That is what love is. That is our heart expressing. As we walk together our morning will come. And because we live both in this physical and spiritual world, the walk is life. It's a life that we all seek in balance, a life of happiness, harmony, and vision for the good, not only for the good of ourselves but for the good of all. I truly think that that's why Unity, especially Unity of Louisville is growing even during a pandemic because the truth is we all have to wake up to that self-awareness of love. That self-awareness of life and that we are the ones who have the answers. Nobody can give us the answers.
We have to go within ourselves for those answers. It sounds really simple, but yet it seems like I talk about it a whole lot. And our thoughts, our prayers, what we are praying is what we're getting. When you're looking at life and it's not quite hitting the mark for you, and you want to be born anew to wake up to a new morning, I suggest you look at what your thoughts are. What are you praying for? We know in Unity, our thoughts are the creative power manifested in the outer world.
I love that song Our Thoughts Are Prayers because that's how we begin is in prayer, but we don't pray outside of ourselves, we pray within. We ask for the answers to be unfolded. So look at our own senses, look at who we are right now. So if everybody just stopped and took a breath and you had to say who you are right now, what would your answer be?
For me, it's a divine expression of life, and I don't always get it right. I go within and I ask, "Okay, what am I doing? Where are we going? Show me a way through this pandemic, through ministering at two churches, through social unjust, through racial unjust, through everything that's gone on, political upheaval - show me the way, because if I got to do it on my own, in my own mind, there is no way I'm going to figure it out." But when I trust and I go within and I trust spirit to say, "Okay, this is what life looks like, and I know that's not the truth. There's a bigger picture somewhere. So connect me to that bigger picture and show me the way of where I'm going and what I'm doing."
Eric Butterworth tells us, "There is a tremendous source of wisdom and presence, right where you are. Act from that belief and all things will become easy." And when I read that, I thought, "Wow, you know, a lot of times I'll say it's not easy, but the truth is, it really is easy. We just got to do it." So I'm gonna read that again. "There is a tremendous resource of wisdom and presence, right where you are. Act from that belief and things will become easy." If we do nothing but that, life begins to be in harmony, balance is restored in the outer world, and love expands. He goes on to say that you can only be you. You can't do anything that is not part of your innate potential. A swan cannot become a duck. You can only do that, which is the fulfilling potential of your life.
We have to let go and get out of our own way. I know that I had to, sometimes I still do. You know, my ego kicks in occasionally. And that's like fighting water up a stream, trying to make something happen. When all I really have to do is when somebody says, "Hey, I want to do this." I go into prayer. And I say, "Okay, is this the right way? Is this the right path?" And if spirit says yes, then I say, "Okay, go ahead," and I let it go and I let it unfold because it's not always mine to do.
Life is really always asking, "Who are you?" "Who am I?" Because there are two parts of us. There's that human self, this physical body, and my ego, which is good. I'm not saying ego is bad because I don't think it is. I think it's the driving force that makes us happen. Sometimes mine might need to be calmed down a little bit, but that's okay.
But there's that spiritual side of us that's leading the way. So if spirit is leading, and ego is driving, what is the potential of life in harmony and the vision that you see manifesting in the world? Pretty powerful when you think about it like that. So when we work in harmony with that spiritual, that human essence of ourselves, how much power to create and manifest in this world, our own life of good that ripples out as love and good for others to be enfolded and empowered, to bring good into their lives and to bring their life into harmony and balance?
I think that's why every one of us shows up here on Sunday mornings. We show up as leaders, we show up as seekers, but we are leading a different way, a new way of walking the path. We are the answer. For many of us, we've wandered through eternity, never finding that answer. So here we are again, and for some of us, we're leading the way to find the answers, not only for ourselves but for humanity as a whole, that we are bigger than ourselves. The small self of us, that there is a bigger picture that we fit into, that we are a part of. We just got to get out of our way and follow the path, follow spirit.
My answer's going to be different than yours. When I ask a question, your answer's going to be different from someone else's because we are all unique. And it takes all of us as a community to create truth in the world. Not only this community of Unity, but our sister church, Unity of East Louisville and Unity churches all over, but also the mission church that's meeting the activity center right now, the Baptist church down the street, and the Jewish synagogue, and every other culture and religion around the world, we are all one. We are all neighbors. We just don't recognize each other as that oneness. We are no different. Our answers are different because our path is different, but together we are one, and oneness is the way.
For those of you that have been around for a while, you know that I am a Jesus person. I love my brother who shows me the way. For others, there could be another prophet, another Messiah that you resonate with more, and that's fine. Follow your path, follow your good, wherever it leads you. But Jesus is my way-shower, and he demonstrated to us to go within and to find the Christ, find the God in you that "I am," and then follow your path in life. It's not a struggle. I think I said that last week when I was talking about the Holy Spirit, it's really not a struggle. Life is not meant to be a struggle. That's a bunch of hogwash where I come from. Life is meant to be happy, harmonious, beloved.
We have to begin to allow the I am to unfold into that happiness, into that creative power. Manifesting the life we are here to live, showing the way for others. Unity's vision, our mission, is to transform ourselves and the world through love, healing, and service. That's very empowering. When we follow our inner guidance to that path to transform ourselves first, cause we can't - you know, you got to put on your own oxygen mask before you put on the mask of your family, your children - we have to take care of us first and that's not selfish. That's self-care. That's self-awareness. And then, we show the way, just as Jesus showed us the way.
Sometimes it makes folks really uncomfortable because there's a lot of fear in this world. So many of us are used to being told what to do when to do it, how to do it, and we don't really think on our own. And we've gotten out of that habit of going within and finding our own answers. And so it's kind of scary and life gets to be scary and that's when, no matter what, you really need is to stop and go within and ask for the path to be illuminated for you. Because it does not have to be scary. We do not have to live in fear.
Finding ourselves is like a scavenger hunt - there's a kid in me. Think about it, you're on a scavenger hunt, and you're looking for these different items, and when you find them, "Yay!" And then you go onto the next one. So that's really what we are doing. Life is like a scavenger hunt and every day we wake up to find a new gem. No matter what that gem is, it's going to lead us down a path. It's a path of good when we're following from our intuitive power.
Every day we go within connect to that higher self, ask for that new gem, and it appears. We follow it for finding balance and harmony, or a bigger vision, or we are reminded of a bigger vision. No, life's bigger than we are. Sometimes I'm just in awe of the way things unfold. And as you all know, sometimes I tend to argue with spirit, like "What you want me to do what now? Yeah. I don't know about that one." But I usually end up saying yes. I might struggle with it in my mind because it's scary and it puts a little fear in me. Yet when I get out of my own way, out of my own mind, and I go into my heart space and I say, "Okay, this is for the greater good. And it's a greater good that I really don't know or see right now. But I already understand." And I have that inner knowing that it's the right way to go. We have to look at, what do we value when we're making those choices? What are our values, and how do they change? You know, I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago and tomorrow I'm going to be a different person than I am today.
Are we trying to stuff new ideas into an old wineskin? Are we trying to stuff new things into our heads and not letting our hearts unfold? Spirit is the source. If you're trying to stuff it into an old wineskin, I say, go buy a new one. Just empty out the old one, let everything come out, and go buy a new wineskin and put your new stuff in it. So, create that space within yourself. How do we do that? You energetically go into your own being and you feel where there's discomfort. You feel where there's a block, and you breathe into it and you let it go and push it out. When those old thought patterns come in, you stop them and say, "No, I have a new thought, a new idea, a new way of being, and I'm following that path.
There is a guiding force, which is bigger than all of us. We're part of that bigger picture. And we all have a part to play in the role of humanity. In order to play the part, we have to remember what we already know, what we have forgotten because it's right there. We just have to tap into it. We have to find and stand in faith without fear and allow the higher presence to guide us.
There's a little poem here that I'm going to share, called the Creed by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. It's old, older so the language is a little masculine. You can change it if you choose to. I'm going to read it as it was. "Whoever was begotten by pure love and came desired and welcomed into life is of immaculate conception whose heart is full of tenderness and truth. Who loves mankind more than he loves himself and cannot find room in his heart for hate may be another Christ. We all may be the saviors of the world if we believe in the divinity which dwells in us. And we worship it and nail our grosser selves, our tempers, our griefs, and our unworthy aims upon the cross. Who gives us love to all pays kindness for unkindness, smiles for frowns, and lends new courage to each fainting heart, and strengthens hope and scatters joys abroad. He too is a redeemer son of God."
I wanted to read this poem because it's that reminder that you too are God, God is in you. God is everywhere. There is no spot where God is not. You are all that is in the universe. You have the same capabilities that Jesus, our way-shower did. Together as a faith community, who has decided in the middle of a pandemic to grow and live by the values of faith, integrity, healing, and service. We are pushing the boundaries of everybody's comfort zones and that's okay. Spirit is just calling us to be that which we say we truly are, a diverse community filled with love. Is it easy? Actually, it is. It really is easy.
We join together with spirit and let go of the fear and how we're going to do it, what we're going to do, and we live in harmony, and we live together side by side, and we walk the path that each of us is drawn to. Yet we walk it together as spiritual beings. When we follow our individual intuitive awareness, we are actually doing our own work and spirit will join us together with others to do the work of the good for all.
And we know our good reflects in our mind and body. What we are seeking, we already are. We just have to let it unfold. We all want happiness. We all want to live in harmony. We all have a purpose. So when the fear rises, fear because of change fear because of growth, fear of the pandemic, fear of the illness, fear of death -if we let that take root, the fear grows and there's no room for the good. So we allow it to flow outward into Mother Earth to be transformed into that love. We know that love brings good. We know all of this is the truth. Yet we doubt our abilities to go within and be the good, to do the work that we were taught to do.
When your morning comes around, you'll be alone and know you followed through the path of truth. Go within, know who you are, what you're here to do. What love do you share? Today's a day of love, so love yourself by manifesting happiness, live your life in harmony and join together in spirit. Expand the love to all those around the world. For others who are seeking balance in their life, be a way-shower be a leader, shine the light of love and harmony for all to see.
I love you. I bless you. I behold the living presence of spirit in each of you.
