The Journey of Christmas

"I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible." (Alicia says to John in scene from A Beautiful Mind)

However we view the birth story of Jesus in the bible, either as fact or a dramatic yet unbelievable ancient tale, it is a wonderful example of the hero's journey that can inspire our own journey. Every character in the story is challenged to move beyond the ordinary, out of their comfort zones, in order to take part in something extraordinary. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, each called to a journey filled with both danger and promise.

We too experience tension between motivation and trepidation, as our own callings at once excite our passion, and raise our fears. The invitation to discover a deeper dimension of ourselves is neither devoid of risk nor certain in outcome.

We may not have had an angel visit us in the night announcing God's plan for our life, like Mary, but we've all been visited by intuitive nudges, calling us out of our slumber of forgetfulness, to champion a higher way of living this life. So often, our journey to unchartered territory is beset by difficulty and loss; when our familiar identity is shattered by life changes and it becomes clear we cannot stay in the same groove any longer. We may have never been guided by a star in the sky, like the shepherds, but we've all been compelled by a passion to live more authentically, to trust and navigate by the light of truth within us.

What determines whether these callings lead us to an extraordinary life event or merely quicken our pulse momentarily is how we respond to the challenges that confront us along the way. Mary was fearful. When told Spirit had plans to do something magnificent through her, she reacted with disbelief and unworthiness. Ultimately, she surrendered and offered her willingness to be used for God's purposes, despite what it would mean for her. The decision would have repercussions: she would be judged and outcast by her community, her betrothed would be shocked, and she would have a baby with no explanation. Against a noisy backdrop of rational objections to the plan, she moves forward, because the Divine calling is more compelling than the sum of her fears.

We too can trust the process; the divine promise that has stirred us, to overpower the inertia of our fears and move us forward. We are all on a hero's journey, with pivotal moments when divine discontent won't leave us alone and we know we are being called to something higher, greater, more authentically us. If we allow this feeling to consume us, we can prevail against the dragons of fear and self-doubt. In such rare moments, we can believe that something extraordinary is possible for us.

Jesus' life and teachings are a testimony to the new life that is seeded in each one of us. It also testifies to spiritual life being a journey. As much as we would like Christ awareness handed to us like the proverbial bundle of joy, in a sudden birth of enlightenment, for most of us it seems to come at the end of a journey.

May this story of old, and this season of remembering the Christ, encourage you to listen attentively and deeply to Spirit's call. Like the characters in the nativity, it really comes down to being willing to just play your part in the story. May you have the courage and faith to follow the divine plan for your life. Do not be disillusioned by appearances. The night may be long, dark and cold, and the odds of success may seem remote, but the promise of extraordinary possibilities will be fulfilled as you remain willing to stay the course. Your willingness to move forward, joined with God's promise will surely magnify your soul, and lead you to the scene of new life where true joy will be found in the manger of your own heart.

Unwrapping the Gift of Love

A Guru asked his disciples how they could tell when the night had ended and the day begun.

One said, "When you see an animal in the distance and can tell whether it is a cow or a horse."

"No," said the Guru.

"When you look at a tree in the distance and can tell if it is a neem tree or a mango tree."

"Wrong again," said the Guru.

"Well, then, what is it?" asked his disciples.

"When you look into the face of any man and recognize your brother in him; when you look into the face of any woman and recognize in her your sister. If you cannot do this, no matter what time it is by the sun it is still night."

(Taking Flight, by Anthony de Mello)

The birth of Jesus of Nazareth took place in a dark time in the history of the Jewish people. When he arrived on the scene, there was a heightened expectation of a messiah who would come and save the day; one who would grow up to become a just and mighty ruler that would overthrow the oppressive Roman occupation. Jesus was seen as the light that would dispel the darkness; the precursor to the coming of the kingdom.

We live in a dark time, with many oppressed by the circumstances of these times. People are looking expectantly to better times; for something or someone to save the day. Many thought our current president would be that light to cast out the dark scenarios. Even though the slogan was Yes We Can, Not Yes I Can we leaned into the hope that one man could make a difference in our world and restore order and prosperity to our world.

Jesus met the expectations of his time with a radical reversal that turned the prevailing understanding of leadership upside down and inside out. Jesus did not fit the mold of a king that ruled with a sword that would smite its enemy. He proclaimed that his kingdom was not of the earth, nor a heavenly place or a better future. He pointed to an inner kingdom, a heavenly domain in consciousness. He was aware of the light within him and it shone brightly, unfettered by guile, or fear, or outer ambition. He also saw that light in all people, friend or foe, as the "light that enlightens every man and woman who enters the world." This inner illumination allowed him to rule with a sword of love which he unflinchingly wielded no matter what came at him. He was defenseless in the face of his enemies; unwavering in forgiveness as his only response to perceived wrongs.

Such a radical love seemed foolhardy and unattainable when Jesus walked this talk on earth. Two millennia of evolution still leave us struggling with the notion that such a love is possible for mere mortals like us. But Jesus never intended for us to achieve this exalted state of consciousness capable of unconditional love alone. When questioned by Nicodemus, Jesus told him that he must be born again, born from above. And so must we. We, of our little selves, cannot see the light in our brothers and sisters who we call enemy. This calls for a holy perception. Only when we can make room for the Spirit to correct our vision and show us the inherent innocence of every person will we behold their light. This is immaculate perception, in which we like Mother Mary, allow the Holy Spirit to come upon us, let it have its way in our hearts, that we may birth Christ vision for all our brothers and sisters. This is the holy rebirth available to us in every moment and the way we bring light to our world.

Unwrapping the Gift of Peace

"What a different Christmas season might there be if we entered our inner sanctuary seeking fulfillment before we entered the mall seeking gratification."

This is the Christmas season in which there is such glaring contrast between the peaceful message of its celebrant, Jesus, and the frantic, anxious energy that emanates from the commercial message of this season. The world's Christmas message is buy, buy, buy, while the esoteric message which is barely palpable in the chaos, implores us to sell, sell, sell. It is easy to see why many people call for the return of Christ to Christmas.

To our surface mind, our peace lies on the other side of some preferred reality that is sometime in the future, when we have something or someone that we believe constitutes the missing peace for us. With such a scarcity view of life, it is easy to see why acquiring more in the outer is our preferred approach to having a merry Christmas (or any other day for that matter)

However when we drill down into this well of desire, we find that it has no bottom, and thus can never, no matter how much we pour into it, be filled. At first this is horrifying news. However, if we continue down this rabbit hole with rigorous, honest self inquiry into the motivation behind our desire we find it is also the way to fulfillment. This is so, because in the depth of us, beyond human hunger and thirst, is the empty and vast state of our being. This is a place of peace that Jesus aptly described as beyond human understanding. It is becoming familiar with this part of ourselves that can best inform our choices, so that we know when it is time take hold, and when it is time to let go, when it's time to pray and when it's time to fast. What a different Christmas season might there be if we entered our inner sanctuary seeking fulfillment before we entered the mall seeking gratification.

Peace alludes us quite simply because we believe it comes on the heels of good outcomes. To our egos way of thinking, peace is conditional. Yet, if we allow the conditions of life to determine our level of welcome or resistance, what hope is there for our peace? You and I face this choice each moment. We do not know what the next moment will bring. The continuum of misfortune and fortune is vast and imminently unpredictable in this life. Can well being ever be achieved if the winds of change must always favor our preference? The answer of course is no. Yet, the ego dies hard and thrives on a continuous stream of dissatisfaction, ignorance or resistance of the present moment. Even when things are going extremely well, there is only a fleeting embrace of the pleasurable moment, before a past or future thought edges out a hospitable embrace of the present moment.

The importance of this message is in knowing that we have a choice when life shows up. The way to peace is one choice at a time. How we cast our vote in any given moment will determine the world we live in. We may not be able to control what shows up at our door, but we can greet whatever it is with equanimity, maybe even befriend it. Such an approach to life can transform our hearts and that is the surest way to peace without condition. As Jesus said, there will be trials and tribulations in the world, but I have overcome the world.

There is an overcoming power in you and me, and one powerful demonstration of that power is making peace with the present moment. No matter what this moment looks like in the outer, it is the only temporal gateway to divine presence, which of course is the only way to deep abiding peace.

Spiritual Freedom

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

These words are familiar to us, yet do we recognize all of what they are saying?

The freedom that the drafters of the Declaration of Independence were declaring and claiming for this country had already been given; already were the inalienable rights of everyone created in the image and likeness of God.

It is vital to recognize that our right to be free, unlimited, under no bonds, or binds, or restraints, nor limitations was not something that was created when men put pen to that document but arose in our Being when we were created in the image and likeness of God. We are first and foremost spiritual beings, with the birthright of freedom.

And while freedom is inalienable from our true self, it is often separate from our awareness, apart from our experience, lost upon the false self that is caged by self deception.

As we celebrate freedom which came from the Declaration of Independence in 1776, consider how this historical event is an insightful metaphor for our own internal pursuit of liberty.

Just as the men and women of those original 13 colonies sought to establish self-determination, is it not equally essential to our spiritual awakening that we dissolve the tie with any other external power that has held sway over our lives?

Like the King of England, our ego mind often reigns supreme over our thoughts and affairs and we have suffered the tyranny of a long train of (its) abuses and usurpations. We have placed the crown upon our senses that they might have the last word on reality. In return, we have been given a meager appraisal of life's possibilities. We are taxed without representation by levies of fear and doubt. Yet the truth is that we have assented to these oppressive practices, even while railing against them.

These truths are self-evident when we come to know our true spiritual nature. Created in God's image and likeness, we have always had the inalienable right to self-determination. Our free will empowers us to cast the deciding vote on every issue. We enjoy the liberty to find peace and enjoy a land of plenty upon the very ground of our being. Yes, we can live in freedom. No revolution is necessary. We have had it all the time. Each of us is free to dethrone false authority, declare dominion over our lives and reclaim rights guaranteed by Heaven's authority.

Let us remember the Declaration of Independence, not only as a reminder of the freedom that came to a nation, but the inalienable freedom that is Divinely gifted and inseparable from us. We can make this declaration of freedom each moment to remind ourselves of our right to choose to live in liberation or bondage.

This Sunday we conclude our Ways and Means of Spiritual Mastery series of lessons, with the focus on freedom, with a lesson entitled, Breaking the Ties That Bind Us. We will look at all the ways that we give up our freedom, such as fear and anxiety over the past, the future, and delusion of self in the present moment. Jesus said the Truth will set us free. If we are willing to declare independence from the mind that binds and blinds, we will see the greater truth beyond the limitations that our physical eyes show us. We will be able to lift up our eyes to the inner gaze of Spirit.

Embracing Human Love

"When you come to know yourself, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the children of the living Father."
-Gospel of Thomas

Most of us came to know ourselves early on through the way we were seen and treated by our parents. What they saw in us became what we saw in ourselves. How they responded to us shaped our self esteem. Like it or not this way to self discovery and self image is the way it is for us humans. It seems tragically flawed from the start. Or is it?

On the surface, it seems blatantly unfair that an innocent child is subject to the vagaries of his parent's dysfunctions and imbued with a sense of self reflecting their deficient self images. I have my sad stories of growing my self image, and you have yours. We are a huge majority I suspect. I once saw a cartoon, depicting a large conference room with hundreds of chairs, and only two people seated in the room. The banner over the stage read, "Society of Children of Functional Parents."

There being so many of us in this quandary of rectifying our self image as adults, I believe there is an enlightened perspective within this apparent stigma. Unless you believe that the human race must evolve to the point where parents are perfect psychological specimens before there is hope for happy children, read on.

You may suspect that there is a spiritual twist about to happen here. You would be right. For those of us who believe in a higher power, and affirm that the universe (God) is constantly conspiring for our greater good, we look to see the light within the blight. We don't believe in mistakes, no matter how unjust life appears. We believe that every situation in life can lead us to grow spiritually.

As many of us have entered the adult life aching to know who we are, grasping at idols to fill voids in our self image, we usually looked for love in all the wrong places. In desperation, and at wits end to reclaim our souls, some of us have been driven to our knees. When the pain of seeking in the world got too great, we reversed the direction of our search and turned within. We were graced with a realization that before we were a glint in our father's eye we were a spark of the Divine.

When it comes to knowing ourselves there is only one source, one parent that knows us as we truly are. Only this parent can show us our essential nature, love us unconditionally, and lead us unerringly into self awareness, and that is God, our true source. Before Mom and Dad you were created in the image and likeness of Love itself. That Loving parent is constantly reflecting its love back to us and recreating us in its image. This is the fully functional parent-child relationship that we all yearn for, and can all have at last.

I've not been a perfect father to our two boys. I've done some good, and I've made mistakes. I've been there for them, and I've been absent at times. I strive to improve but I will always fall short, which paradoxically I pray will lead them to the Father which art within them.

As Denese told you last week, I spent a week building a backyard deck for Denese's mom, in Vancouver, WA. It was an act of love. It was hard work, and I came up against my limitations, body and mind. I struggled figuring it out in my head and through my hands. Most of the time, my back and wrists ached. I hit myself with the hammer a few times, and beat myself up mentally for mistakes. The end result is not perfect, and the process was flawed. But when I finished last Tuesday I was sure of two things. I did my best, and Denese's Mom felt loved by my effort.

That's how love works at the human level. Whether it's parenting or any of our human relationships, we will make mistakes, the results will be less than perfect, but if we remember to check the level of our hearts and do our best to love each other, we will feel pretty good at the end of the day.

Be YOU, Be Here, Be Now

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David Thoreau

Being ourselves as fully as possible, honoring our embodiment, and bringing our attention to this present moment are the keys to truly being alive and fulfilled in this lifetime.

As I write, Larry is in Vancouver, Washington building a new deck for my beloved 78-year-old mother. Larry has wanted to get back into woodworking and building with his hands. So when mom spoke to me about wanting a deck in her back yard, and knowing Larry was yearning for hands on creative self expression, it seemed a perfect match. From our brief conversations, they are having a fabulous time building, creating, and connecting together. What I know right now, is Larry is fully alive and in the moment, not thinking of anything else (measure twice, cut once, right?)

As for me, I have our kayak loaded on the car, our dog prances about, ready to run through the forest, as we prepare to drive up to Tahoe and immerse ourselves in the beauty of the high sierras tomorrow. That is, if this article gets written.

This Sunday we explore the theme of "Be You, Be Here, Be Now". Wanting to practice the theme of the Sunday message before it is delivered; I need to practice being fully myself. That means I need to get very quiet, and like Thoreau what works for me is walking the forest, resting in nature, and listening to the Great Spirit within.

It is a time in which all of us are called to experience our true selves; to leave the false self behind, and become reacquainted with our essential self. Remember what Oscar Wilder said, "Be yourself, everyone else is taken!"

It is part of our mission at Unity Center of Davis that we embrace our humanity, and at the same time, express our divinity. This is authentic spirituality--the ability to experience and express in both worlds. The authentic self is our essential self. This is our real identity, the under-the-surface, straight-to-the-core identity. This is the identity beyond the body that knows itself as spirit. This is the you and I that truly knows how to live and love.

Then there is the masked self, the one who shows up uninvited and disconnected from all life, not knowing where to go or how to respond. She's the one that when you leave the meeting or party everyone (including you) and says, "Who was that person?"

Sunday, we will explore these ideas in greater depth: How can we live more deliberately? What is authentic spirituality? How do we express authentically? How can we be more ourselves? What is our assignment here on earth?

As I return from the forest, I know I'll have a fresh sense of self to share a genuine message on authentic spirituality. We'll look at ways of becoming reacquainted with the YOU that truly knows how to live and love.

And All Shall Be Well

"...All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" - St. Julian of Norwich

Every Sunday we conclude our service with a collective prayer which ends with the words, "all is well."

How is it that we can justify such an over arching statement of well being as a community affirmation? Are we ignorant, or in strict denial, of the human suffering in our midst?

Neither is true. We are not immune from the travails of the human life. Among us are many who have suffered loss, small and great. Some have lost small fortunes, others face life-threatening illness, and some of us grieve the death of loved ones.

How then, given our losses, can we express such a collective appraisal of well being? The answer is not in the circumstances of our lives, but in the context in which they arise.

We believe in a greater reality beyond form that holds us in its loving embrace. Beyond appearances of limitation and loss, we seek to know the infinite presence of Spirit within us and around us that remains undisturbed, and imperturbable through it all.

Rather than denying reality we are determined to see reality as it truly is-determined to awaken to God's irrefutable presence in the midst of our challenges rather than waiting for heaven in an afterlife. We do this with feet planted solidly on the ground of the present moment, standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow human beings, joined by our human vulnerability and spiritual strength. In this collective posture, we muster the resolve to look courageously into the face of our human dramas and affirm together:

The light of God surrounds us
The love of God enfolds us
The power of God protects us
And the presence of God watches over us
Wherever we are, God is
And all is well