Synchronicity

 We've all had them-significant moments that seem to be more than coincidences. We dream of an old friend and the next day run into him or her; we are humming a song with special meaning and five seconds later that song comes on the radio, which in turn helps us to process some challenging situation; we meet someone at an event who turns out to be pivotal in changing the course of our lives; we witness something extraordinary in nature that seems to be an assurance of God's presence at the moment we need it most.

Carl Jung referred to these meaningful coincidences as "synchronicity".  He said that: "synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see" and believed that, as we attune ourselves to this principle, we become more aware of the special insights it can provide.

 Such connections have also been described as "God moments" or "God winks".  We can't prove it, but we know something mystical has happened. Such occurrences are often accompanied by a deep calm and a sense that we have been graced with Divine intervention. 

When Jesus walked the earth, he knew that people sometimes needed "signs" to help them believe. That's why he changed water into wine and performed miracles. We still need those blessed assurances and when we pray for help, or pray for a sign, those assurances can come in unexpected ways through mysterious coincidences. 

Years ago, I wrote a story for a Guideposts publication called "His Mysterious Ways". It was a story about a beautiful, but frosty cold autumn day when Tom and I took the chairlift ride up Bristol Mountain. We hiked around for a bit at the top of the mountain, but suddenly, on the ascent, I had a severe asthma attack. I realized with horror that I had left my inhaler in the car at the bottom of the mountain.  As we waited in a panic for the chairlift ride down, me gasping for breath, I prayed for help and within seconds, I felt a comforting Presence, which seemed to breathe warmth right into my airways.  Everything opened up instantly and I was able to breathe freely.  I have no explanation for this, other than Divine intervention and I believe that each one of us knows when we have been visited and helped in such ways.

Whether it's a "God moment", like the one I just described, or a meaningful coincidence, like the ones Carl Jung described when he coined the term "synchronicity", I believe that we are continually assured of God's presence in our lives if we "have eyes to see".

May our prayer for today be an openness and a willingness to see the signs and wonders all around us.

Life's Amazing Web

  Mornings like this, when I wake up less than enthusiastically on a "bleak mid-winter " Monday, I focus first on my breath and how it connects me to all of life.  I give thanks for this connection and for all my senses: my sight, that allows me to drink in the colors of the sunrise; my ability to smell peppermint and spruce essential oils; my ears that hear the first morning sounds of children walking to the bus stop and dogs barking in the distance; my sense of touch, as I pet my dog's soft fur; my taste, as I sip freshly brewed coffee. 

When you stop to really think about it, all of life is miraculous, starting with our own bodies. There's been a lot of talk about our immune systems during these pandemic years and if you study what the human body can do to protect itself from viruses and bacteria, it is truly amazing.  Every system in our bodies is a mind-boggling miracle.

As a matter of fact, every creature on this planet is way more complex than we often realize until we study them up close.  From butterflies to bees, flowers to trees, everything is amazing. And we are part of it all; intricately connected, made of the same basic elements as the earth and the cosmos.

Every few years, I re-read a wonderful book called The Luminous Web, by Barbara Brown Taylor.  She is an Episcopal priest who also delights in science and particularly quantum physics. One of my favorite quotes from this book is: "Whatever language you prefer, the apparent truth is that we belong to a vast web of creation in which nothing, absolutely nothing is inconsequential. The hairs on your head, a baby's sneeze, the gravitational pull of an electron at the far edge of the Milky Way-none of these things is negligible.  Not one of them can be subtracted  from creation, or even rounded off, without changing the whole gorgeous geometry of the universe...every one of us will change the world, whether we mean to or not.  In other words, our lives matter, every second, every thought, every action, is consequential because it is a part of everything else.

So on this very ordinary winter morning, I pray that each one of us will give thanks to our Creator, for forming us as an integral part of the web of life.  I pray that we will stand in awe, honoring this sacred connection in everything we say and do.

I'll end with a quote from Albert Einstein: "The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical.  It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead"

 

The Power of Love

 On this very snowy, wintry morning, just home from a trip to the Southwest desert, I am very thankful to be here, safe and warm, on a day that invites some quiet meditation and reflection.

 It is Martin Luther King Day, a time to ponder all that this great man did to change our world for the better, and to recall the many inspirational messages that he left behind. He focused quite a bit on the power of love and peaceful protest to overcome hatred and injustice. One beautiful quote that I am drawn to this morning speaks on this topic:

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, as we reflect on Dr. King's contributions, may we look for ways to show love to all those in our sphere of influence and to be forces of good and light in an oftentimes dark world.  

In the Flow

"It's all connected -- like a circle!", the four-year-old boy in my preschool group shouted excitedly.  We were sitting in circle time gathering and I had been trying to explain the concept of one year ending and a new one beginning.  I brought out the calendar and a little date board that we have, to try to wrap their heads around the idea of the measurement of days and years. But I found they were way ahead of me, as this little boy demonstrated. Of course, time is just a construct -- the starting point for discussion in Philosophy 101!  But this child seemed to know intuitively that time is simply our way of measuring the flow of life's moments and is not the true reality of existence.  Our true reality is circular and interconnected.

Years ago, I read a book called Flow, by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in which the author discusses that state of timelessness that we enter when we are fully engaged in the creative process or other pursuit that enables us to be completely focused on doing something that we love. We can find peak enjoyment and satisfaction in these moments of what he calls "optimal experience".

Even though I suppose it's easier to experience "flow" when on vacation or doing something we enjoy with our whole being, we can keep this mindset in our day-to-day life by practicing mindfulness.

"Mindfulness" is something of a buzz word these days.  We can take mindfulness classes or download an app to try to train ourselves in this practice. It simply means to engage fully in each moment of our lives; to stay focused on our experiences as they "flow", using every sense to integrate body, mind and spirit.  We can start by:

•  grounding ourselves to the earth; stepping outside to breathe deeply and fully experience the invigorating winter day.
•  Notice the way the snowflakes feel on your face, look up at the sky, listen to the birds. 
•  Imagine your feet growing tendrils that flow into the ground like tree roots, connecting you to the earth and moving upward.
•  Let go of any obsessive, anxious thoughts...imagine them floating up to the sky, like balloons
•  Give thanks and just be.  

Practicing mindfulness as we go about our day, no matter what we're doing, can help us get to a state of "flow".  It helps us shut out the conscious mind with its obsessive chatter and simply be ourselves, allowing the authentic being at our core to fully express the gifts that God has given us, and to enjoy ourselves doing so.  It helps us to stay in the present moment, the eternal now.

I suppose this could be a New Year's Resolution, of sorts. To be more present and mindful, less distracted, more focused on the task at hand. To be fully there for the people in my life.

To be "in the flow", thankful for every breath and every moment.