Monday, January 1, 2018

New Yea's resolution - Practice of miracle mindedness

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Perhaps it would be better if UUs affirmed and promoted the inherent worth and dignity of all Existence. Persons have a tendency to think they are special, and perhaps they are if they are willing to accept that they are special, not alone, but just like everyone else.

There is a danger in UUs first principle if it is not appropriately understood. It does not promote specialness, but rather an understanding of the participation in divine existence. It is this participation in the divine existence which comprises its inherent worth and not just dignity but glory.

What is the self that we protect, defend, enhance at all costs? What is this self which seems to us so special that we lie, cheat, steal, and attack others to enhance and preserve? Is this really the purpose of life not only for our bodies to survive in a dangerous and cut throat world but to thrive if possible?

Thomas Hobbes said, " The life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." And believing this we make it so and so it seems to be.

However, this is not the only way of understanding ourselves and the world. We might also become aware of the divine witness which watches all this with first, horror, and then sadness, and finally with amusement when we realize none of it is real but only a drama of illusions which we have created.

This divine witness understands that peace, joy, and bliss come from recognizing the divine essence of ourselves and all of existence and bring our awareness into alignment with Existence's will for us.

Another word for this is Love.

Love does not attack, defend, protect, and separate one's own well being from those of which it perceives itself as being a part. Love extends, supports, nourishes, and facilitates the well being of all Existence.

So this new year will be a year of miracles if you choose to shift your perception from the specialness of the ego to the Oneness of the divine of which, realize it or not, you are a part.

3 comments:

  1. We have the hunger for eternity in our souls, the thought of eternity in our hearts, the destination for eternity written on our inmost being. —Alexander Maclaren

    When we become aware we must choose whether we want the temporal or the eternal? When we are young we want the temporal unless we are born and old soul. As we age, hopefully, we become more attuned to the eternal and the pull becomes stronger. We look forward to death to see what lies beyond if we are aware there.

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  2. This blog has become a daily delight. I don't know which column I like more. They all seem to blend together to create a harmony. This article in particular about choosing between specialness and eternity is a delight. It reminded me of this line from the Tao Te Ching.

    Can you let your body become supple as a newborn child’s? Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the light? —Tao Te Ching

    ReplyDelete
  3. For better New Year's resolutions click here

    3 things:
    Spend more time with friends
    Find a way to give something to somebody every day
    Get more sleep and exercise

    ReplyDelete

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