You Are God's Miracle

When I began this blog, I had a vision of providing uplifting words and inspiration for any reader who happened upon it.

While that was a good idea, I haven't really been able to implement it, for it seems that every day I read about some new outrage against God and humanity by some person or persons in our human family, and feel the need to make some cautionary comment about it.

This, of course, can get depressing. Who logs onto a spiritual blog to be depressed or have their ire aroused?

No one. And that's also why church attendance has always been so problematic. The minister seeks to lead his flock, but in doing so, winds up talking about what is wrong in the world instead of what's right and berates the flock for being "sinful."

Yet, when any of us berate someone or shame someone, no matter how "elevated" our purpose, we just contribute to the same old beliefs that keep us locked in suffering: that we're shameful, flawed and the only hope for it must come out of the sky.

That philosophy just lets us off the hook. For it's our thoughts, words and actions that create the reality of this world. When they are negative, they do harm. Period.

It's totally counterproductive to God's plan to deliberately produce all this negative which creates immense problems in the world, and then think we can petition God for forgiveness.

In fact, it's really hypocritical.

God needs us to change our thoughts, not apologize for them.

That's why, although we can't ignore the state of the world, neither can we afford to be "of it." That's why we are told to be in the world but not of it.

We must strike a balance between observing the truth of it and maintaining a positive outlook about how we can alter it.

As the Dalai Lama has written, "Every action [and holding a thought or image qualifies as an action] establishes an imprint on the mind that contributes to our future evolution. Therefore, the aim of all religious practice is to cultivate and strengthen positive, creative states of mind and eliminate negative, destructive states. A mind thus cultivated is both disciplined and calm; it gives peace to the person who possesses it, as well as to all with whom it comes in contact."

If this is true, and I believe it is, for I've seen concrete changes in my own life as a result of deliberately thinking positive thoughts, praying and meditating, then we all own a piece of the karma that has been playing itself out on the world stage.

Not only do we create our own lives with our thoughts, words and actions, we contribute to our collective reality with them.

The fact is that 9-11, all the suicide bombings, the war in Iraq, the earthquake in Kashmir, the tsunami affecting Sumatra and Sri Lanka and the many hurricanes that have destroyed so many lives and communities around the world including New Orleans, are our collective creations.

These events reflect the collective state of our minds and what we are doing to the earth. They affect not just those hardest hit, but each of us, for we are a global community. Yet, more than that, we each belong to a spiritual community. As John Donne wrote so many years ago: "And never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

The need for prayer and meditation and positive affirmations to cultivate and strengthen positive, creative states of mind and eliminate negative, destructive states cannot be overstated.

For, if we don't change our thoughts, we will keep on getting what we're getting. And we all know what we've been getting.

For those with good lives who think they can ignore what is going on in the world, harbor their grudges in support of war, intolerance and torture and continue to dodge the bullet, there's bad news.

Carl Jung said it best: "A collective problem if not recognized a such, always appears as a personal problem."

There can be no bystanders in the world of mind. You either commit your mind to justice, love, tolerance and peace or prepare for what you are putting out to come home to roost.

The good news is that we each have a choice and, by the Grace of God, can change what's in our minds and make a positive difference.

The bad news is that we must each desire change and make the effort to be more and more inline with God's love.

That's not exactly in line with Bill O'Reilly's statement reported in the San Francisco Chronicle:

"And if al Qaeda comes in here and blows you [San Francisco] up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."

It's quite safe to say that Bill O'Reilly, with his hate speech, is an active force for chaos, war and suffering. He fits the description of an anti-Christ.

But then, he's not a Christian, is he?

Okay, so I've given you the depressing news you already know. Where's the balance? Where's the good news?

Here it is:

God's love is infinitely more powerful than Bill O'Reilly's hate.

In fact, we should thank Bill O'Reilly. His statements are a wake up call to us to redouble our efforts in transforming our own thoughts, minds and hearts.

Affirm O'Reilly's nonsense goes back into the nothingness from which it came.

Affirm that O'Reilly's message has the opposite effect of what he intended, that it brings people to their senses and to the side of peace.

WE can do this.

You can do this.

For you are God's miracle.

You are His hand and voice in this world that can, through the power of His spirit within you, end suffering and create peace.

God bless you in your efforts.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 5:9