The Purpose of Lent

Lent began this week as we celebrated Ash Wednesday. In the Christian liturgical calendar, Lent is time of preparation for Easter. Many Christians observe Lent by giving up something as a way of honoring the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In Unity, Lent is not about self-denial or self-sacrifice. It is not a time to deny our human experience, but to grow in understanding of our spiritual nature so we might live more fully in conscious connection with it.

Charles Fillmore, the co-founder of Unity, in Keep a True Lent, says, “Lent is a season of spiritual growth, a time for progressive unfoldment.” It is a time for removing our focus from the things of world, and instead placing our attention on the things of Spirit. Lent is a time to “Let Go, and Let God.” 

It is a time for letting go of our attachment to our limited thoughts and beliefs about who we are which constitute our “ego structure,” and fully embracing ourselves as the embodiment of the Christ, our true nature. Setting ourselves free from the bonds of the ego structure is in essence the purpose of Lent.

Many, if not most of us, live within this ego structure without being conscious of it. It becomes our comfort zone. We derive a sense of safety and security from these familiar mental constructs. We operate under the false belief that, within this structure of clearly defined meanings, we have some control. However, these structures can become prisons of our own making. We are often imprisoned by them until we begin to become conscious of them and question them. We have the power, no – we are the power to set ourselves free.

It is not that the ego must die as some spiritual teachings suggest, but that our identification with it, as it, must cease. Also, contrary to some spiritual tradition, we must not try to dismantle the ego structure by attacking it.

Our attempts to dismantle the ego structure by trying to eliminate it or by dissecting and analyzing it are futile. In fact, that only serves to fortify it. The only way to free ourselves from the ego structure is to strengthen our conscious awareness of the True Self, the Christ within, and allow its Light and Love to dissolve the imprisoning walls of the ego structure.

We need not struggle and strain with letting go. We only need invite the awareness of our Christ nature to awaken in our hearts and minds through the practice of prayer, meditation and contemplation. We need only, as the master teacher Jesus instructed, “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), and to know that the “Kingdom of God is within” (Luke 17:21).

As Mr. Fillmore also stated, “When we can blend and merge our mind with God-Mind, the way is open for the Lord [the Spiritual activity of the I Am, the Christ] to glorify us and to lift us into a higher, purer, more spiritual state.”

We then attract into our life all that reflects and supports our expanded awareness. All that is not in harmony with our “higher, purer, more spiritual state” will fall away because we will no longer be attracting it to us. We do not need to know what we must release. It will be revealed to us as we are ready to know it. Further, letting go will only be painful if we attempt to hold on to that which is no longer in resonance with us.

In Unity, we teach that Jesus was not here to “save” us through his sacrifice on the cross. Instead Jesus was here to show us how to “save” ourselves. In other words, he taught us how to free ourselves from imprisonment within the ego structure. We can only do this by strengthening our conscious awareness of the Christ within and allowing the ego structure to fall away or be transformed.

Jesus knew that in order for us to experience resurrection, which Father Richard Rohr in his book Immortal Diamond equates to the “revelation of the True Self,” that we must also experience death. The death that we must experience is a transformation of the ego structures that we have allowed to define and confine us.

I encourage us to commit time daily to the practice of going within to make conscious connection with the Christ of our being, to sit in the heart space of love with it, to see ourselves and the world through the eyes of the Christ, thus to free ourselves to live as the Christ in the world. Freed from the ego structure, the True Self enjoys the space to express in the freedom that it is. This is the purpose of Lent. This is the potential of Easter. This is the promise of the resurrection.

 

 

Dear God, How Do I Love Thee?

In my post last week, I mentioned the work of Rev. Paul Smith, author of the book, Integral Christianity. He is also the author of the book, Is Your God Big Enough? Close Enough? You Enough? in which he explores an integral approach to understanding and relating to ‘God.’ He delves into the concept of the “three faces of God” which I first read and heard about through the work of philosopher and author, Ken Wilbur.

In a series of articles published on the Integral Life website, Rev. Smith expresses it as follows:

The integral viewpoint gives us a revolutionary new way to speak of God in the “Big Three,” the three basic perspectives from which everything can be viewed. As applied to the Divine, this translates into:

·        the 3rd- person objective “IT” face which I call the Infinite Face of God,

·        the 2nd-prson intersubjective “WE” face which I call the Intimate Face of God, and

·        the 1st-person subjective “I” face which I call the Inner Face of God, our own identification with God as our True Self.

Further, he states that most Unity, as well as other New Thought churches and spiritual centers, have a tendency to focus most, if not solely, upon God in the 1^st-person, and all but ignore the other two.

I can attest that from my Religious Science studies I understood that it was not in alignment with New Thought philosophy to speak of or to an external God, but to only speak from the awareness of God consciousness. I was taught not to begin a prayer with “Dear God” or to end a prayer with “Thank you, God” as either denoted separation from God.

I brought that understanding with me into my Unity studies, and was appalled when I heard others speak of God in the 2^nd or 3^rd person. I was thrilled when I read Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett’s book, How to Pray without Talking to God. She confirmed that I was correct about everything I believed was right. I just love it when that happens; however, I also love it when I can expand my beliefs.

While I still appreciate the methods of affirmative prayer and spiritual mind treatment, I am happy to say that my perspective of ‘God' has continued to evolve. I am hopeful that I now have a more integral perspective. And I am continuing to contemplate and meditate on it.

I apologize to all whom I may have criticized or judged in my previous classes on prayer. Thankfully, we can all continue to grow in our understanding.

As I contemplate my message on Love for this coming Sunday, I am considering how to live Jesus’ greatest commandment in light of this integral approach to ‘God.’

 

Integral Christianity Network

To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength¹ is the greatest commandment according to our master teacher and way-shower, Jesus, so it is certainly something one should aspire to, but how do we do it?

In my way of thinking, God is not a being, but is the ground of all Being. God is no thing, yet is the Life that imbues All. God is Light. God is Wisdom. God is not someone or something to love, but is Love itself. Therefore, I questioned, “How do I love God? How do I love Love?”

“To love” implies devotion of time, energy and attention. We devote time, energy and attention to God through prayer, meditation, contemplation, presence, and giving time, talent and energy in service to others and the world.

Prayer opens the mind and connects us with God Mind, the Infinite or 3^rd-person God. Prayer is a practice of intentionally redirecting attention from the effects in the outer manifest world to the cause in the inner spiritual world. It is a conscious activity that moves us from the usual focus on the third dimensional realm to the fourth dimensional realm which Jesus called “The Kingdom of Heaven“ or as Unity cofounder, Charles Fillmore preferred, “the Kingdom of the heavens.”

Charles Fillmore, in The Revealing Word says,

Fourth dimension - A transcendent realm that Jesus called the "kingdom of the heavens." Here one can discern the trend of spiritual forces and see with the spiritual vision of the Christ Mind.

The fourth dimension (which embraces and encompasses the other three dimensions) is also realization, the doing away with time and space and all conditions. The human mind, with its limited reasoning faculties, is bound by time, space, and conditions and can get no farther into the spiritual than reason will take it, but when we go beyond reason into the realm of realization, then we have attained the consciousness of pure being, the fourth-dimension mind.

Charles Fillmore also stated in Keep a True Lent,

Mind is the great meeting ground between God and humankind, and it is only through the most highly accelerated mind action, as in prayer, that we consciously make union.

We love God as we devote time to our prayer practice.

We love God as we meditate and open to the inflow of inspiration. Meditation, going into the Silence, slows the mental activity and provides a space into which Divine Ideas flow.

In his book, Christian Healing, Charles Fillmore said,

A daily half hour of meditation will open up the mind to a consciousness of the inner One and will reveal many things that are hidden from the natural man.

We love God as we focus time and attention in contemplation, such as the one discussed here. Contemplation helps us move beyond our normal way of thinking, let go of our preconceived ideas about what things mean and how things should be, and open to higher knowing and understanding. Contemplating on Divine Ideas and spiritual teaching helps to activate the powers of Wisdom and Understanding and allows us to see ourselves and the world from a different perspective.

We love God, the Intimate or 2^nd- person face of God, as we open and invite the physical awareness of God, by whatever name we call it - Life Energy, Chi, Holy Spirit, or Shekinah – to name a few. Heart-focused breathing, a practice promoted by HeartMath Institute helps to bring awareness into the body. The practice involves focusing attention in the heart while breathing more deeply than normal. It helps to connect, through the breath, with the Life of God that is breathing us. Practices, such as yoga, Tai Chi, and others, also help to connect us with the breath and bring focused attention to the Life Energy that is God moving in and through all creation. These practices, when engaged in consciously and intentionally, are ways to love God through our devoted attention.

We also love God by being present and aware of the activity of God in and through all creation. When we take time to stop and witness the beauty of nature, listen to the song of the birds, sit beside a rushing stream, walk on the beach, gaze in awe at the night sky or simply delight in the taste of strawberry, we are loving God.

Most importantly, we love God through witnessing, appreciating and serving God in others. This is one aspect of Jesus’ second greatest commandment. We love the God in others when we devote time and space to listen deeply with them and share empathic connections. We love the God in others when we show compassion and kindness. We love the God in others when we give from our hearts to help them meet their needs, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. We love the God in others through the gift of our presence.

In addition, and certainly not to be forgotten, we love God, the 1^st – person or Innate face of God, by loving ourselves. We love God by speaking words of kindness and support to ourselves every day. We love God as us by taking care of bodies, getting rest, eating nourishing foods, drinking water.

We love God as us by acknowledging our gifts and talents and giving them authentic expression. We love God as us by receiving from others, whether it be words of praise and gratitude, gifts of their time and presence, or even gifts of a material nature. We love God as us as we recognize and realize the expression of the Christ that we are. We love God as us as we let the Christ Light shine in all we say and do.

Borrowing from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I ask, “Oh God, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Yes, I do love God. I love God in many different ways, in the formed and the unformed. I love God as the Life living in all, as all. Could I love God more completely and fully? Yes!

So, my contemplation continues and I invite you to join me. Count the ways that you love God in all God’s faces, and then ask yourself, “How can I love God more?” I am eager to hear your insights.

¹ Matthew 12: 30 - 31

Radical Christianity

Recently, on the Unity minister’s Facebook discussion page, a question was posed asking for feedback on whether Unity should embrace its Christian roots or distance itself from Christianity. As you might imagine, discussion ensued.

Some believe that we should distance ourselves from Christianity because of the hypocrisy and policies of exclusion, as well as other negative associations that many have with Christianity.

Others believe that we should continue to honor our Christian roots and provide an alternative perspective of what it means to be Christian, some citing Paul Smith’s book Integral Christianity as a model that we might embrace and promote. I have not yet read the book, but I have read articles by Rev. Smith. I am intrigued by the concept.

I have yet to respond to the poll. I see the case for distancing ourselves from Christianity so we may have the potential to reach more people with the Unity message. However, Christianity is so much a part of my DNA and the DNA of the movement that I cannot completely fathom disassociating from those roots.

While I am confident that Christianity is my chosen spiritual path, I am still exploring what that means for me. Further, I am continuing to explore my beliefs about Jesus, historically, metaphysically and theologically. My exploration may continue for the rest of my life. I am fine with that.

As I pondered, I was reminded of Deepak Chopra’s book, The Third Jesus, The Christ We Cannot Ignore. The Introduction to the book begins, “Jesus Christ left behind a riddle that two thousand years of worship haven’t solved. The riddle can be stated in one sentence: “Why are Jesus’s teachings impossible to live by?"

Dr. Chopra posits that for centuries Christians have tried to live according to what Jesus taught and they have failed, leaving us to question whether the Christian church misunderstood or possibly purposefully misconstrued his teachings to serve its own agenda.

Dr. Chopra asserts that what Jesus was actually teaching was more radical and mystical than most of us have explored or have been willing to comprehend. He states that Jesus “wanted to inspire a world reborn in God.” Further that Jesus, who had attained God Consciousness, was teaching his followers how to do the same, and thereby change the world and their experience of it.

So many of us have failed to live by the teachings of Jesus because we have, for centuries, attempted to live by a mode of behavioral, moral standards that have been prescribed by the traditional Christian church and have been superimposed upon humanity, most of whom are largely unaware that they can achieve the same level of spiritual consciousness that Jesus achieved; something that the traditional Christian church does not teach.

We have been expected to live up to the standard prescribed by Jesus, who lived in the conscious awareness of his Divinity; however, we have been expected to live by those standards from a consciousness grounded in a religion based on the idea of separation and punitive discipline. It is no wonder that so many of us have not been able to achieve the kingdom of God consciousness that Jesus promised, and thereby live from that consciousness.

Unlike the traditional Christian church, Unity teaches us that indeed Christ Consciousness is the potential for each of us, and that each of us is possessed of the same potential to attain the God consciousness that Jesus realized. It is the message that Unity has been teaching for over a hundred years.

In fact, the word ‘unity’ has multiple meanings, not the least of which is “a state of being one; oneness.” When Charles Fillmore, cofounder of Unity, adopted the name ‘Unity’ for what would become, not a denomination of the Christian church, but a Truth movement, he surely must have intended to capture the more radical and mystical intent of Jesus’s teachings.

As Mr. Fillmore once stated, “Unity is a link in the great educational movement inaugurated by Jesus Christ. Our objective is to discern the Truth in Christianity and prove it. The Truth that we teach is not new; neither do we claim special revelations or discovery of new religious principles. Our purpose is to help and teach humankind to use and prove the eternal Truth taught by the Master.”

Now I know how I will respond to the question. I encourage the Unity movement to honor its Christian roots by continuing to discern the Truth therein and prove it. Further, I encourage us to boldly proclaim a Radical Christianity. I certainly do not mean to imply that we should adopt what has become Christian fundamentalism. I assert that we should return to the roots of the Jesus movement, to what Mr. Fillmore referred to as “first generation Christianity” and strive to live lives grounded in the tenets of the religion of Jesus, which he stated very clearly – Love God, Love Others, Love Self.

I propose that we reclaim Mr. Fillmore’s stated purpose, and truly prove that the so-called riddle that Dr. Chopra says Jesus left behind is no riddle at all. Let us be the ones to prove that it is, indeed, possible to live by Jesus’s teachings. Let us be the ones to be reborn in God. Let us be the ones who establish God’s kingdom on the earth. Let us be the ones to instate the reign of peace. Let us be the saviors of world. And, let it begin with me.

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.”