“Do We See God in All?”
Dear Friends
Fear is perhaps the most ‘lucrative commodity’ in the world right now; but remember the words of the Master: “My kingdom is not of this world.” If we truly understand His teachings how then can we at the same time know fear, lack, or limitation? We cannot have a foot in both camps.
I refer now to Albert Einstein who stated: “We live in a world of problems which can no longer be solved by the level of thinking which created them.” Although this is a well-known quote, and we may shrug it off because we have heard it many times before; it does not mean that it does not apply to each of us, and to every situation, currently.
In our thinking (and believing) we are setting up (or making) laws for ourselves. How often are we allowing fear to become the dictator in our lives? And when we stop to consider, there is much business to be made from, and through, fear. Security in the world comes at high cost – and this can be viewed not only in money, but also at cost to our souls. We are losing perhaps, our faith; our belief, so are “giving it away” to those in the world, to ‘protect’ us.
Perhaps the biggest loss through all of this is the joy of seeing God in All. What has happened to the joy that springs spontaneously and unbidden from inside of us? Now, interestingly, this past month our meditation focus was: “The Silence” and Father Thomas Keating stated in one of his well-known quotes: “The language of God is Silence, all else is poor translation.”
It is only in the Silence (not just the absence of sound) but in that truly deep, deep, stillness where these is no intrusion from the outer, that the pure language of God is heard. Turning inward to that still, inmost sacred space, takes no effort, yet is the most uplifting “activity” we can do for ourselves. And it becomes the easiest and simplest habit – just a few minutes, at any time during the day: Be still. It costs nothing.
In a queue at a supermarket outlet the other day, I got chatting to a young man behind me who during the conversation quoted from Zephaniah, saying: “I will change the speech of my returning people to pure speech.” He asked me if I knew of Zephaniah, and I was happy to be able to answer in the affirmative. Zephaniah was one of the prophets in Judah who warned the people about getting involved with, or being distracted by, things of the world instead of maintaining their focus on God.
The prophets throughout the Old Testament – were telling the people that they were straying away from their Truth; that all their woes were caused by the distractions as they focused on the outer, forgetting the One that is in and as, All.
Those who saw the recent full moon (followed by the eclipse) will know what I am talking about when I say how awesome it was. A huge big golden orb slowly becoming a blood moon. When we see the moon like that, a rainbow, or anything particularly in nature that grabs us, how can we not fall in love with Creation all over again. That which is expressing through all Creation, is expressing through you and me. It is God living through each one of us; through each leaf and drop of dew.
It does not matter where we turn we are always brought back to God. And again, the question arises: Are we seeing God in All? Are we seeing God in the problem, as crazy as that may seem? Each situation or challenge can be a reminder that this is an opportunity – not to be distracted by the situation or problem – but to remember who we are in truth and turn to God, in stillness.
“Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing.” Zeph.3:17 A beautiful promise: God in the midst of thee……..
Are we seeing God in All?
In closing……
“The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive form—this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong in the rank of devoutly religious men. Albert Einstein
Bountiful blessings,
Mallory