My usual intent with these Sunday posts is to encourage you to move into each new week with a spiritual perspective. Because we live both in the world of society and the world of nature surrounded by a vast expanse of "outer" space, the Spiritual permeating all, is easily lost in the struggles of modern life. The post from last Sunday was submerged in a flood of news, anxiety, threats, shocks as well as celebrations aimed at the U.S. elections. It is easy to be swept away by the tremendous power of social media, television and online programing. We, collectively, have been wondering how the news and passionate campaigning which overtook simple conversation would fare once the election results were clear. Now that it is, have you reclaimed your space of Peace yet?
Tomorrow is Veteran's day, a national holiday. It is a day set aside to honor the men and women of the American military, in gratitude for their service and sacrifice, seen and unseen. That service has been grounded in democracy, and ultimately, in service of Peace for the U.S.A. and really, the entire world. We can argue about what is the path to political peace, or to social peace, but the arguments themselves unravel the deeper, abiding Spiritual Peace. So I encourage you this week to find the time to remember those who have served in war and in the prevention of war, those who give of themselves in service to sustain American democracy. And, most importantly, I encourage you to take the week to reclaim your own Peace within.
Reclaiming your inner Peace may well mean stepping back from the election uproar until your own path is clarified or renewed. If you need a point of focus, consider the contemplation practice I wrote about in the November 3 post. And if the upheavals and post-election happenings seem too much, join me next Sunday, May 17, at 11:00 a.m. MT on Zoom, for "Spirituality, Plain and Simple". If you are not on our mailing list and you would like to attend Sunday's meeting, email me at hillsideew@aol.com. Peace, let it begin with you. (Susan Nettleton)
“Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
Till the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu
for poetry: https://hellopoetry.com/poem/5056/peace/ https://allpoetry.com/poem/8507381-Peace-by-Patrick-Kavanagh https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Ivelearnedto/index.html