How Do We Define Ourselves?

 It seems to me that often people define themselves by temporary, fleeting outer things.

Is who I am my poverty or my wealth? My infirmity or my health? My sex, my height, my job? My whatever, name what you will. Is my worth tied up by the status of my associates? Is agreeing with the current trends guaranteeing my acceptance? Does keeping busy show how important I am? Am I trying to impress others? Do I need and seek approval from others? If so, the you that is you is buried under a pike of meaninglessness.

Actually there is another way to define oneself. it requires different questions.

Am I true to myself? Do I know that I am part of a universe that is Divinely inspired? Do I know that everyone and everything is part of that? Do I treat all as sacred? Do I listen to my inner guidance? Am I at home in my own soul?

If we can say yes to the second set of questions, we are immune to control from the outside. Who we are is between God and us. We are free. 

Are You a Pioneer?

 It occurs to me this morning that some few people are mental pioneers, while the majority simply go along with the masses, or with their particular subset group. 

I was rereading Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on "The American Scholar." He makes some very profound points in it. It stimulated some thoughts in me, proded by his thoughts, thoughts from two centuries ago. 

 There are those who simply regurgetate what others have written. They are not participating in life, gaining experience that puts action into their thinking. Actually being aware of our experiences, considering their meaning and teaching, putting new ideas into practice, makes us pioneers. We let go of ideas and behaviors that life shows us to be false or at least limited. Then we continually reinvent our relationship to ourselves and to life in general, and of course to the Divine.

Things change. He gives the example of the mulberry leaf turning into silk. We could also say, the catepillar turning into the butterfly. The seed turning into the tree. The ocean turning into the rain that waters the crops that turn into our food. And on and on.

I suggest, if you've not had a new experience, a new idea, a new action lately, you're not fully living. Risk being a pioneer. Step out into this new day, never lived before, and open to the great adventure and mystery of life.

2025!

It's officially a New Year all around our planet. May it be filled with many blessings for us all. May we awaken to our inner peace and come together to create peace on earth.

In some ways this is an artificial shift. It's a new year, never lived before, yet if we don't grow and awaken, it's another string of days where we simply continue how it's always been. We have 365 days within 2025 to choose new things, or to remain stagnant, to remain hypnotized by media, to remain in our biases, and to just get by.

We can also realize that each and every moment is a new moment, never lived before, open to new and good/great ideas and activities. We can look into the adventure of such a life and create ourselves anew, to be the person we deeply want to be.

I suggest we make a list of the noble goals our souls urge. How can we, for example, be more kind, more loving, more peaceful, more compassionate, more in tune with the Infinite? When 2026 begins, can we see ourselves more of the above? Imagine yourself there. Imagine what steps you need to take to get there. Imagine actually taking those steps. Let's become that version of ourselves. Let's go for it.

Oh Divine Presence, I turn to You this moment. Show me the way to be more fully in tune with You. Lead me to take the steps that lead to You. Wash away from me all unlike the pure being You created me to be. Dissolve my false ideas, my fears, my excuses, and grant me the courage to go forward in tune with You. This is the year of my awakening. I feel it. I accept it. I rejoice in it. 

Peeks Into the First Century

Clement, writing about 95 C.E., put together bits of various writings that later became the Gospels. He mixed them together in a rather interesting way. Here is an example: 

We should especially remember the words the Lord Jesus spoke when teaching about gentleness and patience. For he said: “Show mercy, that you may be shown mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven you. As you do, so it will be done to you; as you give, so it will be given to you; as you judge, so you will be judged; as you show kindness, so will kindness be shown to you; the amount you dispense will be the amount you receive.” (1 Clem. 13:1–2)

I find this a statement about karma, among other things, or as Jesus might have said in his agricultural examples, it's about sowing and reaping.

Whatever we give out, either spiritually or mentally or physically, it creates an energy pattern that circulates and brings back to us the kind of energy we sent out.

I think Clement summed it up well. Wisdom comes to us across the ages. 

Birth - Resurrection

I was thinking this morning about Christmas and Easter- birth and resurrection. I suppose it is odd to think of Easter a few days before Christmas, but these ideas that come to me seem to have a mind of their own.

Once upon a time Easter was the BIG Christian celebration. Now it seems to come second to Christmas. I think part of that is people can relate to birth more than resurrection. Part of that is Christmas has been secularized and commercialized much more than Easter. Santa and gifts are more appealing to the modern person than the Easter bunny and candy.

Christmas to the Christian and to those who love the ethical teachings of Jesus, is the beginning of the story. None of the rest would happen without the birth. 

Resurrection seems magical and unlikely to the modern mind, but I think resurrection happens all around us all of the time. We see sunsets, and we see sunrises. We see the leaves fall from the trees, and we see springtime.  We see dead seeds spring forth to be flowers or food.  We see barren deserts get rain and become a riot of color with wild flowers. We see cuts scab and heal and disappear to new skin. We see deep hurts in our hearts ease, heal, and become our teachers, so that we become new and strong, over and over again. We learn new ideas and become whole. Change unfolds in our lives and we become new versions of ourselves.

We read or watch testimonies of life after death experiences. Over time and places, people recount similar stories of what happens when we die. We awaken as spiritual beings, evaluate the life we've just lived, and continue on. Our spark, our soul is born into the spiritual realm. 

We read about the University studies on reincarnation by Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker and others.  Some children recall past lives and share things they can prove as true. They have written books and have YouTube videos if you want to explore.

I suggest resurrection is not fantasy. 

Creatuon is Now

 God is creating the entire universe fully and totally in this present now. Everything God created six thousand years ago—and even previous to that—as he made the world, God creates now all at once. --- Meditations With Meister Eckhart

People argue  about how long ago the universe, or maybe our particular solar system, was created, or when it was initiated. Was it 13.8 billion years ago? Was it 6,000 thousand years ago? Was it some other measure of time?

No matter the number, it is recreated constantly, or as Meister Eckhart said, "now all at once." It makes me think of our bodies. Every year 98% of the atoms in our bodies are replaced! The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the lotions we put on our bodies, etc. bring new atoms, we expel atoms as we breathe out, through our bodily functions, etc. Atoms circulate. Yet it's still us. We are recreated over and over and over again. 

Creation is not a one time long ago action, it is a moment to moment ongoing process.

So too with our thinking. Our beliefs of childhood morph constantly as we learn and expand, reason and consider, apply critical thinking skills, etc.

I stand in awe of Creation.

 

 

Where Is God?

 God is at home. It is we who have gone out for a walk. --- Meister Eckhart

I love this quote. I have loved this for decades. Contemplate this for awhile, and you will reap many insights.

I have experienced the Divine Presence is absolutely everywhere.  The Bible has many references to this. Here is the Message Version of Psalm 139:7-12.

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

When we come to realize this in our hearts, the world is a far different place.