Wednesday, January 31, 2018

"Ain't it awful" or "Isn't it beautiful" - Which path through life?

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

This is a very significant covenant which, if applied, can significantly change lives.

It is fears that lead us to play the victim and see attackers all around us. These perceptions of attack and victimization allow us to play the game of "Ain't it awful."

"Ain't it awful" fuels the media, gossip, our lives, and confirms our misguided belief that we are victims and the world is full of attackers and so can't be trusted. With this belief system we have created hell on earth.

This hell on earth appeases our fears somewhat because it identifies our attackers which identification makes counter attack possible and justifies vengeance which appeases our unconscious guilt for conjuring up such an explanation for our lives to begin with. This explanation is the basis for the path of the ego which we take not knowing we have a choice.

The choice we have is the path of the spirit instead of the ego. The path of the spirit begins with our recognition of, acknowledgement of, and decision to take responsibility for, our own shit. We come to see that in treading the path of the ego we have made this hell up, a hell based on illusions. We understand that we have contributed to the hell of the path of the ego by agreeing to play "Ain't it awful," and we can choose not to play.

The path of the spirit allows us to tread a path of blessings and precious gifts which can delight us and give us peace when we choose to see them in the hearts of our brothers and sisters. We decide to perceive and appreciate the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the "divine spark" which Peace Pilgrim talks about. The divine spark, the inherent worth and dignity is always there in our brothers and sisters, our fears have just blocked our willingness to see what was right there in front of us all the time.

We see what we want to see and we choose the path we want to walk: the path of the ego or the path of the spirit. We can play "Ain't it awful" or " Isn't it beautiful." The path of the ego brings death, and the path of the spirit brings everlasting life.

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