Close both eyes see with the other one.
Then we are no longer saddled by the burden of our persistent judgments,
our ceaseless withholding, our constant exclusion.
Our sphere has widened and we find ourselves, quite unexpectedly,
in a new, expansive location,
in a place of endless acceptance and infinite love.
--Gregory Boyle
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion
My dear family of Light and Love,
I am often wryly amused when a group of diligent, dedicated scientists labor long and hard to compile statistical evidence of some profound (yet basic) truth that many of us have pretty much known for years, and countless human beings have known for centuries, and likely millennia. I recently ran across an article published last fall, and no doubt you will find their conclusion as unsurprising as I do. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri, spirituality improves the health of most people, both of seemingly healthy individuals and those with conditions and illnesses. The mind boggles! We might even smack our foreheads in the style of those old V-8 commercials, and say, “If only someone had thought of that.”
Thankfully, someone did…lots of someones, actually. There are the ‘big’ names, of course: Buddha, Mohammed, Jesus of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and other enlightened human beings of the ancient past. But there have been many dozens of wise teachers in every century since. The common message is that with spiritual awareness, every facet of our lives is not only easier, but much more comprehensible. Since I’m already in the ‘commercial’ vein, think of it in terms of milk. “Things go better with God.” Naturally, we know that there is no question of whether Divine Presence is … well… present… since It can’t not be present (intentional use of double negative). Whether we are tuned in to the Presence is the only variable.
By the way, this study was not limited to any one spiritual tradition. The team found that in five faiths (Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants), spirituality was associated with better mental health, lower levels of neuroticism and greater extroversion (and I’m all for anything that helps us be less neurotic). Dan Cohen, assistant teaching professor of religious studies at MU, explained: “With increased spirituality people reduce their sense of self and feel a greater sense of oneness and connectedness with the rest of the universe.” Hmm… so that’s how it works.
Most interesting, particularly in light of this week’s talk topic, is that they discovered that the primary spiritual trait predictive of mental health was forgiveness. That isn’t a revelation to us, either, is it? We already know that carrying around issues and grudges, hurt and anger, damages us in every way—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We already know about forgiveness as a spiritual practice, though there are times when we don’t really like the idea very much; in fact, there might be times we distinctly dislike the idea. But we practice it anyway, which is fortunate because that practice has prepared us for the next step, a step that takes us to place where wenever have to forgive again. Yes, that’s what I said, never forgive again. And, no, that doesn’t mean we can go back to treasuring our grievances. It means… well… why don’t I wait until Sunday to elaborate on the specific techniques we can use to just get past this pesky forgiveness issue. But here’s a little hint in the form of a brief anecdote.
There once was a farmer who showed up at the local hospital every spring with a broken bone (arm, ankle, leg) and finally the doctor asked the farmer’s wife what was going on. “Well,” she said, “every spring he digs a trench for his favorite vegetables.” The doctor nodded, “That doesn’t seem very unusual, or dangerous.” The farmer’s wife agreed. “It’s just that every year, the morning after he digs the trench, he opens the front door, forgets that the trench is there, and falls into it.”
So… that is your hint, and I bet you can anticipate what the doctor would ask next, can’t you?
Be well in every way, and send your love to the world, a world that includes you!
Rev. Lauren
No comments:
Post a Comment