“I am in a state of despair, hurt, anger and disbelief that we are at this point in America — again”, remarked Myrlie Evers a Civil Rights Leader, on August 18th while being interviewed by a reporter after Heather Heyer, was plowed down and killed by a neo-Nazi white, supremacist who drove his car into KKK and neo-Nazi counter protesters. This tragedy is all too familiar to Evers. In 1963, her husband was cold bloodily shot and killed in the driveway of their home by a white supremacist. She continued to share her incredulity over the vehement intolerance that still exists in our nation.

As I watched footage of the KKK and neo-Nazi gang members marching in the streets of Charlottesville with torches shouting, “Jews will not replace us”, I was filled with gut wrenching trepidation. I was chilled to the bone while I watched white supremacists violently push, trample and mace throngs of people who gathered to stand against their prejudice and hostility as they chanted, “ No Nazis…No KKK!”. Immediately after the events of Charlottesville, groups across the nation organized to take a stand against racism and hatred. I received several notifications from local groups who were organizing marches and rallies for citizens to take a stand against hatred, bigotry, and racism. As I read these emails, I felt uneasy. I understand and profess how important it is to be an active and engaged citizen and to not blindly be a bystander as injustice and harm are inflicted on my brother and sisters. However, the universal law of cause and effect reminds me that what I resist persists. Additionally, Martin Luther King Jr. masterfully taught us, “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.” Let us be aware that violence is not only the act of physically attacking someone but occurs when we, judge, criticize and condemn others.

Additionally, when we take a stand against something the vibratory energy we send out in our words and actions is one of fighting and warring. In a “stance of against” we take on the very energy of that which we do not want.

So, how can we the people embody our Divine Nature to bring about harmony, equality, and peace to our nation and the world? I turn to the Master Teachers, Jesus the Christ, Charles Fillmore, and Mother Theresa. In Mark 4:39 while out at sea on a stormy night, “Jesus woke up rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.” In this precept, Jesus teaches us the importance of embodying our Power of Dominion. During stormy times, we can easily be overcome with fear and our emotions can elicit within us a flight, fright, or freeze reactive response, instead of a Spiritually, conscious and empowered stance. In stormy situations, it is important to be self-aware and to become still by taking several deep breaths and dropping to your heart as you speak words of Truth and Power, such as, “ Peace Be Still and know I Am centered in Dominion, Strength, Wisdom, and Harmony!” From that place of center, you become the embodiment of peace and can discern how your actions and words can embody wisdom, courage, compassion, and power in any situation. Charles Fillmore states that a peacemaker is, “One who has the ability to say peace to the turbulent waves of thought and have them obey. A peacemaker is one who reduces to peace and harmony all the thoughts of strife, anger, and retaliation in his/her own mind.”

After you become still, and you do receive Divine Guidance to take to the streets, I invite you to organize or join a rally that stands for what you desire to bring into expression in our nation and the world. Mother Theresa wisely reminded us, “ I will never attend an anti-war rally; if you have a peace rally, invite me. Let us remember that if you focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want you will receive it in abundance. I invite you to be self-aware, speak words of Truth and Power, and be the living presence of peace, compassion, justice, tolerance, and generosity, and together we will have it!

Life, as we know, is changing so rapidly before our eyes. Every generation seems to reminisce about the good old days. My parents tell me stories of what life was like before TV was invented and extended family lived next door to each other or lived within blocks. They share stories of how fresh the food was and how staples were purchased at mom and pop shops run by butchers, bakers, produce grocers and how milkmen delivered diary items to your front stoop. I tell my children about the days before iTunes and smartphones were created that I listened to music on eight-track and cassette tapes, and I completed college assignments on a typewriter.

Even though each generation experiences change, I believe the transitions that are underfoot today are epic. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift occurs when the usual societal and worldview undergo a significant transformation. Scientist, Thomas Kuhn, who coined the term, states that during such a time individuals will experience chaos, uncertainty, and even periods of “intellectually violent revolutions” as the old way of thinking and being is collapsing as the new shift in consciousness is struggling to emerge. The caterpillar struggling from its cocoon to emerge into a spectacular, colorful butterfly is a perfect metaphor for this cycle of emergence of a new worldview.
Currently, we are watching the breakdown of our educational, religious, economic, and political systems while the harmful effects of Global Warming are being experienced by the whole of creation. Rapid advancements in technology are not only changing the delivery of our media, but is also replacing man/woman power, and is having an effect on our social-emotional intelligence, on our person-to-person contact, and how we define community. All of this is exciting and can be frightening at the same time as we bid farewell to the comfortable and familiar as the landscape changes right under our very own feet.

Not only are brick and mortar businesses feeling the effects of our shifting times as some of them are forced to close up shop, but churches and spiritual communities are experiencing the impact as well. Forty-eight percent of the population born between the years 1984-2002 consider themselves to be unaffiliated when it comes to belonging to a church or spiritual community. As a result, Sunday service attendance is down nationally across all religions and many communities have had to close their doors because they were unable to remain financially solvent. Two months ago, I became dismayed when I discovered that over the last year one Unity spiritual community a month had to dissolve for the same reason.
When I heard this news from Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM), I became fearful about how the changing times would affect Unity by the Shore as I witness a drop in attendance during the summer months. I knew quickly that I had to begin to shift from fearing the changing times to welcoming it. I began looking deeper at the paradigm shift that we are in the midst of, and I believe we are collectively being called to shift from the consciousness of separation to the consciousness of Oneness. I have shared in previous articles, that I believe that the patriarchal ways of competition, greed, and every man/woman for himself is being played out before us as leaders try to resist change by going back to how things used to be and by constructing walls to keep “the others” out as solutions to what ales our failing institutions. The polarization of duality and the consciousness of the “other” are also being played out among us as we argue, defame, and resist those who have a different political belief or worldview than we do. Spiritual teacher Dr. Shariff Abdulla states that we are collectively feeling the effects of four major shadows, violence, “the others”, lack, and despair, as we encounter our current global challenges. In order to for us to shift into the experience of Oneness, we must collectively unite in our efforts to bring the four Lights, peace and security, inclusivity and community, true abundance, and fulfillment of embodying on Divine gifts in service to one another. Dr. Shariff Abdulla is partnering with Unity World Headquarters (UWH) and UWM in bringing a pilot program to Unity ministries called Shadow to Light (S2L), and I will be sharing this program with UBTS this fall.

In the meantime, know that the board and I are looking to embrace the technological age by raising funds to purchase equipment so that we can Livestream services and key events. Over the remaining lazy days of summer, I invite you to take respite, recharge, and to recommit to the spiritual transformation of yourself, UBTS, and the planet. We need all hands on deck!

Like many spiritual mystics, Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, professes that our life’s purpose is to awaken from our slumber, discover the Power of our innate Divine Nature, experience the Love and Joy of our being, and to be a force of Light and Love in the Universe. The spiritual path of awakening is not for the faint of heart. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell calls one who is willing to awaken and courageously transcend societal domesticated group mind a hero. He explains, “During our life’s journey, as with every hero’s quest, we have to suffer certain losses, leave the predictable comforts of home, and set out into unfamiliar terrain to realize our dreams. Along the way, the hero inevitably meets with dragons that block the way. Usually, her/his quest takes the hero into dark places to do tremendous battle with unseen forces for hidden treasure. Out of these struggles, the hero emerges with a grail of jewels or wisdom that he/she shares with others.”

To say yes to the quest means you are willing to live your life fully consciously and to courageously make choices that beckon you to boldly embody your spiritual gifts and to live from the consciousness of Oneness. For many, this will require you to leave behind ways of being that are comfortable and familiar. Living a life of Truth will demand you, to be honest with yourself. You must be willing to take a fearless inventory of your life and to release where you have been out of integrity and playing small. Once you look, see, and tell the Truth about where you have been living from fear, lack, jealousy, envy, hatred, resentment, greed, control, unworthiness and any other form of not “enoughness” you will be summoned to make amends with yourself and others. The act of forgiveness will stare you in the face again and again. You will be called to let go of deep pain and suffering caused by the betrayal, abandonment, selfishness, abuse, and deceit of “others”. Some of whom are your closest family members and friends. It will no longer feel comfortable to engage in gossip or to stand in judgment of yourself and others. Yes, even of our politicians. Your higher self will beckon you to challenge discrimination, violence, injustice, and selfishness in your behavior and in the behaviors of your friends, family members, community members, and institutional leaders. Challenging the consciousness of separation does not mean you have to fight or attack back with harsh and violent rhetoric and actions. It means you will embrace Principle and take action to bring about changes that are characterized by fairness, equity, empowerment, respect, dignity, and Love of our planet and all of humanity.

Living a life fully engaged as a spiritual warrior requires you to be stretched out of your comfort zone again and again. At times, this may seem daunting and downright exhausting. Some days you may even wish you could meet up with the character Morpheus from the 1999 movie The Matrix and ask him to give you the “blue pill” so you can just blissfully fall back asleep for a couple of days, weeks, months, and even years. When fatigue sets in remember two things. First, know how important it is to take the time to retreat as the Master Teacher, Jesus, demonstrated again and again. Taking time to rest in the stillness of your Being and to take respite in the beauty and Power of nature does wonders for the weary soul. Lastly, individuals who embark on a hero’s journey long enough will begin to experience a deep sense of passion, as an authentic sense of purpose wells up inside of them, and they truly discover what it means to be Alive! There is no greater joy than experiencing your Divinity as you open your heart up and boldly dare to rise up in all of your Glory to be what you came here to be, the Powerful embodiment of the Divine and a Universal Force of Goodness.

“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. John O’ Donahue

Meatless Mondays is a mainstream global observance that has gained popularity with many individuals. This practice allows us to reduce our carbon footprint, thereby, saving precious resources like fossil fuels and fresh water, as well as reducing our risk for diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.  Growing up in the Catholic Faith during the season of Lent I can recall observing meatless Fridays.  The purpose of this ritual was created to remind individuals of their duty to sacrifice and abstain from the “sins of the flesh”.  As a young child and even as a young adult, I was a faithful observer of meatless Fridays and to be totally honest it was not a sacrifice at all.  In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Fridays meant that homemade pizza, pasta fagioli or another pasta dish, potato and egg omelets on crusty semolina bread, and many other Italian soul food delectables would be on the menu.  My home was filled with heavenly aromas of garlic, basil, and fresh baked pizza and calzones. Fridays were more characterized by indulgence than sacrifice and repentance, although I would feel guilty if I forgot what day of the week it was and ordered a turkey sandwich or a burger for lunch.  Throughout the years, how many religious practices have you observed without them having had any significant ability to change or transform your life?

Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, professed, Lent, is a church institution embodying an exalted idea, the idea of cleansing and disciplining both mind and body toward the end of making them more receptive to the Christ ideas. Like many other religious practices it is too often observed in letter but not in spirit.  So how is one to live the spirit of the law of cleansing and disciplining, and abstaining from the sins of the flesh?

The metaphysical meaning of abstaining from the sins of the flesh is to cleanse one’s consciousness from error thinking and ways of being that are rooted in the fear based conditioning of our egoic selves.   Our consciousness is made up of our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.  So to cleanse yourself from erroneous thinking means to release from your life beliefs, words, and actions characterized by judgmentalism, criticism, scarcity, selfishness, self-condemnation, competition, discrimination, defensiveness, and all other forms of fear and separation.

Fillmore reminds us it is not only important to eliminate from our consciousness fear-based ways, but we must be spiritually disciplined to embody our Divine Potential.  Within us all are 12 Divine Attributes: Faith, Strength, Understanding, Wisdom, Love, Dominion, Will, Imagination, Zeal, Order, Elimination and Life. During the season of Lent, it is a good opportunity to select one or two of your spiritual powers to consciously activate and bring forth their Divine Potential.

On Ash Wednesday, during our white stone ceremony, you will be given an opportunity to reflect on what you desire to release from your experience and to select one of your 12 Powers to embody this Lenten season.   If you are not able to participate in the Ash Wednesday service, I invite you to practice the ritual of release and conscious, intentional embodiment of your Divine Potential. In the words of Charles Fillmore I challenge you to, Let the God within you express itself as you in the world!

As I reflect back on the past year, I am filled with gratitude for the many blessings I have received.  Gifts exchanged over the holiday season come in
many different packages, sizes and shapes. Some glisten and sparkle, while others come simply covered in brown paper bag. Some oddly shaped presents can be difficult or are too large to wrap.  The same can be said for our blessings.  Some like unexpected income sparkle in our hands while the loss of a loved one, or a new president-elect who opposes the ideals and morals many believe in may be too difficult for us to wrap our hearts and minds around.

When we are enveloped in Spiritual Principle, we know that all experiences despite the packaging and the size of importance we give them gleam with opportunities for our greatest, highest Good. My capacity to see and experience Life, Love and Wisdom as I stood at the bedside of several individuals in our community who were preparing to make their transition blessed me and opened my heart in ways I can’t begin to put into words.  As my father was admitted to the hospital 5 times this past year, fearing during his last admittance this fall that he was preparing to leave this Earth, I understood the gift of surrender and the sacredness of each moment.  As chaos and scandal plague our president-elect, and our government, although at times we may find the packaging to be distasteful, let us know and affirm that the gift of Goodness is contained in this experience.  

I am also appreciative for the love and support I received from members and friends of Unity by the Shore as I began to spread my wings this year by creating new services, activities, and made changes to our Sunday service. On a few occasions when interacting with other individuals from larger communities, I heard them refer to UBTS as a little church or a small church.  Does the size of a building or the number of members determine the value or the power of a community?  I think not. Like the various gifts we exchange as a token of our love the essence of a gift comes in various shapes and sizes.  Our community has heart and soul and is filled with creative, giving, caring, and spiritual conscious individuals.  

As I look ahead to 2017, I am excited about the limitless possibilities that lie before me and our spiritual community.  This year at UBTS, I will be asking the question, “How can we move from being comfortable to flourishing?”  We will look at our current vision, mission, and core values to determine if they are still relevant and create excitement to unite us to stretch ourselves to be our boldest selves.  I will be asking you throughout the year how can you and we as a community glimmer, glisten, and sparkle like the true gift that we are?

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.” 
― Steve Maraboli