All of us sooner or later come to the place in our development where we are no longer satisfied to go on living the old life, without the knowledge of our oneness with God, the Source of our being. Sometimes, when we reach this point in our soul’s progress, we do not at first know just what is taking place. We may become restless and dissatisfied. We may go through experiences which we do not understand. We may even be tempted to think that our good has gone from us. But just as surely as there is God the one Presence and one Power, we shall find that all is well, and that we are but going from one room, as it were, into another, larger and lighter room.
– Myrtle Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity Movement
Does this sound like your life? Or like what we are experiencing right now in our country and world? Difficult as it is, the spiritual truth is that our situation has not come to harm us. Rather it has come with a gift in its hands. Acceptance of that deeper reality opens us to receive the gift. It is inherent in our spiritual nature to long to live our greater life, to be our true self, or as Myrtle puts it, to know our oneness with God. The poet Walt Whitman expressed the essence of the true self so beautifully, “I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.” Our soul draws us forward into our goodness whether we give conscious consent or not! This drawing forward is really what “problems” are all about. When situations are breaking down it is because the old shells – the constructs and outer arrangements we had made from them — are too small to contain us any longer. And so they crack open.
We may feel disoriented and confused, not quite knowing who we are anymore. Predictability is lost. We may wonder if we will ever feel comfortable again. It’s important to express compassion for ourselves and others. It’s OK and good to grieve for what has been disrupted or for people or circumstances we have lost. Letting go of how it was oftentimes entails suffering. We honor that by feeling it and then softening our heart to let in God’s healing love.
Slowly, gently, we move into a larger, lighter room in our lives. There we feel the truth of what Myrtle and Walt are telling us. We grow into new attitudes, new understanding, and new activities that hold deeper meaning for us. We find we are clearly placed in relationship with our noble purpose and in loving, strong relationships. The gift of our larger self, our spiritual life, is being offered to us as individuals and as a nation. We are worthy to receive it. Open your hands, open your heart, and greet it with joy!
In the Love and Light of the Christ,
Rev. Anna
