Me and My Shadow

 In my regular email from Richard Rohr this line grabbed me today:

Usually everybody else can see our shadow, so it is crucial that we learn what everybody else knows about us—except us!

I've often said that we cannot hide our consciousness, but somehow this way of putting it strikes right at the heart of it. And he's right that we can hide it from ourselves, even though the world can see it.

Our shadow is the dark side in us, the inner dialogue of judgemental thoughts and angry or fearful or hateful feelings everything we don't want the world, let alone God, to know. We need a good inner bath of light and love. It is, of course, ego driven - the part of us that thinks itself superior and so judge and jury of all.

If we are sincere about our spiritual life, we simply must face our own shadows. The great news is that God is merciful and forgiving and calls us to be likewise. We are called to forgive ourselves and others and to cherish ourselves and others. We are not called to be perfect, but to be honest and sincere and loving, always striving for an ever more full connection to all things divine. We are to walk the path of awakening and get back on quickly if we should stumble and step off.

There are no spiritual teachings, of which I am aware, that call us to be angry or mean or judgemental and fill up our egos. Yet so many people act as if that is the natural way to be.

Let us look honestly at ourselves and repair the broken pieces and get ourselves firmly and sincerely on The Path. 

Walk with the Light. Be Love. Gently walk out of the shadow of the false self and be free. All is well with your soul.

Post-Retreat

Yesterday my handouts and experiences centered around the spiritual second birth. As always, I learned from my own retreat. I was filled with joy and remembered again how much I love leading retreats and sharing what I've come to know.

I felt new doors opening in me as I turn to the last chapter of this earthly life. I have more to do, and I am being led. I am excited about where God is leading me next.

I've often said that, if people are in my presence, it is with purpose, and I am to spiritually share with them. So, one of the interesting things yesterday was a woman came who came to our church for the first time Sunday. So while I spoke of the idea of emptiness making anything useful (doors make the room useful, cups have to be empty to receive liquid, etc.), this woman came full, sure she knew everything there was to know about God, Jesus and the Bible. She smugly told me she didn't agree with anything I said and would not be back. Okay, but she did stay for the whole day. So I'm thinking seeds got planted in her soul that will germinate and lead her to a more expansive spiritual life when she is ready, or maybe before she is ready as a spiritual surprise.

What I know is the realm of Spirit, of God, is always calling us. Second birth, or maybe third or fourth or twelfth birth, is there waiting for us to answer the call.

Pre-Retreat

I'm leading a mini-retreat Thursday for the women at church, it's only 10-1:30. As I meditate and pray and  develop the experiences we shall share, I'm experiencing it all ahead of time. I realize that I am having a pre-retreat.

My goal is to lead people to experience The Presence in multiple ways. I hope a major opening happens. I hope for inner moments that transform.

Lord, guide and lead me to present a deeply meaningful day. 

Being Helpful

 According to Swedenborg:

Faith apart from good works is just this kind of airy nothing or image, and so are faith and goodwill apart from their practice...

Helpful acts are the good that love does, deriving their essence from the union of what is good and what is true.

It seems to me that my faith almost compels me to act in accordance to its nature. What I hold dear and true directs how I show up in life. Since I strive to live attuned to The Presence and to walk The Way, my actions need to be in harmony with the spiritual realm. When they are not, I see quickly that I have stepped off the path, and adjust myself to what I know to be spiritually so. I seem to live in this dance of on and off the path, with on being more prevalent as I mature.

So, we must evaluate our good deeds. Are they done in love? Are they in tune with God? Do they come from actual goodness? Or are they from ego, from self-glory, a manipulation, or some such darker and less pure place?

It is good to examine ourselves and continue to refine our lives to bring them more and more into spiritual harmony.

A New Thought About Our Bodies

This morning, in that in between time of sleep and wakefulness, I had some musings about my body. 

I saw my body something like a small child or even a pet dog. The "I" that is living in this body has to take care of its body, or it will not be able to stay vital and useful. "I" have to bathe, brush and comb, feed, protect, and be in charge of the body. The body is a vehicle for my soul to be able to be here and learn and grow and contribute. In a similar way to taking care of my car so it can transport my body. I must take care of my body to transport my soul.

Some people do not take very good care of their bodies. They do destructive things like eating way too much so they carry huge amounts of fat wherever they go, or they feed it drugs to numb it, or do all number of things that are opposite of tenderly taking care of the vehicle of their soul.

There are also those who harm the bodies of other people. I wonder if we could clearly see what the body is, if violence against self or others would cease???

It seems to me, it would be wise to care for our bodies so that our souls can get the full experience of human life on earth and learn what our lessons are here in this life. Maybe we could see the sacred job our bodies have as the vehicles of our souls, of everyone's souls. 

Bless the amazing human body, bless our particular human bodies, bless all bodies. Thank You God for this awareness. Help me be a better steward of the body You gave me.

Goodwill Might Not Always Be Good

I'm reading a Swedenborg book this morning, "Regeneration." The section where I am is about who is our neighbor. It is very interesting.

He says our closest and highest neighbor is the Lord. To me, thinking of the Lord as my neighbor is a new way to look at our relationship. He is in me, along side of me and my constant companion, yes I've known that. The neighbor, the most wonderful neighbor, puts a new spin on my thinking. I will contemplate that.

He basically says my neighbors are those in my life, my church my country - at least all who are of goodwill. All of goodwill deserve my love and support, but not those of ill will, not the self-serving, the greedy, the evil behaving people. It is not good to support the darkness. Refrain from supporting those who engage in harm.

He makes sense, in that whatever we support grows stronger. At first it seems in conflict with Jesus's idea of loving our enemies and praying for those who spitefully use you. But on further thought it is not in conflict. It is loving to support the highest and best in ourselves and others. And, conversely, it is not loving to support the lowest and ugliest in ourselves and others. It is, however, to my mind, that being a neighbor of goodwill to those who are in darkness includes praying for them and also not encouraging their darkness.

Looking at all of this from Swedenborg's point, my charity and goodwill are to be focused on those of goodwill. They aren't to be focused on those of ill will, as that encourages more ill will. Here are some of his words:

 Goodwill, then, is an inner motivation that makes us want to do what is good and to do this without reward. Doing this is the joy of our life...

If people have love for themselves and the world as their goal, there is no way they can be focused on goodwill. They do not even know what goodwill is; and they completely fail to grasp the fact that intending and doing good for their neighbor without looking for payment is a heaven inside them—that inherent in this impulse there is just as much happiness as heaven’s angels have: more than words can convey.

  --- Swedenborg

Memorial Day/Decoration Day

In The United  States of America, today is our annual honoring of those who have died in service to our country. Let me rephrase that. We honor military deaths in service to our country in warfare. Not included are other categories of people who have died in service, such as medical people or police or fire persons  or construction workers or anyone saving lives or building bridges or doing various heroic things. I add them in my heart and am also thankful for their service.

Our military is important, necessary and vital to protect us from those who would do us harm. We are grateful for their service. We are also grateful for all those in other categories who have died in service.

As always there is another way to look at it. Consider this with me: It is only because of our unhealed consciousness that we need the military. If we actually realized and lived spiritual Truth, we would honor one another as sacred. We would no longer attack one another. We would lift each other up. 

We would celebrate both our differences and our Oneness. Just as my eye is different from my toe, yet part of me, there are varieties of people who are all part of humanity.

Consider how life on earth could be, the potential right in front of us, if we healed ourselves. No greed, no power struggles, no egos leading the way anymore. It may seem far-fetched, unlikely even, but in my heart I know it to be possible.