I have heard so many people say they feel hopeless, powerless, anxious, frightened in this time.
When we look at the outer world it can really support a story of doom.
I get this. I have some opinions about politics, pandemic, inequity, etc. I always have. I bet you have too.
Y’all, the outer world has been messy. Yes, it may be escalated, but it has been chaotic-this is not new.
And yet,
This is a time of GREAT HOPE.
Before you stop reading . . . 🙂
Here’s why.
The darkness calls us to seek Light.
We are called to find the connection within.
Not to change other people.
Look at the teachings of the spiritual masters. Never once did Jesus say, “love your neighbor as yourself . . . AND get them to wear their mask, vote like you, love people of all gender associations, race, size, etc.”
He said, “Love them.” “Love them as you love YOU.”
So, the 1st order of business is . . . develop a loving relationship with yourself.
This mess in the outer world-where it appears hopeless-that’s the very sign pointing us to clear up the blockages (the inner chaos if you will) to loving ourselves.
Now, here’s the coolest part of all.
When I begin to truly make peace. Have peace within my Self. I become a lighthouse for others. And, I become clear on how I am specifically called to help in this world.
This, I believe, is a great hope.
What if we all cleared up our inner worlds and TRULY loved as we 1st loved ourselves?
Damn. That is not a joke y’all.
Finally, with thanks to Richard Rohr for turning me on to Etty Hillesum who was a Dutch Jew and chose to stay to help at a death camp instead of fleeing the Nazis. Here is an excerpt from her writing,
“I really see no other solution than to turn inward and to root out all the rottenness there,” she wrote. “I no longer believe that we can change anything in the world until we have first changed ourselves. And that seems to me the only lesson to be learned from this war. That we must look into ourselves and nowhere else” E. H.
With Love and Hope,
Shannon
