So good to be writing once again. You are with me always, in prayer, in meditation, in consciousness. For the past 27 days, I have been taking part in a daily meditation ‘retreat’ of sorts, which has taken about two hours of each day. It has been well worth the time, as it is growing me in new and profound ways. I have three days to go to complete the 30-day process, and I can only believe that this experience will overflow into our Community in countless ways.

I have missed the daily or weekly connections; and so today, I begin again. Isn’t that one of life’s profound lessons? In every moment, we can begin again. This month’s theme is Opening to Abundance, and I have taken it in a different direction than in past years. We began the month looking at Spiritual Abundance, and at last Sunday’s Celebration, followed up by talking about the Abundance of Possibility. In following this line of thought, I have been called to explore the possibility that a massive shift in consciousness is happening; and it is due to this compelling, tragic, yet amazing global situation we find ourselves in.  I believe that this shift is cultural; but culture is made up of individuals, and so this shift is also personal for all who choose to make it. What is the shift I am talking about? The movement from where we are now as a human family into a new paradigm that includes true open heartedness as a way of being.

I know that this situation has called me to a greater sense of compassion, to a more profound capacity to be open to what others are experiencing. It has moved me to a deeper sense of gratitude for all that I have, and an increased awareness that all beings are not so fortunate. It has deepened my appreciation for my faith in God, in mankind, and in the perfection of all that occurs, no matter the appearance. These are gifts that might not have been recognized to this extent in any other way. I believe that many people are coming to similar realizations. And I know that when enough of us have deepened in this way, a cultural shift into a more open-hearted state of being is inevitable.

What does is mean to be open-hearted? What does it look like? Let me illustrate by asking a question. Have you ever been around someone who has just fallen in love? Or maybe you remember feeling giddy with excitement…heart pounding, butterflies in the stomach…all at the prospect of starting a new romance. Now think about it – what other changes did falling in love engender? There was an opening, a greater availability, and not only toward the object of our love. We became more available in general. “It’s difficult to control the aperture of an open heart. It kind of spills in every direction.” (Jeff Carreira) In the current crisis, I am noticing that two states are being generated. We are experiencing a lot of fear and uncertainty, which tends to make us unavailable. We are constricting, more focused on defending or protecting ourselves. AND simultaneously, we are expanding, opening our hearts to the challenges presented by this pandemic.

As the result of current conditions, I am seeing some things that are really touching, people offering their gifts wherever possible. There are those busy in their homes, making surgical masks. I read about a whiskey distillery in Philadelphia, that seeing the need, has reconfigured the plant to make hand sanitizer. Also, in Philadelphia, because of the high-risk related to children going back to school, the city was looking at putting all students on internet-based education. The problem was that 45% of kids didn’t have access. Recognizing the challenge, Comcast donated $5 million so that every school-aged child could have access to a tablet. And then the school districts deployed the unused school buses to every neighborhood, as internet hotspots. All school children in Philadelphia will be online for school this year!

The pressure created by the COVID-19 pandemic may dramatically change the trajectory of our future. Not only are we seeing things that needed to change, like the children who went so long without internet capabilities and now have it; but we are also seeing that our capacity to change is much greater than we thought. In the light of a crisis, we don’t think twice; we just do those things that we thought could never be done. We surrender to the situation and become willing.

When I say we are opening our hearts, I am talking about a cultural opening, a level of open heartedness that affects our society, and ultimately the global community. People are helping to take care of one another in ways that might never have happened without such a crisis. Many of us are finding ways to extend ourselves, to relieve suffering in whatever small or large ways we can. We are going above and beyond to bring loving connection to others during this time of solitude. And as I witness the Good that is unfolding, I feel a whole-hearted gratitude at the outpouring of love.

While there are numerous challenges to be overcome, I see the need to move forward in a measured way. Why do I say this? Because this Great Pause is having beautiful effects. It is an opportunity for what teacher Jeff Carreira calls a global monasticism… an experience of stillness, quiet, peace. Even the planet is enjoying a break from our lack of activity, and I think we are benefiting, as well. I see the deeper opportunity as that of shifting gears into a different speed of consciousness. We tend to measure time by looking at the space between now and the time when our next accomplishment is completed. And because we want to accomplish things more quickly, the sense of duration has gotten smaller and smaller. Our sense of time has actually become distorted by our level of activity. What is interesting is that when we slow down and allow ourselves to experience the passage of time, we don’t focus on a future objective; we simply observe it. When we are in the present moment, our sense of time actually expands. And in that sense of expansion, we open ourselves to insights that cannot surface when we are moving at such a rapid pace.

As I close for today, I invite you to remember that…

…there is always an opportunity to begin again.

…God’s Abundance is ever-present and available when we stop to look.

…all things are possible when we believe.

…it is safe to open our hearts to a greater sense of love and compassion.

…each of us has a gift to give that is uniquely ours.

…slowing down, we open the way for possibility to become reality.

May we all choose to be Awake to the Infinite Possibility, available here and now…

May we be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!

And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…