We could look at what has happened as another opportunity to come together. Maybe this time....
My friend Glorianne shared the following with me,
and I am now sharing it with you.
-From onespirit.org
Hope it is OK with Dr Jones that I pass on his words.
.......................
BUILDING BRIDGES, HEART TO HEART, WITH COMPASSION
"A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest ... a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.� ~ Albert Einstein
What words can possibly be spoken to address the unspeakable. The December 26th, 2004 tsunami tragedy in the Indian Ocean has left most of the world at a loss for words. Natural calamities like this are never easy to understand. How is it that life and the universe can appear so beautiful one day and so brutal the next? Yet, life will go on as it has for millennia. What is encouraging to note is that in spite of (and perhaps because of) all the pain and loss, there seems to be a deepening in the awareness of the interconnectedness of people inhabiting this planet, such as we have never seen before. We know that at the level of spirit we are all one, not only with the 140,000-plus human beings who have died, but the countless others who now are left homeless, parentless, childless, broken and in utter shock. At the deepest core of our being we feel this shock, we know it and perhaps we even have a sense of helplessness about it. Is it possible that this shock is what was needed to jump-start the collective heart of humankind? Something is stirring in the soul of humanity and while many people don't necessarily know that's what it is, millions of human beings are awakening to a sense of their unity with others and something larger than themselves. The results are manifesting as acts of compassion and generosity that we have seldom seen on a global basis; there is a vibration of common brotherhood being felt perhaps for the first time at a planetary level. Thomas Merton wrote, "The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another." The awareness of this interconnectivity is rising in the consciousness of our species now, and shocking events such as the December 26th tsunami disaster only quicken the vibration.
Because the source of this tragedy was Nature rather than man, individuals, governments, religions, countries, and organizations from every corner of our world have connected for a common purpose, which is larger than any one of them. A true call to compassion transcends borders and boundaries. If this devastation had been by means of an act of war, sadly, the reaction most likely would have been somewhat different by at least some, as is evidenced by what we see going on between warring nations this very day. War seems to deaden the capacity to be compassionate for many, giving them 'permission' to disconnect from the pain that war inflicts on everyone. So, perhaps from the epicenter of this natural catastrophe some good for humankind arises. From the deepest place of our unity with the Whole we can hold those whose lives have been lost (or who are suffering now from the tsunami) close to our hearts, knowing that at the level of their Soul Being they have not died or suffered in vain, but have made a divine sacrifice for the awakening of the global human heart. Because of this tragedy we can bear witness to the heart of humanity opening and beating stronger than ever, building bridges that span oceans and continents, superceding languages, religions and cultural barriers, connecting hearts to hearts, drawing a diversity of people, being human together through the very acts of their own compassion for their earth family of brothers and sisters they ever even knew.
No doubt this is one of those times when it's easy to see the very best of our selves and others emerge through the very worst of crisis and misfortunes. It's about compassion, loving-kindness and generosity of spirit and it always has been. As spiritually oriented individuals we must remain clear in our hearts and minds that above and beyond all we can see, God's Presence is manifesting on this earth through and as each of us. Meister Eckhart summarized it so beautifully when he wrote, "You may call God love, you may call God goodness. But the best name for God is compassion." Let us continue to be bridge builders by extending the best of ourselves to others long after the crisis passes, and by remembering that compassion and generosity is something we can practice every day, and not just on special occasions. How so? Because it's an inherent part of who and what we really are. When we live with compassion, we honor God.
Peace,
Dennis Merritt Jones, DD
www.onespirit.org
Copyright � Dennis Merritt Jones 2005
www.DennisMerrittJones.com