Fear and Love

Last Friday, I participated in a webinar entitled Using the Truth We Know presented by Unity South Central Region and facilitated by Rev. Dr. Paul Hasselbeck. Rev. Hasselbeck is widely considered one of the leading authorities in Unity metaphysics. He authored the book, Heart Centered Metaphysics, which is currently used as the textbook for metaphysical studies at Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute. He has also authored and co-authored several other books on the subject. I had the honor of learning from him while attending classes at Unity Institute. For more information on him, please visit his website.

During the webinar, he reminded me of some of the foundational metaphysical principles taught by Unity cofounders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. I deeply appreciated the opportunity to learn from Rev. Hasselbeck once again. He is a clear voice for the importance of going deep into the life-affirming and life-changing principles of Unity.

He is also a longtime student of A Course in Miracles which proved to be valuable when during the webinar the discussion focused on fear, specifically as it relates to the pandemic. One of the ministers asked him how he would suggest we respond to eager congregants who assert that as Unity truth students we should not let fear prevent us from resuming in-person Sunday services.

He responded by sharing the following quote from A Course in Miracles (Chapter 12, Paragraph 9),

Fear and Love are the only emotions of which you are capable.

One is false for it is made out of denial; and denial depends on the belief in what is denied for its own existence.

Thankfully, he did not stop there. At first reading, I did not grasp the meaning. He adapted the above as follows:

Fear and Love are the only emotions of which you are capable.

Fear is false for fear is made out the denial of Love; therefore, Fear depends on the belief in Love for its own existence.

A Course in Miracles (Chapter 12, Paragraph 9) also states,

By interpreting Fear correctly as a positive affirmation for the underlying belief it masks, you are undermining fear’s perceived usefulness.

In other words,

By interpreting Fear correctly as a positive affirmation for the underlying Love it masks, you are undermining fear’s perceived usefulness.

This perspective on fear opened me to a new understanding. He was saying that fear is always revealing the Divine Idea of Love. We experience fear because we Love. When we believe that something we Love is being threatened, we feel fear. 

We fear the pandemic because it poses a threat to our physical well-being, as well as to that of those we love. We feel fear when we think that the current political tension will result in more disharmony and possibly violence because we love peace and goodwill. We feel fear when we think that the spiritual family and community we love is being threatened by not coming together in person on Sunday morning.

Fear is a simply a signal reminding us of what we love. When fear arises, ask yourself, “What do I love?” Then, focus on that. Focus on Wholeness. Focus on Harmony. Focus on Love and Connection. Allow your mind to be filled with the awareness of Love’s presence. Breathe deeply into your heart and invite the feeling of Love to well up within you. Hold to what you Love. Respond from Love in your thoughts, words, and actions.

It is vitally important that we do not allow fear to consume us. Fear feeds more fear. We have enough of that in the world today. As spiritually awakened beings, our opportunity is to keep our minds stayed on Love and our hearts open to Love.

As the lyrics say to one of the songs we sometimes sing at the close of service,

Let there be Love on Earth and let it begin with me.
Let there by Love on Earth, the Love that was meant to be.
With God as Creator, family all are we.
Let me walk with my family in perfect harmony.
Let Love begin with me, let this be the moment now.
With every breath I take, let this be my joyous vow.
To take each moment and live each moment in Love eternally.
Let there be Love on Earth and let it begin with me.

Love is the power that can truly transform the world. Let us do everything within our ability to stay focused on the awareness of Love and “undermine fear’s perceived usefulness.”

Restoring Harmony

This past Sunday night, I watched the televised broadcast of the Emmy Awards. Because of the pandemic, the format was strikingly different from past years. There was no audience. The nominees participated in the broadcast via live feeds from their respective locations. It was another clear reminder that we are living in a different world these days.

I was especially struck by one of the groups who were gathered in an outdoor space with their masks in place toasting to the New Year while wearing party hats and glasses. When the host reminded them that the New Year would not begin for another few months, they retorted that they are ready for 2020 to be over, so they decided to celebrate its end and start 2021 early.

Even though it was meant to be humorous, it revealed a pervasive feeling of overwhelm that many of us are experiencing. I have seen memes on social media that express much of the same weariness, grief, pain, and sadness about so many things that have happened in 2020. Many of us are asking, “When will it end?”

I have certainly asked that. In my post of September 10, What’s Going On? I shared some thoughts about being in liminal space. While this is an uncomfortable space for many of us, to say the least, it can be a vitally important time for us to lean in to knowing that what is happening around us can reflect what is happening within us.

We need not look hard or far to see the appearances of divisiveness and polarity. The appearance of such shows up in the following mindsets … You are either for Black Lives Matter or you support law enforcement. You are either pro-life or pro-abortion. You are either liberal or conservative. You either believe in science or you are a climate change denier. You are a racist or you are woke. For so many, there seems to be no middle ground. This grappling shows up and presents as the state of the world, not just in our country. That is the appearance, but what is really happening?

The master teacher, Jesus, told us, “Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Righteous judgement tells me that Divine Order is always evolving everything toward Unity, toward the awareness of Divine Life expressing in and through all. If we are to judge, or discern by righteous judgement, what would we perceive instead?

The world is striving for Harmony, an aspect of Divine Life. When we focus solely on appearance, we may see the struggle of opposing forces. However, when we judge with righteous judgement, which is a perspective centered in our Divine nature, we witness Spirit calling us to our center, to love, to reconciliation, to unity.

I realize that it is often challenging for us to observe what is going on in the world around us and not get disheartened, discouraged and even fearful. I know. I have experienced it, and I continue to from time to time. We have been faced with all sorts of challenges this year, and 2020 is not yet over. Considering the current political climate, it appears more is in store.

When we reflect upon how what is happening around us reflects what is happening within us, we need not look too closely to see that we, too, are striving for Harmony. When we find ourselves getting caught up in the emotional turmoil within, we can rest assured that Spirit is calling us back to Harmony and to the remembrance of who we truly are. It is a golden opportunity for us to pay attention and heed the call.

I encourage us not to get caught up in the drama of opposing forces. Let us be the ones who consciously choose to focus on Harmony as an aspect of the Divine and do what we can to help establish it. We can only achieve that when we are not drawn into the fray but stay centered in the awareness of the Light we are here to be in the world.

We stay centered by first setting a clear intention to do so and by making a clear declaration of our intention.

Take a deep breath allowing the breath to draw your awareness deep into the center of your being – your Heart Center.

Say – “I Am now grounded in the awareness of the Light I have come here to be.”

Breathe the energy of Mother Earth up through the bottom of your feet and into your Heart Center.

Open your crown at the top of your head and breathe the energy of the Cosmic Christ down into your Heart Center.

Say – “I Am now centered in the perfect Harmony of Spirit.”

Imagine that energy extending out from your heart into the hearts and minds of all humanity. You may see it as a color, a swirl of colors, a beam of light, or any other image.

Say – “I Am now a radiating center of Divine Harmony blessing the world.”

See it as waves of energy moving out across the globe touching hearts and minds, healing the appearance of divisiveness and restoring harmony.

Say – “I Am now in Divine Harmony with all creation.”

Yes, 2020 has offered us many opportunities to witness the appearance of disharmony and discord. As spiritually awakened people, our opportunity is to look beyond the appearance and behold the activity of Spirit active in it all. Let us be the ones who heed the call to bring Harmony to our own hearts and minds, and to do our part in restoring it upon the Earth.

Let It Shine!

Following a recent Sunday service, a friend from Dallas sent me a message telling me how much she appreciated my talk. She also shared the following with me.

Your Gifts Are For The World!
Your Gifts Are Your Seed That You Plant Into The World To Grow And Build The
World So You Can Leave A Legacy.
Your Gifts Are Your Currency! Take Them And Plant Them Into The Rich Soil Of
The Earth, And See Them Spread Out Into The Atmosphere And To All The People!
They Are Your Special Talents, Things You Have To Offer, What You Are Good At,
Your Ideas, Your Prosperity, Your Areas Of Creation – And The Created Products!
They Are For Both You And The World! The World Needs Your Contribution, And
The World Is Waiting, And Continues To Wait For Your Gifts.
There Are People Waiting For Your Gifts, And They Are INTENDED To Receive What
You Are, And What You Have To Give!
Wake Up And Give!

Tarjia Johnson

My friend was encouraging me to accept and own my gifts and talents, but not for any selfish gain or egocentric motivation. She was urging me to know that I have something to give, as well as recognize that there are people who are waiting to receive what I have to share.

I want you to know that you, too, have something special that you alone are here to share with the world. Further, those who are intended to receive it are waiting for you to share it.

I know that many of us were programmed to believe that owning our gifts and talents and sharing them boldly was not acceptable. We were taught that pride was a sin, and we should learn and practice humility. We were told that we should not be too “full of ourselves.” We learned that it was unacceptable to be true to who we are and let our light shine.

Jesus said, “You are the Light of the World. Let your light shine before [all] that God may be glorified” (Matthew 5:16). We are here to be a light in the darkness that so often pervades the world. When we “hide our light under a bushel” we deprive the world of the light of God that each of us is.

I am committed to consciously connecting with my soul, the unique expression of God that I Am, and living in harmony with it. My new affirmation is “I live my I Am audaciously.” I invite you to boldly join me as we own our unique expression of the One Light and Let It Shine!

What's Going On?

I do my best in this blog to share uplifting inspirational messages and insights that will serve to support others on their spiritual journeys. Today as I began writing, I wasn’t sure I would be in a space to offer anything uplifting or insightful.

To be perfectly honest, I was feeling weary, lonely, confused, and apathetic. I could not seem to muster the motivation for much of anything, including writing this post. I wondered if it was a mild episodic depression. I knew I was not clinically depressed. I just knew nothing interested me. I started to read and soon found my mind wandering. Nothing I read did the trick of lifting my spirits or inspiring me. In fact, earlier as I was reading I felt the sudden urge to throw the book across the room. I resisted, however. Maybe I should have given in. It might have been cathartic.

I chose to stop right where I was, go within and ask, “What’s Going On?”

Then, I was reminded of a book I ordered and received a while back but hadn’t read. It is a publication of The Center for Action and Contemplation, the organization founded by Fr. Richard Rohr. The book is one of a series entitled Oneing – An Alternative Orthodoxy. This one is a collection of articles focused on the topic, “Liminal Space.”

As I began to read, the Universe through Fr. Rohr and the first three pages of the introduction in this little book, reminded me what I have been experiencing and continue to move through. It is “liminality.” Fr. Rohr says,

“Liminality is a form of holding the tension between one space and another. It is in these transitional moments of our lives that authentic transformation can happen. Otherwise, it is just business as usual and an eternally boring, status quo existence.”

He further says,

“[We stand] on the threshold between who we are and who we can become, if we are willing to let go of what holds us back…If we are able to stand it and stand there, liminality is likely to induce an inner crisis.”

I know that I am not alone. I know that many, if not most of us, are experiencing liminality in one form or another. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our usual way of being. It has created for us an opportunity to be in the space between what was and what will be. The uncertainly can be disconcerting and disheartening.

The enforced distancing between us and those we love and care about in itself creates tension. We are wired for connection. When that need is not met, we feel the pain of it. It can stimulate episodic depression, loneliness, and confusion.

In addition, the racial unrest and political climate we are currently experiencing has added to tension we feel whether or not we are consciously aware of it. Each of us participates in the collective consciousness and each of us is affected by it in one way or another. We are in a transitional space in our country, indeed in the world. 

While liminality can be a powerful space in which to be because of the opportunity for transformation, it can also be an uncomfortable space. It invites us to question everything we think we know and everything we have thought ourselves to be. It invites us to release all that we have allowed to hold us back from being the full expression of the Christ that is our potential.

It is tempting to do whatever we can to avoid the feeling associated with liminality. We may use food, shopping, sugar, alcohol, sex, drugs or many other escape mechanisms. The greatest opportunity for transformation, however, as challenging as it may be, is to be present with the feelings. It is important that we do our best not to avoid them, push them down or judge ourselves for having them. They can be our teachers and our guides.

If you are experiencing liminality, I encourage you not to engage in patterns of unhealthy behavior. I can personally speak to this because there are many that are all too familiar to me. Likewise, while it is important and necessary to spend time alone, please do not isolate. I encourage you to reach out to someone who can support you, someone who will listen without judgment and without trying to “fix” it for you. We are in this together. We need each other!

What’s Going On?

We are in liminal space, individually and collectively. This is a pivotal time in the evolution of human consciousness. We have an opportunity to participate and engage consciously in the process.

I encourage you to know that we are birthing a new reality. It will not be painless. It will not be without challenges. Keep breathing. It will be worth it for ourselves and for those who will stand upon our shoulders.

On Wings of Spirit

Last Tuesday, soon after returning home from my retreat in the mountains, I learned from a Facebook post that one of my spiritual mothers had made her transition. I don’t use that term flippantly. Diadra Price was one of only two women who I consider my spiritual mothers. The other is Rev. Dr. Kay Hunter who made her transition nearly two years ago.

The news of Diadra’s transition hit me harder emotionally than anything in recent past. It hit me much harder than I would have anticipated, actually.

I first met Diadra in 1995 when she arrived in Dallas to become the interim minister at Unity of Dallas where I was then attending. After her first service, I purchased a cassette tape (yes, cassette) of her message. I listened to that message over and over and over again. I probably could have recited it verbatim. Her words touched my heart in a way that none had before. For me, she was the embodiment of the Divine Feminine energy that I was so longing to experience.

After leaving Unity of Dallas, she and her husband John founded Wings of Spirit, a nonprofit spiritual organization dedicated to assisting all in the evolution of consciousness. I had the privilege and honor of working with Diadra for about a year to organize and present weekly evening services in a wedding chapel in Dallas. After a time, she and John purchased a beautiful home and retreat center in Boone, NC where I was blessed to attend one of Diadra’s retreats.

While we had not been in close communication for a while, I always knew that she was just a phone call away. Over the years, I often reached out to her in times of my own “spiritual crises.” She always said just what I needed to hear, even if I didn’t always like hearing it. That is what good spiritual mothers do, right? I asked her to be the officiating minister at my ordination service in 2017. While she wanted to do it, she was unfortunately unable to travel at the time.

Even though she is no longer on this physical plane, I know that her spirit remains ever-close and ever-ready to assist all of us who remain on this earthly plane in remembering who we are.

Reflecting back on my final hike on Tuesday before turning home, I wonder now if Diadra was with me. As I hiked, I heard in my head a loving, yet stern voice telling me that it is time to grow up, get real with myself, with everyone else in my life and stop playing around. Doesn’t that sound like a mother?

I know she always saw more in me than I was able to see in myself. Perhaps this was her way of reminding me to remember who I am, to stop playing small, to step out and live life with bold abandon. I am choosing to think so anyway.

Diadra Price was a mentor, a minister, a guide, and a friend. Her spirit, wisdom and grace will always be a part of me. I know this is true for many others who were touched by her presence. I am eternally grateful and blessed to have known her and to have loved her.  Blessings on your journey, dear one. Soar on Wings of Spirit!