, meditation, prayer, self-reflection, self-expression, and self-realization.

I’m not sharing this as a “confession” or as a way to judge myself or beat up on myself. I certainly do not believe that all of my actions since being in ministry have been completely selfish. I know that I have served others in ways that have been meaningful for them. I also know that I have served others in ways that I will never know. And, in doing so have I have served God. I am sharing it because it speaks to what I believe is the importance of honestly connecting with our “why.” 

In my post of June 27, Serving God, I shared about the revelation I recently received in meditation. I heard very clearly, “You are here to serve God.” That is my “why.” That is why I am in ministry. It may seem obvious that one who is a minister is to serve God, but as I shared in that post, that is not always true. People enter the ministry for many varied reasons. I am celebrating that my “why” is now clearer to me.

I am here on this planet at this time to serve God. I am here to serve God as God expresses through all people, and all creation, including myself. I just happen to be serving God in the role of a minister. It is my intention to keep my “why” at the forefront of my mind as my guiding principle. My hope is that being clearer about the “why” will help to better inform and direct my actions.

I believe that knowing our “why” is important for all of us, both individually and collectively. I encourage us all to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I am doing?” When we know the answer to that question, we can make better informed choices about our thoughts, words and actions. What is your “why?”