If you cannot claim at least a small amount of love for your own Self, then neither can you claim your power, for they go hand-in-hand. There is no “common good” as you perceive of it, and you are not here to assure the continuance of society. The worries that would occupy you can be let go if you but work instead for the return of heaven and the return of your own Self. C:16.26
I recently met (by phone) a new friend, Val, a gentleman who lives in Canada and has been both politically and spiritually active throughout his long life. I told him that I, too, am political as well as spiritual, and he said, “Well of course you are, Mari, you’re working class!” His quickness in saying that—I mean he didn’t skip a beat—surprised and gratified me, although I wasn’t sure why.
A few days later I saw a question from one of the members of ACOL’s new Facebook group: How can we impact the reality of global consciousness to create more love for everyone? My first thought was that he was asking a question that would bring responses of action—spiritual, political—didn’t matter. (I don’t think I ever responded to the question! I’ve been seeing that one of my difficulties with Facebook is that things gestate in me and I don’t even know what I really want to say until a week later when, on FB time, the whole subject is old news! Thank goodness for a weekly blog.) Anyway, these two comments came together and got me recalling the yen I felt, a few years ago, to be more politically active. I attended Andrew Harvey’s Institute for Sacred Activism and briefly connected with Occupy St. Paul. A little later I “discovered” feminism, joined NOW and, about the time I thought I would attempt to do something about the plight of single mothers in this country today, I got discouraged. I got discouraged almost before I began. Political inquires (nonetheless solutions) were so steeped in bureaucracy that I knew if I tried to operate within that realm, it would swallow me whole.
It wasn’t that I didn’t feel A Course of Love was a great contribution that would have an actual effect in the world, or that I didn’t eventually come to rest within my own sense of “what is mine to be and do,” yet I’ve never regretted that excursion and have lived, since then, with the sense of how what is ours to do comes out to greet us. I held as my examples Terry Tempest Williams and Tim McChristopher and, since that time, have found that for most people deeply committed to their work for the land or the future, you can see where some experience created a swell they rode into the activist parts of their lives. What they did in terms called “activism” became something they couldn’t not do. I trust if there is ever something active that I “can’t not do” . . . I will do it!
And this all comes back to experience and to feeling rather than to thought. Each of us have things we “can’t not do” that are not compulsions of guilt. A Course of Love was (and is) one such thing for me. Caring for my grandson is another. Both are matters of the heart.
In the Prelude (to ACOL), we hear of the many forms of pain and horror that we experience here, and of the “equally distressing life of the purposeless, where hours pass endlessly in toil that is the cost of your survival here.” (p.29) This, I feel, is my connection between Val’s “Of course, Mari, you’re working class;” the question about global consciousness; and life as it’s so often being lived by those who can do little more than survive. Abraham Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” made it widely known, more than fifty years ago, that no one can operate optimally when they are in fear for their survival. Jesus tells us too that this fear won’t serve us, but sometimes this call to let go of fear, in this particular area, can feel too unrealistic to be accepted. We may even feel slightly chastised in The Prelude for all that we “set aside” while we earn our living. But maybe this is the result of the new time we live in.
When A Course in Miracles entered the world, many more people were able to do more than “earn their living.” Many more people lived in equality and had opportunities to follow their callings, or their dreams, or their hopes for work that would give them fulfilling lives. The ensuing decades have not been kind to the working class or the poor. The “heart” seems to have gone out of the political agenda (if not the rhetoric). The structures that have been built to aid society have been ego-driven structures. And maybe, as Jesus indicates in the Treatises and Dialogues, we have entered a new time when the knowing of the heart will be the only power strong enough to collapse the old physical and mental structures and make room for the new. We are assured that those being born now are being born into a new time. Together we can move toward “a future yet to be created.”
We are the pilgrims called to this creation of a new land, a new future. To do this, we must simply “be who we are.” I love this quote from Howard Thurman which gives “being who we are” a most relevant and poignant meaning: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and then go do that, because what the world needs, are people who have come alive.” Each time I recall this Thurman quote, someone immediately comes to mind who I see as living it. Today it was a woman I knew as a customer when I owned a coffee shop. She had been fascinated by bees all her life and she pursued that passion. Back then (early 2000’s) she was becoming a much called upon authority, as honey bees, so crucial for pollinating our food and flowers, were just beginning a mysterious mass die-off. As we each listen to our heart’s calling, and respond in wholeheartedness, we will give what is needed to create the promised future where heaven and earth are one. Being who we truly are is our greatest humanitarian, social, political and spiritual act. We are now, about the work of ending the divide between our humanity and our divinity, and this is an act of becoming new ourselves. We leave behind the call to be saved through worthiness (being good) or ascension (higher states that take us “out” of the world), and love who we are enough to join the world in truth.
I can get passionate about this. About how crucial it is to the future, that you and I accept who we are, and the gifts we have to give the world. Not accepting ourselves, Jesus says, “Is not humility, but fear,” and it is so true. When I think of what has caused me the most fear in my life, it is being who I am. Daring to be who I am. I hope that if you haven’t thought of being who you are in connection with letting go of fear, you will give this some attention, and turn from this undercover fear and into that risky and dizzying act of daring to be who you are in truth.
How perfectly beautiful, Jacques. I do believe you are a Love activist!
I fell the urge to add this to my first post.
I came to realize, often after the fact, that there is a big difference between ego activism and what I would call heart or soul probed activism. I’ll try to explain. I had been an activist all my life and in many different areas. I wanted to change the world. And when seemed to have some success I felt quite happy. But as I entered more and more in what I can call the spiritual search, I began to see the difference between my own ego callings and what I will call the true callings.
The true callings always appeared unexpectedly. Often in areas that I hadn’t paid much attention to. By surprise! It started to happen more and more after a profound decision not to spend my bests hours earning a living, but to dedicate this precious time to God and to love. My life then took quite a drastic change. It,s a long story.
Maybe I have become a ACOL activist… But this only a tag. But I can see that I’m truly much more love active. And I just love it. Where will it lead me? I don’t know. In just enjoy the ride. I guess that my part is being played.
Love,
I really enjoyed this post, Mari. Provoked some good thoughts.
I am the farthest thing from an activist, and as I have a job that is fairly time-consuming, I have thought a lot about this idea of transformation. One thing that happens in this world is we get the idea that IF we were being the spiritual bellwethers we were capable of being, THEN this and this part of my life would be different. We wouldn’t, for instance, have to work all day to make a living. I have come to the conclusion this is kind of a strange thought. I don’t imagine trees begrudge producing wood, or bees slaving all year over their honey. Why is it that we become ensnared by this idea that if we were truly being free and authentic in our loving, we’d be doing something different– something besides building bridges, mending fences, or fixing cars?
It was kind of interesting to realize that by accepting the fact that I am part of a system of beings with needs, that I am one being who meets some of those needs, and that doing so is part of my day-to-day existence, I could perhaps participate in the daily maelstrom in a manner that was a little less stressful, and a little more open and creative. One day I’m sure it will be different, but right now working professionally is a large part of my existence. But I kind of like it. That was a little secret I had to let out. I engage with all these people I would never otherwise meet or relate with, and there are so many interactions and opportunities to express myself I would never otherwise have had.
I think I’m mixing up this post with your next one a little, but it really is about how we look at it. Being who we are doesn’t require any real big changes… We might already be doing it… when we’re not looking too hard…
Michael
Love your ending, Michael, on how we might already be doing it…when we’re not looking too hard. Even when I grouse about it sometimes, there is that same engagement and joy for me … at times, in caring for the needs of my family. I wouldn’t be quite honest to say it is always there, as I’m sure you’re not always in love with your work. But in many ways it is true that we can live like the bees do, just doing what is ours to do…and then doing what is ours to do next…and being who we are and who we are…newly.
What a lovely response, Anne. Isn’t it wonderful to link being who you are with creating a new future? Thank you for sharing who you are here.
Thankyou Marie
“Each of us has things we can’t not do” I love this… and I love what ACOL says about our call…
“to ask from within that peace to what you feel called to do” and “that we have to learn to express the beautiful music that already exists within”
I have been studying A Course in miracles for a long time and it has been my greatest inspiration in life.
Now when I read ACOL I get more clear and strengthened in a lot of the ways that I have understood ACIM. And I feel that I am ready to even more live the message.
“We are pilgrims called to this creation of a new land, a new future” as you wrote…to do this we must simply “be who we are” This resonates so much in me..
Being our authentic true self I beleive is our deepest purpose… From there we can give of our true self and our true gifts and therefor being part of creating a new future and a new world.
My Love and deep thanks to you for bringing out this message to the world.
Anne Solveig.
I fell that being who I am is simply dare to express myself without the fear of how it will be perceived. Through this natural process I learn better who I am being and I dare being heard- and hearing this. When this happens the divine can be expressed through me as well. And that does not belong to me. It’s everyone’ thing now.
If I’m conscious of being accomplished, why should I worry? I am guided, am I not?
I realize that it’s when I worry that I make mistakes. They are fear’s mistakes. Said in other words false expressions of the ego-self though the ego-mind. Love does not fear. Love expresses it-Self. Often with words that I did not think. How great! Thank you love.
Jacques, what you say is so true, and I love that you call it a natural process to express yourself without fear. I also totally agree that it is when I worry that I make mistakes. I do still feel it takes courage, at times, to be myself, but I associate courage with the heart. It is what lets us DARE!
Mari, for me your blog post was so right on. It brought back memories for me (and of course my own story, lol) about just surviving last year and not living optimally due to the world around me. As you said in your post, it was not until I “listened to my own heart’s calling, and responded in wholeheartedness, that I was able to give what is needed to create a promised future where heaven and earth are one.” I so feel that promise now, and it was awesome to be able to affirm it again through the reading of your post!