Speaking of Spirit

Tree of Life Tapestry https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/64.101.1305/ “We Are But One Thread”    by Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas © 2018    Chief Seattle, the great Native American medicine man, said, “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” I love that imagery. Close your eyes for a moment…picture an awesomely beautiful tapestry, rich in color and texture. See each human, each plant, animal…all of creation as individual threads within the tapestry.  Tapestries are weavings that often tell stories of a great event. We don’t have a tapestry here to demonstrate our interconnectedness, but, if we were to pull just one thread out of what weavers call the weft and warp, it pulls on all the other threads, taking them out of balance. If we pull on several threads, before long, our tapestry is a mess!  This is what is happening to us today. The v...

Easter Sunday around the world is a day of remembrance, rebirth, and rejoicing.  In celebrating the risen Jesus, Christians are also remembering his call to the New/Old Commandment - Love One Another - a tenant held by all world religions.   Love One Another!  If we meditate on these three words, live by these three words, we can change the world.   Love One Another - today, tomorrow and all the days to come.  A simple three word command.  A simple act of faith.  A simple way to give true glory and praise. Love One Another!

"...we get to show the world how to open our hearts."  These were the words that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke yesterday as he and other Canadians awaited the arrival of Syrian refugees to Toronto.  Watching the video, below I could see the genuine warmth and welcome the people from Syria were given. What saddened me is the thought that someone must teach the world how to "open our hearts."  When did we forget how to do this?  When did we forget the basic tenant of every spiritual path in the world to "Love one another?"    Welcoming refugees, sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, clothing those without clothes should not rely on politics - these ARE the guidelines given to us by every Holy text ever written.     There are many things I do not know, but one thing I do know is that this world is filled with loving, compassionate people. May this example of Lovingkindness be but the beginning of a huge wave of Compassion and...

Before I write anything, I would like you to watch a couple of videos... So my question is  this - Is Nature trying to teach us something? Creatures that should not have any desire to connect to each other have found a way to not simply coexist, (which if you study nature at all, is not really that unusual) but be friends - enjoy each others company and protect each other from harm. Why are we suddenly seeing all this unusual, unbelievable interactions? I believe that humankind is being sent a very important, very necessary message from the Creator.  The message is not new, in fact, it can be found in every faith path in existence.  But, we just aren't hearing the meaning, even when we say the words over and over. What better way to teach than by example. Therefore, Nature has sent us examples, and most recently, many of them!  Unique and unheard of bondings by creatures diametrically opposed to each other. So, what is the lesson...the message that i...