May all beings be at peace. May all beings be free of suffering. May all beings remember who they are. We are walking in the air. We're floating in the midnight sky. I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. Jesus said greater things than this shall happen. So what happened? Have you ever looked into a little baby's eyes, or even a young child's? Have you ever experienced that the same way I have? You almost see infinity looking back at you. Then we recall we were all like that. We were once all connected and knew we were connected to that divine source, that divine umbilical cord.
Then we forget, we go into people training. Our parents, our schools, our churches, all kinds of people are telling us who we are. The difficulty is all the people telling us who we are don't know who they are. There's no recourse. There's no other place to go. So I need to accept what I'm being told as being the truth. So, you're just like your old man, you're this, you're that, you're tall, you're short, you're Irish, you're fat, you're skinny. All of the names and labels that we've gathered together, all of the bumper stickers, we become this thing that is all of these little pieces of our definition of self.
It takes a long time, even in our children's fairytales, we recognize that. But again, it's a truth. We're all ugly ducklings. We don't even realize that until we step back and see the swan that we are in the reflection of the water. We're all like the eagle that was raised by chickens who looks up at the sky and sees these marvelous birds that are flying up around there, going, "I wish I could do that," not knowing that we can. I've been made to do that.
Then for most of us, probably for all of us, something happens in our lives that wakes us up, that begins to answer the question "Is that all there is?" It could be a sickness. It could be a death. It could be recovery from an addiction. It could be some kind of traumatic event, but it doesn't have to be. There are things that happen to each one of us that sort of open this door. It gives us an awareness that there is something more than this preconceived notion of who we are or who we were told we are. It brings us to a place like Unity, a place where you're doing your own spiritual search. And that's wonderful to be able to do. The problem is that most of us kind of recognize that there's more to us than that, but we don't know what it is. We just sort of stop there. Yes, I know there's a divine self there. I know that I'm more than what my parents are, what my church is, or what the people around me told me. I know I'm more than that. I stay in that place that I know that there's more than that, but I don't do anything with it.
I keep reminding myself of that truth, but it remains an idea. It's a nice idea. It's a fortune cookie. It's a little poster I put on my wall. It's something that sounds nice, even feels nice when I remind myself of it, but I'm still sort of detached from it. It still has nothing to do with my existence, because I still think of myself as sort of being this limited personality self. I know I've used that terminology many times before, but let me just take a minute to explain that.
Think about someone in your life or someone you see on television or in the movies, someone in your life that you can't stand. Just the most obnoxious human being you've ever run across. As soon as you look at them, as soon as you hear them, as soon as you even think about them, you start to squirm. Imagine what it would be like to just be introduced to the idea that what it is that you're so upset and angry and turned off about is just a mask that person's wearing. It's just the personality self that for whatever reasons they created to live with, just like you created yours. But along with that truth, that it is simply a mask or disguise they're wearing is the truth of your divine nature, as well as theirs. They're an aspect of the divine nature just as you are. There's a huge difference between expressing my negative feelings towards that personality self out there and holding this other being in love, in gratitude, and in compassion.
Do you get a sense of the difference between the two? Can you recognize that you can only hold their divine self as being their truth? If I can hold myself as being mine, if I am unaware of that truth or just pay it lip service, I can never do that for you either. You get a difference between my personality. Self is a limited little thing that's wrapped in separation, anger, fear, and outrage, and also the divine truth of who I am that rests in compassion, gratitude, that is non-judgmental. We all know when we're in one place. We all know when my response to another human being is one from my limited personality, self, or one from the divine truth that I am. And my question for me is how can I possibly see you beyond your mask? I can't see myself beyond mine. I've said this prayer many, many times from scripture. I will probably say it again until I breathe my last. "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. I've got something going here which I believe helped me help. I know God, I love, help me to love a little bit more, or maybe a lot more."
It's only my little personality self that keeps asking the question. "Am I there yet?" It thinks that this earthly trip that we're on is about remembering something that we've forgotten. Somehow or another, I need to strip all this stuff off and get back to my original state and then everything's going to be okay. You get an idea of how discouraging that is. The only reason why we're here, you spend the first half of your life creating a persona, and the second half of your life getting rid of it. It doesn't seem to make much to me, that's horribly discouraging because that's not what it's about. What it's about is the theme for today. It's about enfoldment, it's about stretching. It's about evolving, discover the truth of who you are, and then you stretch it a little bit further. I discover the truth of who you are. I stretch it a little bit for it. Doesn't remain static. One of the most marvelous quotes that I keep coming across that I hope I never forget is this one. It’s so beautiful.
“The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” You get that.
It's like love. Would you ever say to yourself, "That's enough love or joy or peace?"
"That's enough joy." It even sounds silly when we say it out loud because we know it's not true.
Can I love more?
Is there ever an end to being filled with love, to being filled with joy? Is there ever an end to that process, or do I realize that just by saying it out loud, just by opening myself up to it, that I'm constantly moving along that path? There is no end.
What was that song? There is no beginning. There is no end for my love. You can depend. There isn't an end to it. There can't be. It's a continuing unfoldment of the truth of who you are. Take for example your love for another person. Is that your love? I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow. It's kind of silly, but it's true because it's not static. It's not enough. It grows, it evolves. It unfolds. We are reminded again and again, and again, of the truth of who we are. It doesn't have to be something big or outrageous. It happens to us all the time. If we are open to it a little star, a meteor falling, a full moon, a warm cup of soup, somebody giving you a flower, the taste of something you enjoy, the touch of a loved one, a piece of music, a warm breeze, the crackling of fall leaves on your feet, these seemingly tiny moments are all moments of awakening. We're not saying, "Oh, I'm awake right now." When we are living, when we are in love we are continually open to that process. Not only does that affect us, but it also affects all beings. If it's true that we are one - and I believe it is true - then everything that you do to confirm your wakefulness, to confirm your awareness, to confirm your connection with other beings affects everyone and everything else. It must be that way. Yes, I'm going to forget again. Yes, I'm going to go to sleep again. Yes, I'm going to become aware again, unaware again. Yes, I'm going to forget I can fly. Every time I wake up again, every time I become aware of the truth of who I am or the truth of who you are - which is the same thing. Every time I have a choice. I can either beat myself up for falling asleep or entering into forgetfulness, or I can be grateful for being awake again.
My gratitude for being aware, awake again is something that affects not only me but you as well. How many times do I need to do that? It's like Peter and Jesus. How many times do I need to forgive my brother, seven times? Jesus said, no, 70 times seven, which is kind of infinite. You keep doing it until you don't need to do it anymore. How many times do I need to be reminded that I have a divine love inside of me? How many times do I need to remember? As long as I need to be reminded, as I keep forgetting. That's nothing wrong with me, that's just part of my journey. It's part of yours as well. Remember, it's about unfoldment. There are no backward steps in life. It's not one step forward or two steps forward. One step back is baloney.
There are no backwards steps to your spiritual journey. Each time I opened my heart in gratitude I have awakened to my oneness with all things again and again. The truth is that I am awake more deeply than the moment before. Every time you wake up to the truth of who you are, it is a deeper awareness of that truth. A deeper deep, it's not the same as it was a minute ago or two months ago. That awakening that happens to me is stronger than the last one. I carry with me the grace of my own personal transformation and yours as well because it not only touches you, it touches me. It touches all beings. We're all one. We all bring one another along. We're all walking one another home. Just like the snowman brought the child on eagle's wings. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
Looking into a little baby's eyes and seeing infinity looking back at you. Infinite, love, grace, truth, light, peace, and joy. What would it be like if you looked in a mirror and saw that same truth, looking back? The only hindrance to that reality is that you still think you are limited. You still think you are this invented personality self. You think you are this little being who is separate somehow from all creation. You are not the truth of who you are. The truth of who you are is that Divine Self that is infinite and is continually unfolding again and again.
May we all be at peace this day with the truth of who we are. May we all know we can fly on so many levels of our beings. May all beings rest in truth. May all beings know the light. May all beings be at peace. May all beings be free of suffering. May all beings remember who they are. God bless.
