"In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you. It is that there can
be no despair when you remember why you came to Earth, who you serve,
and who sent you here. The good words we say and the good deeds we do
are not ours. They are the words and deeds of the One who brought us
here. When a
great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt.
But that is not what great ships are built for." --Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Is it just me, or do you also fear the world has gone mad? I have been struggling with making any sense out of the current world order or lack thereof. I don't know who to cry for more; the victims of the most recent mass murders by terrorists or just the newest psycho killer, the Syrian refugees, the wounded or dead soldiers fighting this horrific war, the innocent children harmed, killed or orphaned, or the friend suffering so much they question if they even want to live another day in world gone mad. No doubt times are troubled.
I think sometimes I should feel more. I am realizing that I can feel as much as want, cry as much as I want and that won't change a thing. Feeling is about me. In my world most things are about me. I am sensing the need for a radical shift in my perception. If we are all living in our own little worlds with our feelings, our needs and our wants, rest assured we are living in our own little world of our suffering as well. When we are suffering, we have little room for the suffering of others... unless we've had a radical shift in perception from "mine" to "ours."
The time is now for all of us, for the sake of all us, to get it together. "Peace begins with me." I love that line. The only chance we have to save the world is to save ourselves. There is such prevalent evil in the world because every culture and every religion is suffering mass moral degradation. Why is it so hard to do the right thing? We don't do the right thing, because the wrong thing has become so acceptable that we no longer care to... because we have become too lazy, greedy, self-absorbed and untruthful. I know this sounds very harsh. Sorry, but you know it's true, and I am sure you can see some of that in you.
So much time is wasted in thought and such little effort put in to action. I don't want to waste anymore time. If peace begins with me, I want it to start now. Yesterday, on two separate occasions, two different older women, both strangers, went out of their way to connect with me, to look me in the eye, give me a warm smile and tell me "Merry Christmas." I liked the way that it made me feel, so I tried it out on two strangers. I don't know how it made them feel, but it made me feel really good.
We are told we should remember the reason for the season. What is that again? It is to celebrate Jesus Christ. But what are we celebrating about Jesus? His birthday? What he died for or perhaps it is more about why he came to Earth? Wasn't there something about peace on Earth and goodwill to all. I admit, it's been awhile since I read the Bible, but I did read it cover to cover once upon a time. Again, maybe it's just me, but I thought Jesus was saying to be like him... that he figured things out for us. What I remember most was that Jesus could light the way to God. He just loved people and served God. I didn't get anywhere in the Bible where he suggested much of all this religious rhetoric that has been spewed from the pulpits of the church. I've never read the Koran, so I can't speak for it. However, I find it hard to believe that it's message has not been severely twisted from that of it's originally, holy roots.
Lest we forget, God is everywhere. God doesn't not need a church, a cathedral, a temple, a synagogue or a mosque, but God is in all those places. We like to think we build these buildings for God, but they were built for sinners and saints hoping to have a place they could find God. God dwells within us, not outside of us. If everyone were to spend as much time connecting with God, surrendering to God, listening to God and serving God as they do sleeping, working, worrying and serving themselves, it would be a very different world. If you follow your heart but your heart is wounded or diseased, it cannot be trusted. Trust God, not your heart. Learn to know the difference. Get that right first. It's is really the only true duty you have on this Earth and the only hope we have.
Words are meaningless unless backed by action. In Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements, number one is: "Be impeccable with your word." We should mean what we say or just not say it. If you want peace, be peace. If you want love, be love. Whatever you need, whatever you want, be that for someone else. We are merely reflections of each other. Love Jesus? Be like Jesus.
Love People. Serve God. Stop the Madness
Merry Christmas!
