For Sunday October 29th, 2017

Hello to all, as our society becomes more and more divided it becomes more and more essential to connect. Loving comes naturally while anger, hate, mistrust and separation are all learned during the chaos of life. 

Perhaps, through an exchange of dialogue, civil conversation, and genuine curiosity we can begin to blur the imagined line between friends and foes. Perhaps we can find and nurture the growth of connection, and experience the relief of letting go of harsh judgements. 

This Sunday may we let those who are without sin cast the first stone, while we reach out a hand.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday October 22nd, 2017

Hello everyone, the seed of every human foible and horror can be found within every one of us. Every anger, fear, jealousy, greed, paranoia, bits of guilt and revenge, egotistical chest thumping, and woe begone depression which we find so objectionable in 'those people' can also be found, to some degree, within ourselves.

It is very simple to say these come from a lack of connection to the Universal Source. It can be very difficult to purge them and maintain a clear connection to Universal Source, especially in times of turmoil, but that is our life's work.

This Sunday may we strive to become the clarity we wish to see in the world. May there be wisdom in our choices. May there be love of humanity in our hearts.

With reverence,

Richard

For Sunday October 15th, 2017

Hello everyone, at times like this when societal embers of anger, fear, and divisiveness are often fanned into flames it becomes essential to look within. It can be quite challenging to set aside justifications for how we think and feel, but it must be done in order to connect.

When people are entrenched in their thinking it becomes very difficult to change their minds. But it might be possible to change their hearts – if we have changed our own.

May we sit this Sunday for the self-honesty to see clearly. May we find our true center. May we reach out from there with patience and understanding in hopes of true connection.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday October 8th, 2017

Hello everyone, I'd like to turn this evenings meditation over to Stanley Peele, a good friend and exceptional mentor to me. He writes:

OUR REACTION TO THE MASSACRE IN LAS VEGAS

What should we do in response to the massacre in Las Vegas?

We can have increased security in hotels and other buildings.  That may help, but a determined killer will not be deterred.

We can put fences around our property.  However, we cannot fence the world.

We can hire more police.  We can arm ourselves.  That is what we have been doing.

We can increase the use of electronic devices to detect the presence of weapons.

We can tighten the regulations about the sale of weapons and the kinds of weapons that are legal.  However, it is unlikely that our government will take any meaningful steps in that area.

All of these are natural responses.  However, they have not worked.  Violence has not been stemmed, and the magnitude, the inhumanity of the violence is increasing. 

There is another way.  All the responses to violence listed above are directed outwards, to other people.   We should also look inward – at ourselves.  What is our response to mass killings?  Fear?  Anger?  Blaming others?  Blaming the hotel?  Blaming the police?

All of these things miss the point.  Since the beginning of civilization, we have been missing the point.   The point is, we should react with inner kindness as well as outer protection.  When Cain murdered Abel, that act could have taught the survivors that killing was not the path to travel on.

The failure to learn this lesson has been repeated billions of times through the pages of history.

We have to protect ourselves, yet to do this without inner reflection is fruitless.

Let's respond to the Las Vegas massacre by increasing our kindness to others.  There is no better way for us to honor the 69 people who were killed and those who were injured there. 

Let's be more aware of the needs of others around us.  We can try to follow the boy scout law, a part of which is to be "trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful." 

Remember the "random acts of kindness" movement of a few years back?  Let's harken unto that.

Make today about someone else! 

Specifically, let's do at least two acts of kindness every day for 30 days.  If we do that, perhaps it will become habitual.  Then, if enough people do it we can glimpse the Garden of Eden.

Stanley Peele

Oct. 7, '17

Thank you Stanley and thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday October 1st, 2017

Hello to everyone, a living caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon and dissolves into a messy white goo before emerging as a butterfly. There is nothing about the goo which suggests a butterfly. However, if you closely examine an adult caterpillar you'll find the beginnings of a set of wings just beneath its skin. So it sometimes is with us. 

We each have what we need inside to take flight but often have to go through a transformation first; minds need to expand, and most importantly, hearts need to open. The white goo is a messy but essential step. 

May we sit this Sunday with an acceptance of whatever 'white goo' we may find in our lives. May we take comfort in the wings within. May we see the wings in others.

Thank you,

Richard

For Sunday September 24th, 2017

Hello everyone, here's a quote from Vincent Van Gogh. "The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths it has its pearls too." 

We see the the storms in harsh antagonistic attitudes, the tides in the swing and sway of public opinion, and the pearls come forth in the way strangers swarm in to help each other during times of disaster. 

May we sit this Sunday for those who are caught up in natural disasters, for those caught up in disasters of their own making, and for the beautiful friends and strangers who swarm in to be of help.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday September 17th, 2017

Hello everyone, we are exposed to a lot of strife in this world. We find far too many opportunities to engage in the anger of it's 'us' against 'them' or the paranoia of 'they' are against 'us'. This mangled frenzy of 'divisiveness above all' was sorely put to the test with hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Sadly, it too often takes a natural disaster for people to wake up to their inner heart and reach out a helping hand yet – it did happen. 

Huge masses of people worked together to help out neighbors and strangers alike before, during, and after the storms. 

This is where we find the real truth of humanity, in our natural compassion. Such disasters are not designed to be 'tests'. The Earth and the weather have to do their thing, after all. But we can see it as having passed a test of our innate spirituality.

May we sit this Sunday in gratitude for our actual truth. May we remember it well into the future.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday September 10th, 2017

Hello all, if you would care to let us take not just this Sunday but this full weekend to pray for all those involved with Hurricane Irma.

Respectfully,

Richard

For Sunday September 3rd, 2017

Hello to all, as has been said many times - those who aggravate us are our greatest teachers for they bring emphasis to the least loving facets of our natures. The justifications for our opinions can be unassailable in our minds and our righteousness unquestionable in our minds. But if we are less than loving, then it's all in our minds.

Anger carries great power, fear subverts responsibility, revenge claims to be its own reward. Yet all of them come from the smaller self, which is separated from our home in Universal Consciousness.

May we sit this Sunday for true knowledge of ourselves. May we find the self-love which becomes outward-love, which is the language of Universal Consciousness.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 27th, 2017

Hello everyone, other than absolute saints each one of us can be divided up into two parts. There is the part of us which is continuously connected to Universal Consciousness, and there is the part of us which has separated itself from Universal Consciousness, commonly called ego. The job of those who love outwardly is to learn to identify which part of us our impulses are coming from.

The fruits of the ego, anger, fear, and revenge, are powerful, addictive, and temporarily satisfying. But the fruits of the spirit bring contentment, an encompassing satisfaction, inner peace, and kindness toward self and others.

May we sit this evening for the capacity to identify and choose well from among the impulses that arise in our daily lives. May we have the courage to search for greater guidance, and the strength to follow it.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 20th, 2017

Hello to all, we see much disturbance in the news these days. We have our understandable reactions to it; fear, anger, sadness, disgust, disapproval, etc. To be able to recognize our initial personal reactions, set them aside, and search for something greater from within ourselves can be very helpful.

We would not think so highly of Nelson Mandela if he had persecuted his jailers. We would not be so impressed with Malala Yousafzai if she had wished to kill the people who shot her. 

Are they exceptional people or are they good people who found exceptional strength and compassion within themselves?

May we sit this Sunday for the strength and courage to find our own greater selves – and to reach out to others from there. 

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 13th, 2017

Hello everyone, the ancients tell us of the two waves of souls coming to the Earth plane, the first getting lost and forgetting their spiritual beginnings with the second wave coming as a rescue attempt. They also tell us that some of the second wave became lost as well yet still retained many of the 'spiritual gifts' of charisma, intuition, and perhaps more. 

It is from this group of 'lost second wave' that we find false prophets, selfishly driven and enamored of the wealth, power, fame, and followers that can be accumulated by the use of their 'gifts'. Herein lies a lesson – we are all susceptible to some extent. 

In order to recognize these common human frailties in others it helps to first identify them within ourselves. 

May we sit this Sunday with self-awareness, self-honesty, and a true desire to clarify our connection to Universal Consciousness.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 6th, 2017

Hello to all, the ancients tell us there were two waves of souls which came to the Earth plane. The first wave, quickly lost in the experiences of the material world, forgot their connection to Universal Consciousness. The second wave, intended as a rescue attempt, had to involve themselves in materiality but retained a memory and some connection to Universal Consciousness. 

In modern times these groups can be roughly described as those who love outwardly and those who love selfishly. The goal of the outward-loving is to reach, connect, and remind those who self-love that Universal Consciousness is available and waiting.

May we sit this Sunday with the understanding that we are all One, yet some are lost. May we reach out in an honest, heart-felt manner whenever possible. May the separated return to the Universal.

Thank you all,

Richard