Good morning, Beloveds. It is so good to be blogging again. In my work to bring balance to my work and my life, I will be writing once each week, usually on Tuesdays. In this way, we can continue to maintain our Connection.
I pray that each of you is enjoying the blessings of this Grace-filled morning…and that you know and acknowledge the Presence of Spirit in your life. God is so Good…all the time.
This month I will be focusing my Sunday Taizé around the God Quality of Freedom and the theme Life is the Practice, with today’s focus being on the Practice of Belonging. With all respect and regard for our nation and all that it has taken to bring us to the present moment, here are some thoughts to consider with regards to yesterday’s day of Celebration…
Yes, I know that July 4th marks the celebration of our country’s independence from Great Britain’s rule. That was a long time ago…a time much different than today. As I contemplate the dedication it took on the part of the political and military leaders, the soldiers, and their families to win our freedom, it occurs to me that each and every person working for that common cause was dependent on everyone else to do his or her part. Without honoring and leaning into our interdependence, we might still be British subjects! Fast forward 245 years, and I find myself questioning…just how independent am I really?
We, as a nation, have evolved out of the mindset of Manifest Destiny (this is my prayer)…there is no more land to acquire. In fact, we are noticing that material resources are not infinite after all. As we move through the beginning of the 21st century, faced with a pandemic, structural breakdown, and a quickly changing climate, some of us might be asking, “Have we somehow gotten off track? Have we lost sight of what’s important?” I answer with a resounding yes! As a way to make sense of our lives and our world, we turn to the Infinite Source within for Guidance. And when we are quiet enough, we hear and remember that we are inherently Free. It is our Divine Birthright.
Freedom is the natural state of all beings everywhere…Infinite Intelligence, expressing and experiencing Its agency as all of creation…constant, and yet ever-changing. It is that Freedom, that Spiritual Authority, that infuses the process of Creation unfolding. It is that Freedom that is expressing and experiencing Itself as you…as me. Our nation’s Declaration of Independence says, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men (or people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are the Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…”
As we set out to become an independent nation, we had powerful aspirations. They can seem far removed from us at this time, and we forget how important they were (and are). But these words were written to help guide our nation as we grew into maturity, and we do well to remind ourselves of our initial intentions. Our Founding Fathers chose their language carefully. “We hold these Truths to be self-evident…”. They spoke of Truths, not facts, not opinions, not hopes or wishes. In the metaphysical and mystical realms, Truths are those Principles that are inherent, infallible, unchanging, and unchangeable. And they wrote that these Principles are self- evident, obvious…they can be seen by all. This is simply a given. We don’t have to prove that we’re equal. That’s just the way it is. Each of us has rights because we’re part of this human tribe, this human family. These rights were endowed by our Creator, given as gift by the Infinite Intelligence back of all that is. And what was this gift? Certain inalienable Rights…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Inalienable…the Latin roots of this word say that they cannot be taken away. What this comes down to is we don’t have to earn our Freedom. Not one of us has the right to more of it than any other. And no one can take it from us (without our permission).
This is what I mean when I speak of Belonging. We belong whether we know it or not, like it or not. Each of us is part of the we (We hold these Truths…), and as part of the we, each of us gets to help define the world we live in. We do this either consciously or unconsciously. We get to have a voice and to choose how we use that voice. Because of our inherent Belonging, I choose to offer you respect. I accord you human dignity and equality. Not because you’re smart, or you have a lot of money…not because of your ethnicity or religion, your age, or your level of education…but just because you’re a human being…an expression of Life.
The Zulu tribe of South Africa has a word to acknowledge this deep sense of equality and respect…the word is Sawubona. It literally means I see you. And not only that, but my whole tribe and all our ancestors see your tribe and your ancestors. It means I see you and you are important to me…I value you. Sawubona is a way to make another person visible and to accept them as they are with their virtues, their nuances…and their flaws. It is an invitation to a deep witnessing and presence. It means all my attention is with you. I see you and I allow myself to discover your needs, to see your fears, to identify your mistakes and accept them. I accept you for who and what you are, and you are part of me.
Sawubona reminds me to understand others without prejudice and to leave grudges behind.
It doesn’t stop at inclusion. It speaks of integration, cohesion, and belonging. In our modern time, and in our American culture, we are invited to become more inclusive. But inclusivity and belonging are not the same thing. When I am inclusive, I am inviting another to join my already-existing group. That person comes as a guest. The structure and rules have already been established. Inclusion says, “This is the way we do things here. As long as you are in agreement with what we have set up and play by our rules, you are welcome to join.” This is not belonging. Belonging says that each participant has an equal voice, equal value, and equal agency. It says, “I honor and value all of who you are.” True Belonging is when our full humanity as individuals, and as groups, is embraced.
Sawubona speaks of embracing another person’s soul, of seeing the Wholeness behind another’s shadow. Like the more familiar Namaste, it means the God in me sees the God in you…I see myself in your eyes. It says that my eyes are connected to a dimension of reality that includes my ancestors and their Divinities, and yours. It acknowledges our common membership to the human family. In this tradition, seeing becomes a dialogue. We see each other. We have an agreement, a communication that asks, “Why are we here at the same time? What has this moment of time given us?” There is an invitation to participate in one another’s lives. And there is an obligation to give to another whatever is required for that moment in life to be enhanced. Seeing implies the question, “How do I have to be for you to be free?” If I limit one person’s freedom, I limit my own. There is, after all, only One of us here. When one is greeted with Sawubona, the appropriate response is Shikoba, which means, Thank you for seeing me. By recognizing me, you’ve brought me into existence.
It is my prayer that each of us approaches the apparent other, and our world in general, with the spirit of Sawubona; that we acknowledge our entanglement, our Oneness, and our interdependence. We belong together, all of us. No exceptions. We are inherently equal, members of one family. With these contemplations in mind, I invite and welcome the voice of Spirit as we take these words into a few moments of silence…“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men (or people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are the Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…”
We recognize and honor the Freedom granted to all beings, as Divine Birthright. As we come to know and embody these powerful words, life on earth is forever changed. We leave our lasting imprint…we make a difference. And in closing…
There is only the One. This One expresses and experiences Itself as all of Life, as all of Creation. It is the One that I know as Source, as Intelligence and Wisdom, as Love and Compassion.
It is the One that infuses every aspect of my being, and at the same time, surrounds me so that I come to know myself as Sacred Human…an aspect of God forever swimming in a sea of God. There is nothing else. Knowing that all is God means that I belong here, that each of us belongs here, together. Each of us brings a unique expression, and each of us is being called to learn to dance more Gracefully with other God-beings. Some of these we call humans, some we call two-leggeds and four-leggeds, some we call plants, some we call rocks and soil, fire, and water. No matter the form, we are being called to acknowledge and live from our inherent sense of Freedom and belonging.
As we begin to let go of our perceived separation, and to embrace our actual, literal Oneness, Freedom emerges…each of us Free to express and share our gifts, each of us Free to pursue Life, Liberty, and a true sense of Happiness. We remember that Freedom is Liberty, which is inherent…God-given, not License, which is granted by human authority and often grows from the ego’s need to have its way.
Here and now, I breathe that in…I accept and know my inherent Freedom and honor the Freedom of others. I accept the responsibility that my Freedom implies. I walk each step grounded in a sense of belonging…that we all belong…and that we are learning day by day, how to respect and honor one another more fully. I understand that the Power of my thoughts, words, and actions is mighty, and that I Am forever channeling the Power of creation…consciously or not. Here and now, I commit to play my part consciously…to do my spiritual work…to open my heart where it has become closed…to see through the veil of separation that threatens to blind me to the Truth.
Thank you, Spirit, for reminding me who I Am. Thank you for opening my heart and mind, making me more and more willing to embody and live from that Truth. Thank you for my evolving faith…I know that it allows me to welcome and embrace the changes that are forever within and around me. And thank you for the Grace and Ease that permeate my experience when I let it. In this prayerful moment, I bask in the Life that fills me to overflowing so that I might bless all who cross my path in this coming week.
Knowing the immense Power of my word and knowing that it creates my experience here and now, I release this prayer to the Wisdom and Intelligence that I call God, knowing beyond all doubt that it is already active and moving my words into form in more Beautiful ways than I can imagine…in ways that serve the Whole of Creation. I see it, I feel it, I know it. And so, I rest, calling it done…And so it is…Amen!
May your days be filled with the Grace of knowing Who and Whose you are!
May we all 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…
