A dear friend and spiritual teacher shared with me:
Politics and spirituality cannot be separated -- believing that there is
such a thing as a spiritual life that is not political is just disempowering
oneself. It means not seeing the huge impact how we conduct our lives,
how we treat our friends and families, has on the world.
How we work with fear is very central to any spiritual path, and also how
we raise our children, how we conduct our business, how we raise ourselves,
for that matter.
Bottom line, I think that what you're doing is profoundly political.
How we transform ourselves, and support our friends, and create
community, is politics.
I am aware that everything I do and say, think and create makes a difference and affects my world.
Therefore I am a political being. As such I am called to be totally obvious without guile or guilt, without blame or criticism.
Yet I find myself in the middle of a conundrum of making wrong, comparing and making excuses rather than simply acknowledging and correcting our errors.
We can forgive our limiting and fear-based judgments and choose again. We can make different choices without attacking the past. We can wakeup and take responsibility for falling asleep. Currently I am making the choice to awaken to what is.
I know that this is the time of awakening.
What we see is a product of our unconsciousness and unwillingness to take responsibility.
We allowed our comfort to lull us to sleep.
With the shock of 9/11, we became terrified and terrorized by fear, and accepted no responsibility for our experience.
We believed we were helpless victims of attack and fell into a childlike dependency on our leaders.
We allowed the reign of fear to hypnotize us fall victim to our fear.
How we perceive our world determines how we respond.
A world of “terror” will result in fear. Naming ”evil” feeds it.
As fearful children we react by hiding under the covers or by shooting at whatever we are convinced is “evil”.
What would we do as conscious awakened beings?
We would seek inner peace.
We would seek to understand.
We would listen deeply.
We would answer fear with Love and respect.
We would teach by example.
We would live our principles of equality and justice for all.
We would accept responsibility and our ability to respond.
We would take impeccable care of ourselves.
We would be honest and keep no secrets.
We would set the goal of peace on earth and good will for all.
We would do what is fair and beneficial to all people.
We would commit to give our very best to everyone both friend and foe.
We would communicate without blame or guilt.
We would ask ourselves, “What can I do?”
How can I accept responsibility for my mistakes and make amends?
How can I be responsive to the mistakes of my government and make correction?
How can I participate in building a true democracy?
How can I support a governments of the people, by the people and for the people?
How can I vote for Love and not promote more fear and hatred?
How can I be a Love finder and a peace maker?
What are you called to do to respond with Love?
Loving All and Remembering “Awareness without judgment is healing.”
Betty Lue