Everyday Mystic in the Air
You’ve all been there…on a plane with a crying child. This time the crying was piercing my noise cancellation headphones. I had a colicky son like that so I know what it’s like as the parent but until now, I don’t think I had as much compassion for the child. In early motherhood I was too consumed with my own unmet needs, primarily lack of sleep, to feel compassion for yet another crying spell. This time, with the benefit of 16 years between me and my child’s last colic episode, I felt differently. All I could feel was compassion for this child whom I couldn’t see but I could certainly hear.
I closed my eyes and became conscious of being love as God has asked me to do each time I inquired as to how I could be of service. Within moments the crying stopped. When I went back to reading and lost focus on “being love” the crying would start up and I’d go through the exercise again. Obviously I am not able to multitask “being love” and reading at the same time so I remained focused on the child. I never did get to finish reading my book on that flight but the child not only stopped crying, but started laughing. I don’t know why I thought it was going to be so hard to be love. Maybe I just haven’t encountered a really hard test yet. Maybe it’s because I haven’t come face to face with pure evil. I pray that if that test comes God will have sufficiently prepared me. Here’s a question: If enough of us can BECOME LOVE ALL OF THE TIME can we eliminate evil? I think we can and it is the premise behind my Global Peace Movement and the Meditation for World Peace. We have got nothing to loose by trying. Even if we reduce evil be fifty percent we’d be doing a great job. Nothing else has been that effective. The more of us who can embody love the greater the chances that we can witness primarily love and compassion amongst the world’s population. Let’s be as radical as Jesus was. Let’s dare to make a difference and let’s tip this world toward love.
Let me know what you think. Can we eliminate evil by becoming love ourselves? Can we change the world in our immediate sphere of influence by changing ourselves? Can the microcosm of change I witnessed on the airplane happen at the macro level? I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Much Love, Theresa
Chip Cingari
I do not think we can ever eliminate all evil. God made everyone in his likeness, but since he gave us our own FREE will, there are some that would fall in the evil catogry. Evil might even have a purpose, was it not the evil acts of Hitler that brought the world closer together as one, How about the evil of 911, for the days that followed we all loved our country more and showed it. We all stood together with the greatest of LOVE for one another.
I do agree that ALL of us could change one another from bad (not rightous) to good (rightous) with the proper meditation and caring. Unfortunitely
Theresa Joseph
Chip, I agree that although it can be hard to accept, evil can serve a higher purpose. The love people had for one another after 911 was palpable. I am hoping that through Love we can get humanity to a point where we no longer need such devastating acts to help us recognize our unity. There is a field of Love that exists everywhere around us and through us that connects us. I pray that we can remember this Love before another cataclysmic event is needed to remind us. Love to you, Theresa
Annabel
Boy, I could have really used you on some long distance flights over the years! I love the idea of offering love and compassion to that crying child, rather than just focussing on our own (tired, frustrated) self pity. I read this a few days ago and have tried to put into practice this idea of being love when everyone is screaming around me. I am happy to report that it’s working! Who knew love could conquer a 5 year old’s temper?
Theresa Joseph
I am with you on that Annabel. I wish I had know this when my son was young and my deepest apologies go to him and the other crying children I may have encountered. But most of all, I am happy that this has changed your life and the lives of those around you. As Gandhi says, Be the change you want to see in the world! Love, Theresa
Annabel
I wanted to share this passage with you that I heard in church this weekend. It made me think of your channeled grace healing sessions and the “unmerited love of God” that you talk about. Does this resonate with you?
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Theresa Joseph
I love this passage Annabel! It is never through ourselves that we are saved but through God’s grace. The paradox is that it seems we still have to do something. It is like this…we can’t just sit on the couch eating bonbons and say God’s grace will keep us from getting fat. The trick is that we never know where or when God’s grace will appear in our lives so we must always do what is right. Thank you for sharing this passage on the grace of God. Love, Theresa