Envision Peace and Harmony

"Peace, love and harmony" was the mantra of the 1960's flower children-those who dreamed of a world where there was no war or racial divide, where everyone lived together as brothers and sisters. John Lennon wrote his famous song "Imagine" about an idyllic world where there was no hatred and everyone lived in harmony.  It was during this era that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous "I Have A Dream" speech and delivered it on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:  “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood....”

Today, as I reflect on this era in which I grew up, and think about the present time in which we live, I realize that, even though much has changed, there is still much work to do.  The spirit of racism that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke against seems to have reared its ugly head in recent years to show that, with all our reforms, we had only put a band-aid on a wound that has festered since the 1960's.  

The spirit of war and aggression that the flower children sang against and protested about is still with us, stronger than ever it seems.  Acts of hatred and violence seem to be front page news more often than not. 

But we have hope, always, for a better world, the world of peace, love and harmony that was envisioned back then and continues to be our dream.  We can let this be our daily prayer, starting with today.

Today, in this moment, I breathe, visualize the color pink (the color of love from the heart) and connect with God's spirit, the true Spirit of Peace.  I see the world that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of and John Lennon sang about: a brotherhood and sisterhood of man....

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one.  

-John Lennon, "Imagine"

Be Centered in Love

What does it mean to be centered?  By its most basic definition, it means to be grounded and balanced, to have a reference point for our innermost selves.  At a deeper level, it means that we are spiritual beings comprised of energy and light at our core and when we connect with God at the center of our being we experience a profound sense of balance and peace. We find our Source, not out there, but within.

In Physics, the term "foci" refers to the central point at which rays of light, heat or radiation meet after being reflected.  If we think of ourselves in scientific terms, using this analogy, our foci is the point at which we meet the Divine and from which we reflect his/her light and unconditional love.

So how do we find the center of our being?  Many spiritual traditions, including Christianity, teach that the heart center, or the area around the physical heart, is also our spiritual center.  This is our inner sacred space where we connect with God, are nourished by his love and reflect it back out to others.  When we breathe into our heart space, envisioning this point as our inner foci, we are centering and balancing our inner being and opening up the connection to our Higher Power, giving us the ability to love fully and unconditionally, reflecting back to the world the Light we have been given.

Breathe into the heart space, visualize light, give thanks for the gift of life, reflect back joy

Live Carefully

Each day is precious....the older I get, the more I realize just how true this is.  No matter what is happening, the fact remains that today is really all we have and every moment should be lived prayerfully, with a full, open heart.

Whatever I am doing today, may I do it with my full attention, breathing deeply and connecting to the Source of life.  May my eyes be open to beauty, even if it's just a ray of sun that pierces through a gray winter sky, the exuberant laugh of a child, or the loving, soulful gaze of my dog waiting for his morning walk.

May I be expectant, looking for the good in every situation, rather than judgmental, fearful or pessimistic about outcomes.  When I read the morning news, rather than be discouraged about the awful state of affairs in politics, the environment or society in general, may I offer my prayers for peace and healing and make a special effort to be kind to everyone I meet today.

When I'm driving in my car, may I be fully present and fully aware, not daydreaming or allowing myself to be distracted.  Let it not take a fender bender or a close call to jolt me awake and make me realize the importance of living carefully.

Even on a bad day, may I choose to find something positive to focus on. Winston Churchville once said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity and an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty".  This is a good reminder for me especially, because I think that by nature I tend to be a pessimist who can get swallowed up in a bad situation if I don't make a conscious effort to see the good.

As we open our eyes and go about our day this morning, may we look for that ray of sun, that possibility for good and may we live each moment carefully, giving our hearts fully to whatever unfolds.

Meditation:

Breathe deeply and slowly, filling the belly with air as if blowing up a balloon.  Imagine a golden orb in the center of your abdomen, becoming larger with each breath and moving up through your body and out the crown of your head.  Sweep this light up and down several times as you breathe and then settle in the heart, breathing out love as a prayer to the world....