What is it that you really want?

Truth cannot deal with the errors that you want. T-3.IV.7:2 A Course In Miracles.

This statement made me laugh at first and then I felt sad.

Alas, we continually try to push square pegs into round holes. After much frustration, confusion, fear, consternation, we finally question what we are doing and say to ourselves, “There must be a better way.” Indeed, there is.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, in step one, we finally admit that our lives, as we have been living them, are unmanageable.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. In this search we finally become aware of the false promises of the ego and turn to the Spirit as the source of our peace and joy.

Today, it is suggested that we stop and question what it is that we want that we think will make us happy. As we reflect, we may start to laugh at how silly and misguided we have been. Then, a sadness will settle in because of our realization of how much time and energy we have wasted. And then we will refocus on the Spirit of Unconditional Love which brings us a gentle peace and joy. As Beatles sang, “Love is all there is.”

Truth can be perceived as a threat.

Thereafter, spirit is perceived as a threat, because light abolishes darkness merely by showing you it is not there. Truth will always overcome error in this way. This cannot be an active process of correction because, as I have already emphasized, knowledge does not do anything. It can be perceived as an attacker, but it cannot attack. What you perceive as its attack is your own vague recognition that knowledge can always be remembered, never having been destroyed. T-3.IV.6:6-10

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The sayings are: “The truth hurts,” and “What hurts, the message or the messenger?” Truth is often perceived as a threat because what one believes and has identified with and invested in turns out not to be true. It is written in A Course In Miracles “Would you rather be right or be happy?” Many people choose not only to be right but to physically die for their belief system rather than change their minds.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step three, that we make a decision to give up our willfulness and turn it over to the will of God. In making this decision, we choose happiness rather than stubborn insistence that our ego is right.

In Unitarian Universalism, we covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This often involves giving up the “faith of our fathers” and going our own way in search of the truth. This decision often hurts when we get blowback from those we have been in relationship with.

Today, it is suggested that we consider that Truth is often considered a threat to one’s own self concept and to what one believes about the world. It is further suggested that this consequence of truth is not an attack but simply an invitation to give up one’s illusions.

You are not the author of your own existence.

This is why you cannot escape from fear until you realize that you did not and could not create yourself. You can never make your misperceptions true, and your creation is beyond your own error. That is why you must eventually choose to heal the separation. T-3.IV.3:9-11

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Later in the text of the Course there is a section where it describes how we as human beings have an “authority” problem. We think we are the authors of ourselves. This false belief raises all kinds of fears. It is not until we understand that we are part of the Oneness, merely drops of the ocean,” that our fears subside and peace and joy arise.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step three, that we decide to turn our willfulness over to the care of God. Another way of thinking about this step is to say that we come to understand who and what we really are.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This search at some point dissipates and we come to understand that all the searching in the world isn’t going to achieve our goal of finding peace. The goal of finding peace comes from surrender, a turning over, and realization that we are perfect already and that unconditional love is our natural inheritance.

Today, it is suggested that we admit that we did not and cannot create ourselves. We come to realize that we are already One with God and that our only challenge is to give up our separation.

Understanding of "God" depends on one's stage of development.

 

The understanding of god depends on one's stage of development. Just as children believe in an anthropomorphic Santa who judges them naughty or nice and depending on the outcome of the assessment may bring gifts or coal, people at low levels of development understand god as an anthropomorphically imagined person.

As one's level of spiritual development rises, God is no longer seen as a person but an energy. 

God is a verb not a noun. 

Until our cultural understanding of god shifts in this direction homo sapiens will continue to have difficulty creating a teleological understanding of our responsibility for co-creation as we continue our evolutionary journey towards sanctification of all existence.

Yearning to emerge into something greater than oneself.

Perception did not exist until the separation introduced degrees, aspects and intervals. Spirit has no levels, and all conflict arises from the concept of levels. Only the Levels of the Trinity are capable of unity. The levels created by the separation cannot but conflict. This is because they are meaningless to each other. T-3.IV.1:5-9

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Human beings learn by comparing and contrasting. Science is based on linear reductionism. What about the systemic? What about “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” What about the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part?

We forget that the parts are components of the whole and the holy is to be found in relationships.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step twelve, that we share our spiritual awakening with each other because it is in this sharing that we learn who and what we really are: drops of an ocean, rays of a sun.

As mentioned above, Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote a respect for the interdependent web of all existence. The way of the ego is to divide, compare, contrast. The way of the spirit is to unite, to join, to include.

Today, it is suggested that we consider the whole as being greater than the sum of its parts. Human beings yearn to emerge into something greater than oneself.

Interested in joining a small online group exploring the concept of spiritual intelligence?

 

Small online community forming

One of the things we have learned from the shutdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic is that the church is not the building. Worship and fellowship have continued without a building. Worship and fellowship went virtual.

Here at UU A Way Of Life we have always been virtual. We meet daily sharing a reflection on the realm of the Spirit nurtured by A Course In Miracles, the spiritual teachings and traditions of Twelve step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and the principles of Unitarian Universalism which some people covenant together to affirm and promote.

Another factor which has become apparent in nurturing the spiritual life is that it is not just a one day a week activity. Nurturing the spiritual life is a seven day a week endeavor. The sense of covenant in a congregation is a way of life not just a one hour a week coffee hour.

As we become more aware of the importance of solidarity in affirming and promoting our seven principles, we can become more creative in designing connections and activities where we can be supportive and nurturing of our spiritual lives together.

 UU A Way Of Life will be forming a small online community that meets weekly on Thursday evenings from 7:30 - 9:00 PM eastern time. The purpose of the group is to nurture each other’s spiritual life. Discussion topics will be announced in advance. The topic agenda will be developed from interests and ideas from the group members. Once the group if formed of 7-9 members it will be closed for 10 weeks. At the end of the 10 meetings, participants can decide if they want to continue with the group and/or admit new members.

If you are interested in joining this small online UU community send me an email at davidgmarkham@gmail.com