"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.

Question of the day - What's up with net neutrality?

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. So what's up with the Trump Administration's FCC eliminating net neutrality?

The road less taken is the one to heaven

Of all of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism the one with the hook, the one that seems to distinguish this denomination from others is their affirmation and promotion of a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. It is on the basis of this principle that all people even atheists are welcomed to their fellowship. The deeper concern in acting upon this principle is whether this free and responsible search takes one down the path of the ego or the path of the spirit? That choice portends a life of hell or a life of heaven on earth.

There is a difference between pain and suffering. Some people have great pain and suffer little. Other people have little pain and suffer much. What's the difference?

Pain is frightening for some. Experiencing pain they become alarmed and their alarm heightens the intensity of the pain and a vicious cycle is created where pain causes alarm and alarm intensifies the pain which intensifies the alarm.

Others have pain and do not become alarmed. They calmly observe it. They know they are not the pain any more than they are physical pleasure. Pain and pleasure are the same thing. They reside in the body and some people make them important in their lives when they are ephemeral experiences which rise and subside and in the end are not any more real than the importance and significance we attach to them.

As people become miracle minded on the path of the spirit, they take pain and pleasure less seriously and learn how to rise above it. This is the Resurrection which Christians make such a celebration of which Jesus accomplished as his body was being crucified. Jesus' example demonstrates that the body means little while the spirit is paramount and on the path of the spirit death is meaningless for the spirit lives on in the Oneness from which it emerged in the first place.

The concern, when focused correctly, is whether we choose to walk the path of the ego or the path of the spirit. The path of the ego is a path of pain and suffering which we sometimes name "hell." The path of the spirit is a path of peace and joy which we sometimes name "heaven."

As Robert Frost has written in his poem, "The Road Not Taken."

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Love or fear? Unitarian Universalism's third principle

The third of seven principles of Unitarian Universalism is to covenant together to affirm and promote acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth..." To apply this principle UUs need to overcome their fears and connect with the Love of existence.

Fear is what makes hell on earth. It is the fear of scarcity, of attack, of loss of ego.

Love is what makes heaven on earth. Love for ourselves, for our fellow human beings, and for all of existence.

It takes a great deal of self knowledge and self awareness to rise above our fears and to connect with Love which is the undercurrent and ground of infinite existence.

George said to Angela, "It's okay. I love you."

Angela had had an affair just to make George angry so he would leave her.

George didn't get angry. George said to Angela, "I know I haven't been there for you the way I should have. Most of this situation is my fault."

Angela was flabbergasted. She didn't know what to say. She was so taken by surprise. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a better partner no matter what happens. You deserve better than the way I have been treating you."

George told his friends what had happened and they told him, "You crazy, man. Can't believe you are putting up with that ho."

George laughed and said, "There is more to the story."

George opened his heart instead of shutting it down. He was motivated by love not by fear.

And so it goes.................

Prophetic voices and events - Michael Moore at women's march in Washington, DC on 01/20/18

Question of the day - What makes you a Unitarian Universalist?

When it comes to your UU faith do you know who you are? If someone asked you, what makes you a UU, how would you answer?

UU AWOL weekly report

Weekly report from UUAWOL 01/21/18 – 01/27/18

Stats

1.    During the week of 01/21/18 – 01/27/18  UUAWOL received 1106 views down 473 from the previous week.

2.    The heaviest viewing day was Monday, 01/22/18 with 202 views.

3.    The average number of views per day was 158 while the average number of views the preceding week was 226.

Highlights

1.    There was a focus on forgiveness and love.

Plans - Short term

            Readership has decreased for unknown reasons. It may that the blog has become too unfocused and cluttered. All features will be discontinued except the daily article on the spiritual life.

Plans - long term

1.    Build a model of UU theology

2.    Create a dictionary of UU terms

3.    Further develop an articulation of the values that comprise a good life.

4.    Describe and encourage deliberate practice