Earth Day

DIVINE MIND is the one and only reality. When we incorporate the ideas that form this Mind into our mind and persevere in those ideas, a mighty strength wells up within us. Then we have a foundation for the spiritual body, the body not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. When the spiritual body is established in consciousness, its strength and power is transmitted to the visible body and to all the things that we touch in the world about us. - Charles Fillmore, Prosperity

Earth Day is a special celebration of us and our environment. As we express a common desire for a better world, we begin from within. How we treat our planet is directly related to how we treat ourselves and each other. Yes, we want to have a clean planet for our children and future generations. We, however, take the first steps on this journey by promoting our own divinity and transmitting that into the larger perspective of improving our world.

My thoughts on Earth Day 2013 are that we are responsible as individuals to affect the kind of change we seek to promote understanding, conservation and preservation. We begin by acting locally and thinking globally to make Earth Day a reality in our daily works throughout the year and in the course of our lives. Of course, it is easier said than done, but we have to begin somewhere.

We are surrounded by what we might call challenges that put our future in peril. I would dare say, too, that we live among an infinite number of solutions of all sizes that we can summon for our use if we enter into the silence and seek the right answers. We can all be problem solvers if we connect with the mind that is the source of our power.

It's the end of the world as we know it [and I feel fine]

Michael Stipe and company must be billionaires many times over by the end of this apocalyptic weekend.

The Athens-based elders of alternative music jolted many ennui-filled and 'different' teenagers to dancing along with a song whose lyrics would not simply obey with the upbeat messages of most pop music. I think that this is why "It's the End of the World as We Know It" is arguably one of the most influential songs of its decade. Much like the music of R.E.M., that was designed to inspire a giddy frenzy of dancing and then thinking, the Mayan apocalypse story is the subject of pop culture smirks, but draws us into something deeper than what it appears. Humor and irony, after all can be our way of facing unknown disaster as predicted by an ancient calendar. We smugly tell our friends that we already know that those dead Mayas cannot pull one over on us so quickly, and then silently wonder if these Mesoamericans were not right.

Metaphysically speaking, the Mayan predictions have a lot in common with the R.E.M. song about the 'end.' They both are man made means of capturing their thoughts from imagination onto paper or stone. One rock group hoped to reach audiences with entertaining words that listeners could only dream of drafting. The Mayan priests more than likely wanted to entertain their brethren, by possessing a power that mere mortals could never possess. Sounds like our pop stars have a past life somewhere as more than just figurative "gods." Their words are simply ideas that each of us has to express, some with more meaning than others. Who gives these words meaning? We do.

What lesson can we draw from this as we enter another Armageddon-free year? If we can choose to ignore faulty predictions of long lost cultures, we can benefit from ignoring those who believe that they are prophets who can define our limits and predict our failings.

I learned from the popular television series "Mad Men," that this world can be broken down into an internal conflict we have. Do we do what we want or do we do what is expected of us? We free ourselves for brighter futures when we realize that, although we are 'expected' to succumb to Doomsday thinking, we have the individual freedom to want something better and know that it is coming. Equally, there are those whose 'constructive criticism' and unsolicited advice do us more harm as they create a world from the same human minds that we have. Our power comes from the Truth that we maintain in our hearts.

As I lay me down to sleep the evening of December 20, I know what I want in spite of what is expected. I want to wake up on December 22 with the morning newspaper and an egg and cheese sandwich. And I feel fine...

Use your mentality, wake up to reality - get tested

It's all about status. We know our marital status if it is not already apparent by what we wear on our ring finger. We know about our Facebook status because our cousin in Michigan can comment in the time it takes to check her cell phone. We also know the status of our departing flights because we waited two hours in lines for a one hour delay. The status that we often do not know is our HIV/AIDS status. Of the various statuses that we have in society, we can help to combat this deadly disease by being tested regularly. We not only do this for our own health, but because the choices that we make affect so many people around us. I remember the days in the 1980s when it seemed like the death toll from HIV/AIDS would never stop climbing. Friends, family and associates became casualties in this war against an epidemic that took away far too many of them before their time. Three decades since we have rallied around red ribbons and giant quilts, we now see a new generation of young people needlessly falling prey to HIV/AIDS. Education is essential to combating the ignorance and silence that go hand in hand with the spread of this preventable disease. This is why it we need to continue taking preventative measures (e.g. using condoms with sexual partners) and continue to quickly obtain treatment for those who do test positive so we can take a proactive role in stopping HIV/AIDS in its tracks. I was inspired because a colleague of mine lost her uncle to HIV/AIDS and I joined her in a community walk to raise awareness. I have always been fully aware, having organized a candlelight vigil for World AIDS Day while in college and having been a medic in the Air Force who was trained to educate people about staying healthy. Today, however, I helped in the fight by not just talking the talk, but literally walking the walk and by getting myself tested. This fight is not over by a long shot. To those who battle daily to finally win, I say that I am with you.

Happy Constitution Day!

We the people... These three little words kick of the preamble to a great document that serves as the foundation for our nation. These three BIG words affirm the I AM of a nation that, for all of its faults, continues to serve as a civilization that aims to lead the world in freedom and liberty. Two centuries after the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, we have our doubts about how our nation is progressing or regressing and yet we must observe this day every year to educate Americans and the world about how our user's manual for a nation should be maintained and executed. Cynicism has taken hold of our national dialogue in the years since Vietnam and Watergate but we can think of no other way to move forward together. For all of the talk about how the system is broken, we forget that WE THE PEOPLE are the heart of our republic. When fear takes hold, we ignore the Truth that our nation is guided by ideals that are greater than our petty squabbles and that it is up to us to fix our supposedly broken system. When we engage in the necessary troubleshooting to right our course, we must remember that our user's manual is the way to ensure that we get things right for posterity. We need not fear our future if we are faithful to what the Founding Fathers fought and died for to break away from an old order and to create a new system. Party politics aside, we can come together and we can achieve a common goal to continue to lead the world in freedom and liberty. Our world is filled with uncertainty and questions. We are plagued with problems and issues that seem to impede our growth. What is the solution? WE THE PEOPLE! HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY!

9/11 - From grief to grace

I was teaching English at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida when the towers fell. My heart sank when I received word from our security officer that the World Trade Center was struck again. I recalled the time in 1993 when the World Trade Center was first attacked and it never occurred to me that these mighty towers would crumble like my heart would that horrible day. The outcry was swift and brutal against those whom we believed to be behind this act of terrorism that killed over 3,000 people. The anger was understandable, but it often manifested itself in violent words and actions that victimized innocent people who happened to share a faith that was perverted by an evil few. Having returned home from the United States Air Force, where I served as a medic at Dover Air Force Base, the memories were also fresh of being part of the ceremony in which the bodies of those who perished in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole were repatriated to America. I also knew that, as a new Uniteens sponsor that I could do something to make a difference in how we reacted to this crisis. Through fate or Divine Order, our Uniteens group had a lock-in scheduled for that weekend. While our original purpose was to have fun, we faced a more solemn task when we gathered for our weekend sleepover. That weekend, we prayed and meditated over the tragedy that befell our world and we prayed and meditated over the world that we were responsible for co-creating with God. Moving forward, I challenged myself and our Uniteens to reach out in Spirit to find the common good in all. After that lock-in ended, I decided that I would incorporate ecumenical lessons into our curriculum. I found a book that was based on the HBO documentary, "How Do You Spell God?" I also purchased a copy of the video to share with the Uniteens. I felt that it was especially urgent to learn more about world religions and faiths because, when I was in junior high school, I held onto the belief that we were either Christians or we were nothing. It was simply how I was raised as a young Baptist before I joined Unity. This was no simple task, but I chose to make it engaging and joyful for our children. We created mandalas, we performed service projects and we connected with other Uniteens' groups in the spirit of the world that we wanted to see become a reality. I also decided to leave my own complacent comfort zone and attended Saturday meditation at our local Buddhist temple. I also attended synagogue in the San Jose area of Jacksonville - and attended my first Bar Mitzvah. These were the lessons and gifts that I wanted to use to ensure that over 3,000 people did not die in vain. Healing is not easy, but it was something that I felt that it was a task that we were all up to taking up as a cause for life. We can still observe 9/11 through enlightening ourselves to vanquish the darkness of ignorance and hatred. This is our call and this is our cause to ensure that future generations will never have a day like was had on that fateful Tuesday. Epilogue: This morning I attended Sunday morning worship service as usual, but was treated to something unusual. One of the Uniteens who attended our lock-in during that week in 2001 started volunteering in our Sunday school today. I am very proud of her for not only enriching her life through Unity, but serving a new generation of Unity students in a spirit of love and light!

Power to the people!

We are not powerless. When we say that we lack power or strength, we are affirming not just the negative, we are telling a serious untruth about ourselves. We are all born with an indwelling and innate power that propels us into this world of the living and wakes us to a new day for the entirety of our lives. Power is not some abstract dream of absolute control. That is the abuse of our natural powers that were meant for good. Power is a natural force that we harness each day to bring about the best in our world and is a natural force that he harness each day to build a world that works for all. Call this internal engine what you want - God, Light, Spirit, Life, Truth or whatever - this is the motivation that is readily available for us all of the time. What is my motivation? What is your motivation? It depends on what your purpose is in this world That is not for me to decide for you. You must take charge and decide why you do what you do or do not do. What I do not believe in is allowing our engines to idle when our work is yet to be complete. I learned this important lesson once upon a time when I was in high school and president of my Youth of Unity (YOU) chapter in Jacksonville, Florida. Please forgive me for revisiting this topic as I have touched upon it earlier in my blog, but this experience is what directs my actions today. In the early 1980s, our church experienced a terrible split over differing philosophies about what Unity means. There were no heroes or villains, just friends who disagreed and decided to part ways. This parting of ways was never meant to be the end, but the beginning of new Unity in our community. Instead, it marked the beginning of exile for brothers and sisters in Truth who shared the same path with my church community. When I was elected to be president of my YOU chapter, I was only sixteen years old but I knew that power meant nothing if I did not express it for the good of my community. With the lessons that I learned in Unity, I reached out to our friends across town. I paid the price because this was not a popular move - especially for a Young Turk who was not supposed to know any better. Yet, I did not walk away because the Truth is what ultimately set us free from the bondage of division. I did not walk away because my brothers and sisters in Truth did not allow me to. Instead of being discouraged, I wanted to do whatever I could in my power to bring more Unity into the commUNITY. It did not matter if I was elected, appointed or chosen to do so. We have the power of ourselves and not position to affect change. Did it help for me to be a member of my church board of directors to continue bringing our Unity churches together? Yes, it did. It also helped that I was surrounded by friends and family who supported me every step of the way. When I saw our former ministers return from a long exile to visit with us, it made me proud to be a 'Unitic.' Their return marked a homecoming for the true unity that brought us to the movement in the first place. Do not misunderstand, power does not necessarily mean that we have to move mountains every day. The power that we have speaks to its own strength. Our power may manifest itself in moments, minutes, months or even beyond our lifetimes, but we do indeed have the power to make things happen. Namaste