The Human Experiment

On Sunday, January 10, during our service at Unity Spiritual Center Denver, I shared a version of the creation myth that I wrote titled “The Human Experiment.” You may watch the service on Facebook or YouTube. Several people asked if I would share it. I am happy to do so here.

I hope that this story will remind us all of who and what we truly are and inspire us to live from the conscious awareness of our Unity in God and with each other.

 

The Human Experiment

One day, God was feeling a little bored and lonely. So, they decided to try an experiment.

God said, “Let us create some mini-we’s. We will create beings in our own image/likeness. They will be our children. They will be pure Light, endowed with all of our qualities. They will have creativity, order, love, balance, harmony, wholeness, beauty, indeed they will be filled with All of Our Light. And they will all have the power to comprehend and make use of these qualities to create for themselves an energy field where Our Light through them will reign supreme and where they will live in harmony and eternal bliss.”

God stopped to ponder for a moment, and they and said to themselves, “That sounds positively dull. That’s not a very good experiment. How can we make this more interesting?”

After a while, they said. “Yes! We know. We will put them in a trance. Of course, they will always be Our Light, they just won’t remember. It will be as though they are asleep to Our Light!”

God thought, “That doesn’t seem quite fair, does it?” And they said, “No it does not, so what can we do?”

After no time, they said, “Now we know. We will also instill deep within them a desire, a longing to wake up, to seek and find Our Light for themselves. When they find it, they will cherish it and use it to help their siblings find it as well.”

Then, God thought, “This is all well and good, but where are they going to do all of this?”

Suddenly, they shouted, “Ah, We know! We will create for them a playground on which they can have fun awakening to who they are and discovering each other in this little game of hide and seek.”

Then, God said, “Oh, but they will find each other straight away. We want to gain some insight from this experiment. We want to know just how powerful Our Light truly is. How will we know if they can clearly see and recognize each other? What shall we do?”

God pondered. Then they exclaimed, “Oh, Yes! We will place them in costumes, so they are disguised from each other. And We will call them humans.

We will create these costumes with different skin colors, facial features, body shapes and sizes, hair colors and textures, and genders.

We will give them different languages, so they do not quickly communicate.

We will place them in different regions of the playground.

They will have access to different resources.

Oh, and We will confuse them even more. We will hide Our Light a little closer to the surface in a few of them. They will believe they have found Our Light. Then they will create movements that others will follow.

In this trance, they will believe that they are separate from each other and separate from us. We will see how long it takes them to wake up.

We are confident that Our Light is so powerful within them and the desire so strong to awaken that they will wake up very quickly and they will all live in harmony, peace and love together on this playground.”

This is how the Human Experiment began.

 

Ever since, God has been checking and analyzing the data of this experiment every day. And every day God scratches their head in disbelief. “Why have all of our children not yet awakened?” they ask.

“How much violence will it take? How much death? How long must they fight each other? How much pain and suffering must they witness and endure before they wake up and realize that they are the same and that there is a better world that awaits?

When will they learn to focus in their hearts where Our Light abides? It is not that difficult is it?

When will they learn that they are not their possessions? Not their jobs? Not their money? Not these costumes? Not their religion? Not their nationality? Not their gender? Not their sexuality? Not their political party?”

God asked themselves, “What is to be done? We cannot intervene on their behalf. That would ruin the experiment.

Let us look more closely.” So, God gazed upon the playground, observing all of their children. Until, they said with delight, “Ah, yes, We see that some of our children are waking up. There is a glimmer of hope!

They are the ones we must rely upon. They are the ones who have the power now on this human playground to connect to Our Light in their hearts and open to receive all the gifts that we gave them from the beginning of their creation.

They will come together, and see beyond their outer appearances, the skin color, places of birth, as well as beyond the guides and teachers they have chosen to follow.

They will remember that they are all wearing costumes. They will know that the things that make them appear different are all made up. They will know that they are disguises meant to make the game of hide and seek more fun and interesting. They will remember that Our Light is beneath those costumes. They will look beyond and know that they are all the same.

They will remember that they all desire the same thing. We placed that within them. They desire to wake up and remember that they are Our Light.

They will know that as humans, they all want the same things – peace of mind, love, security, safety, belonging, and freedom – all of the qualities that reflect the true radiance of Our Light.

They will awaken to what some of our children call – Ubuntu – knowing that they are all connected.

They will receive their gift of empathy – the ability to listen and hear and understand with their hearts their shared original nature and their shared experience of being entranced.

They will receive their gift of compassion – to be present with the suffering of others whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.

They will receive their gift of mercy – to care about the suffering of others and to do all that is within their ability to help alleviate that suffering.

And they will awaken to the greatest gift of all – the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the spirit of Our Light and Love. The One who, with the still, small voice within is forever reminding them who they are.

They will receive their gift to comprehend and their capacity to use all of these gifts to bring forth upon this playground a new earth – a new reality that embodies all of the qualities that We Are, they are.

This is what we know! We know our children. We know they are awakening! And, we see that day now!”

The End!

Healing Ourselves and Our World

Each Wednesday, my prayer partner, Rev. Karen Romestan, and I connect by phone to pray with each other about what is on our hearts. This week, as we were both preparing to watch the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, we chose to pray for the healing of our nation.

Two weeks ago, we all watched in shock and disbelief as the Capitol Building was under siege by men and women who were expressing their pain and fear in destructive ways. While I felt horrified by the violence, I was not surprised by it. And while I believe that violence is never the answer, I can understand and have empathy for their desperation.

If we have been paying attention, we know that there are many people in this country who are afraid that their “way of life” is being threatened. They are fearful that they are being robbed of their safety, security, and power over their own lives. They fear that their financial well-being is in jeopardy. They believe that their personal freedoms are being infringed. Many worry that they will soon be the racial and ethnic minority. They are scared, and they are fighting back. They want to be heard.

This past summer, we witnessed protests and violence in the streets of our country in response to the murder of George Floyd, Briana Taylor, Ahmad Arbury, and innumerable other Black people, not just in 2020, but in the decades and centuries past. Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color (BIPOC) have been dismissed, disenfranchised, and disinherited by persons of European dissent since the founding of this country. While I hold the violence is never the answer, I can understand and have empathy for their desperation.

If we have been paying attention and educating ourselves, we know about the genocide of the Indigenous people by our ancestors of European dissent. We know about the capture of African people who were brought to this country on ships where they were treated as less than animals, sold into slavery, beaten, raped, maimed, branded, ripped from their children, and killed.

After the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, they were freed, but given nothing on which to survive, many became indentured servants to landowners, and others died or were killed. They suffered even further atrocities under Jim Crow laws, which I recently learned were the basis for the Nazi Race Laws. They are angry. They are weary. They are not asking for superiority, simply equality. They want to be heard.

There are certainly other groups, including Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Mormons, and others who have been persecuted for their religious beliefs and practices. LGBTQ+ persons have been disowned, beaten, and killed because of who they are. Women have been and often continue to be treated as second class citizen and sex objects. Children suffer abuse at the hands of their parents and other caregivers. Human trafficking is rampant. And the list continues.

We need healing, not only in America, but around the world. How do we heal?

How do we heal?

In Unity metaphysics, we understand that true ‘healing’ takes place on the inner plane before it is manifest on the outer. We cannot expect to heal the conditions of the world until we heal our hearts and minds. It is easy for us to point the finger at others and say, “They need to do something. They need to do their healing work.” It is much more challenging for most of us to look at ourselves and admit where we need to do our own healing.

Healing occurs within when we honestly and completely accept that we are the Christ of God, the only begotten of God in conscious human expression endowed with all the qualities we often assign to God, including love, beauty, order, harmony, and peace. As Unity minister and author, Eric Butterworth, says in Discover the Power within You, “The Christ in you is you at the point of God.”

We will heal within when we know who we are and fully realize what that means. Healing happens on the outer when we commit ourselves to living as the Christ of God in the world.

As the Christ of God, we know no fear.

As the Christ of God, we know our wholeness.

As the Christ of God, we know that our safety, security, and well-being rest in the calm assurance of who we are, not in the conditions of the world.

As the Christ of God, we know our unity with all humankind and all creation.

As the Christ of God, we know that we are the chosen of God and so is everyone else.

As the Christ of God, we know that we are special, but no more special than another.

As the Christ of God, we know that we are worthy of all the good we can receive, and we know that for everyone else as well.

As the Christ of God, we see the Christ in ourselves and in all others.

As the Christ of God, we use the power of our thoughts, words, and actions to help others remember this truth for themselves.

As the Christ of God, we use our thoughts, words, and actions to uplift those who are oppressed and hurting.

As the Christ of God, we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and give our time, love, and presence to those who are imprisoned in their fear, anger, and pain.

As the Christ of God, we live empathy, understanding, and compassion for ourselves and all others.

As the Christ of God, we know that the Kingdom is within us and among us, and we work to manifest the Kingdom upon the Earth.

Knowing that we are the Christ of God is the first step in healing ourselves. Living as the Christ of God is the first step in healing the world. It is a moment-by-moment decision. In addition to the above quote, Eric Butterworth in Discover the Power within You tells us that our way shower and elder brother, Jesus, “made a decision for Christ.” He made the decision to know himself as the Christ and taught us that we are that as well. He made the decision to live as the Christ as he ministered to those in need, uplifted the disenfranchised, and called us up to a higher standard. We are called to follow him in this way as we heal ourselves and our world.  

Healing begins with you and with me and extends to all others through the power of our choice to use our thoughts, words, and actions in service to the Christ of God that each of us is.

 

Love in Thoughts, Words, and Actions

Earlier this week, I watched the film, King in the Wilderness, a 2018 documentary chronicling the last eighteen months in the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. whose birthday we will celebrate with a national holiday this coming Monday, January 18.

Prior to watching the film, I had seen other movies about his life and read some of his speeches, but this film revealed to me other aspects of a man who lived his life dedicated to the principles of nonviolence while standing for the equality of Black people and working to alleviate poverty in this country.

This film includes interviews with people who worked closely with Dr. King, including, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, John Lewis, Marian Wright Edelman, Xernona Clayton, and many others. They recounted personal stories of their time with him which provided a glimpse of the man and his dedication, as well as his struggles.

I was in awe as I watched the footage of Dr. King and others marching through the streets in the South and in Chicago, streets lined with white protesters shouting hate-filled speech. Seemingly unaffected by the ire of the crowd, he and the others marched on in solidarity. Even though I am convinced that they felt the sting of those words, they did not return hate with hate. As Dr. King said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

These dedicated people knew that they faced the prospect of death every day, yet they continued to speak out, march, and stand for the rights of the people.  

I was equally moved to learn more about his stance in opposition to the war in Vietnam. He struggled with whether he should speak up. He knew that it would cost him. He was told by many of his advisors not to do it, but he could not remain silent. In his speech at Riverside Church in New York on April 4, 1967, he declared, “My conscience leaves me no other choice.”

His commitment to nonviolence would not let him turn a blind eye to the violence being enacted by his own country in Vietnam or remain silent. As predicted, he was slammed by the press, targeted by the U.S. Government, labeled a traitor and a communist, and turned against by some who had been his most ardent supporters. In her interview for the film, Xernona Clayton shared that this was one of his greatest disappointments.

I was reminded of a 2005 interview with Dr. King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, conducted by Tavis Smiley for PBS. During the interview Mr. Smiley asked Mrs. King if she thought that Dr. King’s nonviolent strategies would be effective in volatile world political climate of the time. He specifically addressed whether she thought they would be effective in response to the events of 9/11 and in dealing with Osama bin Laden, asking her if a nonviolent response would prevail in such extreme circumstances.

I was pleased to hear her unequivocal “Yes.” In fact, she posited that if we had been practicing and promoting nonviolence in our diplomatic relations around the world in the decades since Dr. King’s assassination that there would not have been an Osama bin Laden or others like him. Mrs. King further stated that the concept of “nonviolence” is based on unconditional love as taught by Jesus Christ and that when we embrace unconditional love as our guiding principle and respond from that consciousness, we naturally live nonviolence. Nonviolence is not passive resistance, but active response expressed as unconditional love from the realization of our unity in God and our recognition of our shared humanity. 

I wonder what Mrs. King’s response would be if the question were to be asked of her today considering the violence enacted by militant groups against our nation’s Capital last week. I can only assume that she would still respond with an unequivocal and resounding “Yes!”

I ask myself how I can embrace the tenets of nonviolence as I watch the news reports and learn more about the organized movement to take over the Capitol Building and the continued threats of violence before and during the inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris. I know that violence is not limited to taking up arms and storming the Capitol Building. Violence also includes violent thoughts and words expressed toward others.
I can do my best to refrain from engaging in those.

I can choose love, as Dr. King said. I can choose to give myself empathy and compassion when I feel afraid and angry. I can soothe myself with prayer and meditation, walks in nature, or by reading uplifting material. I can also choose to extend that empathy and compassion to others who feel afraid and angry and who choose to express their fear and anger in destructive ways. I can extend to them loving thoughts and kind words, rather than harsh judgment and condemnation.

If called upon, I can and may also choose to follow the example of Dr. King and others who were willing to march in the streets in solidarity with others who believe strongly that all people are created equal; that everyone has the right to live in peace and prosperity; that truth is important; that everyone’s voice matters; and that however flawed it may be our democratic republic is worth saving.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday, I encourage us all to honor his commitment to nonviolence and embrace that consciousness and practice for ourselves and others. If we are deeply committed, as we proclaim, to follow in the footsteps of our elder brother and teacher, Jesus Christ, who clearly taught us to love each other – we can do nothing less.

Take Charge of Your Life

Last month, I participated in a five-week online “Intention and Connection” experience with a small group of people from all over the United States, as well as one person from Wales. We were instructed to create an intention statement and share it with the group during the first meeting. My understanding at the outset was that the purpose of the group was to support each of us in manifesting our intention. I thought that the experience would be something like a Master Mind Group where we would be focused on supporting each other in connecting with our visions and working toward demonstrating them. I worked to create what I thought was a powerfully stated intention and one that I could embody.

I soon realized that this gathering of souls was less about manifesting an intention and more about making heart connections with each other and holding space for each of us to connect more deeply with ourselves. While it was not what I had imagined, it was an empowering experience.

Over the course of the five weeks, the lengthy intention statement I had created at the beginning morphed into something quite different. It became simply “I am taking charge of my life.”

While the statement is short and concise, it is anything but simple. I recognize that taking charge of my life is a multi-faceted process which includes, not necessarily in this order, connecting with the desires of my heart; setting and stating clear intentions; accessing the qualities of thought and feeling that I desire to experience; releasing habits of thought and behavior that hold me back; taking inspired action; asking for what I want and need; seeking support when I need it; making conscious choices moment-by-moment that support me in creating the life I desire; and knowing at the depth of my being my oneness with the Creative Life Energy referred to by many names, the most common being ‘God.’

As I know it for me, I know it for you, as well. Living the life we desire does not happen by accident. It does not happen according to some divine fiat. Living the life we desire requires our conscious and active participation. No one can do it for us. There is only one who has the power to transform my life – ME! There is only one who has the power to transform your life – YOU!

I gave up making New Year’s resolutions long ago, mainly because they proved to be futile. Still, I believe in the power of intention. I am committed to my intention to “Take Charge of my Life.” I invite you to join me on this journey as you take charge of your life, as well.  

This Sunday, January 10, I will begin a series of lessons which I am calling “Living Consciously” in alignment with our Unity Spiritual Center Denver mission statement – We inspire transformation. We live consciously. We connect authentically. Sunday’s lesson is “Your Heart’s Desires.” Please join me as we explore the facets of “taking charge of our lives.”