It's a "non-fruiting," ornamental, pink cascading, weeping peach tree. Yet there it stands, with fruit all over its branches reminding me that all things are possible.
Then the message at church on Sunday was all about being kind. More specifically, we were reminded to be kind to ourselves. Often when we are young, we may be told not to be selfish, to be kind to others, to think of others. What if we started each day with a reminder to be kind to ourselves? What if we changed our whole concept of what we might think of as "selfish," and started calling it "being kind to ourselves"?
The minister's lecture reminded me of a conversation I once had with a friend who was dealing with some health issues. He said that he had to learn how to be more selfish. (Huh?) He meant that he had to spend more time taking care of himself. Once I understood his meaning, I replied that I didn't think of that as being selfish. I don't think of that as being selfish at all. We actually argued over that.
It's not always easy to change our minds about something.
Here's the plan for this week:
1. Be kind to self and others.
2. Remember that anything is possible.
3. Keep an open mind while staying on the lookout for other "reminders."
When I set out for church on Sunday morning, I fully expected to be inspired and positively energized there. It's not often that I say this but... church was a disappointment.
The priest started off his sermon by asking that any latecomers please remain in the back or wait until there was a hymn to seat themselves, so as not to "interrupt the whole atmosphere." I thought the priest himself interrupted the atmosphere by calling it to everyone's attention, and wondered briefly if he was talking about me. I had been there before the start of mass and since it hadn't started yet, had gone to find a restroom. When I returned, the congregation was singing and I didn't think anyone minded me walking up to a pew that had an empty seat on the end. However, that had been a good twenty minutes earlier and he was probably now speaking about people who were standing in the back at that particular time. It didn't matter who he was talking about though. I thought that it must have made a fair amount of people feel uncomfortable and I found his comments a bit unsettling.
The priest then launched into his homily, which had much to do with suffering and pain. I may not be giving him enough credit here, but the whole point of it seemed to be that we must suffer like Jesus and that pain is everywhere. I looked around to see if anyone else besides me found his message odd. If they did, they didn't show it. All the people were listening attentively.
He quoted something in some other language, then offered a translation. I believe he credited Buddha, but I might have misinterpreted due to his thick accent. I could have sworn he quoted Buddha as having said, "Pain and suffering is everywhere." WHAT WAS HE TALKING ABOUT???
I wanted to get up and leave. As luck would have it, I had to use the restroom again. (Never drink an entire bottle of water just before leaving the house for church.) I waited for a part of the mass when I felt I wouldn't be "interrupting the whole atmosphere" before I left my pew. The mass ended and the people were almost completely gone when I returned. The priest was shaking hands with congregants as they exited the church. His message also encouraged people to stand up for their beliefs and speak their mind (regardless of the suffering it might cause). I was tempted to stand up for my beliefs and tell him how much I disliked his sermon, but I resisted and exited through a different doorway.
I understand where he could have gone with his point... He was talking about sacrificing for others and I could relate to that idea. He could have talked about how joyous and rewarding it is to give selflessly to others. He didn't. He said we must sacrifice and suffer for the good of others. He made it sound like a miserable thing that we would have to endure.
I went home and conveyed my experience to Russ, who was getting ready to leave for a flight. We were stopping by his parents' house for a Father's Day visit before the airport. On the way we passed a McDonald's. I asked him to pull over.
I didn't want to stop for food. What caught my attention was the marquee in front. I was surprised, excited and nourished by it! It said, "The purpose of our lives is to be happy." (HA! and HA again!) I exclaimed, "I could've come HERE for spiritual guidance this morning!" Kudos to the manager of that McDonald's!
It's funny how you can find disappointment where you least expect it - and inspiration where you least expect it too. :)
Namaste,
T
P.S.
While writing this, I tried to find Buddha quotes having anything to do with pain or suffering. Here are a few that I found which run totally contrary to sentiments expressed at Sunday's service:
The minister at church on Sunday was not talking about the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. She was talking about a woman she knew who had managed to change her mindset. This particular minister is also certified as an Advanced Clinical Hypnotist, and she was referencing a client who went from constantly expecting challenging situations to "presuming good will." Instead of focusing on what she feared, she learned to anticipate more positive outcomes. Concentrating her thought patterns there, she experienced more desirable, and even exciting and inspirational life conditions.
The topic could have been labeled many different ways. A change in attitude, and the effects that such a change has on our lives, can be credited to faith, God, Law of Attraction, the power of positive thinking, Angels... We can believe in this principle regardless of our culture, background, or religion, calling it whatever name works for each of us. The bottom line is that when we train ourselves to expect good things, we often find more good things happening. One sentence in the sermon seemed so profound to me, I grabbed a pen and wrote it down:
"You're not letting your guard down. You're letting God guard you."
- Priscilla Keresey
During group prayer / healing intentions, we remembered all the people affected by the Orlando shooting. After some moments of silence, I noticed my phone light up. It was a notification that one of my friends in Orlando, FL had checked in as being safe.
In the hours to follow, much of the story unfolded about what had happened in Orlando. People have been expressing concerns about giving in to fear and terror. Some people close to the scene, understandably, have been so terrified that they do not want to leave their homes for any reason. Many, though, have expressed an absolute resolve NOT to be afraid, and are compassionately encouraging others to stand strong. Vigils across the country, and even the world, are uniting people in good intention and in support of all those affected.
"The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub
- it is a place of solidarity and empowerment
where people have come together to raise awareness,
to speak their minds and to advocate for their civil rights."
- President Barack Obama
"There is never, ever any justification for such unacceptable crimes against
humanity, crimes against God, crimes against our country."
- Hassan Shibly,
executive director of the Florida branch of the
council on American-Islamic Relations
"Let me be clear: Equality Florida stands in solidarity
with the Muslim and Islamic community
and in opposition to the intolerance,
discrimination and hate crimes that both of our communities experience."
- Carlos Guillermo Smith,
a representative of Equality Florida, an LGBT advocacy group
As the minister's words keep echoing in my mind, I'd like to believe that I decide for myself not to give in to fear of any kind. I realize this sounds easy for me as one who is removed from these particular prejudices, but my power begins with the man in the mirror.
I will not view it as letting my guard down, I will let God guard me. I remember that church hymn, "Be Not Afraid."
I like this version... nice job Emily!
Love and prayers for the victims, the injured, the family and friends of all those impacted, the community of Orlando, and all those facing the effects of acts of terror, hatred and intolerance.
Namaste,
T
* Quotes cited from http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-orlando-shooting-pulse-nightclub-20160612-story.html
I went to church twice last week. Once for a funeral, and once for Sunday mass.
Richard Joyner, or "Tricky" as we called him, was a good, kind man. He was a talented musician, singer, sound engineer, and friend. He was always helping others - he just lived his life that way. He helped me get my demo ready when I first moved to the NYC area, and he encouraged me greatly. He will always be remembered for his talent and kind heart.
The minister spoke about Tricky's character. She spoke about faith. The songs were beautiful, the memories shared by his family touching, the message inspirational. I can't possibly do the sermon justice here... but we were all reminded how truly special it is to be someone who likes to help others - as Tricky was. She talked about how we all leave this world eventually, when our sacred assignments here are complete, and how in times of sadness we need to keep praying. I thought that Tricky would probably want to comfort anyone who was sad, and that he wouldn't want us to stay that way. Of course there is a grieving process - especially for those experiencing the unexpected loss of someone close. Tricky would understand that. Of course he would do whatever he could to let his loved ones know that he is ok, and that he loves them dearly. Of course it's hard to believe that in your heart when you are hurting from the loss of his presence.
On Sunday, I went to mass. The message there was all about faith too. It was interesting how the two sermons echoed each other - even though they were different churches, different religions, with different stories and hundreds of miles away from each other. The priest told a story of a dog named Luna who was lost at sea and presumed dead after an extensive search. After five weeks, she turned up unharmed at a Naval base two miles from where she was last seen. Her owner was overjoyed, having not known all that time that she was alright. The fact that Luna was okay, even when she couldn't be seen, reminded me of how I felt at Tricky's service... that he was alright even though we could not see him.
The priest also spoke of helping others. The church has a program to help feed needy families. We were reminded that some families are in desperate need. One family had told the priest that despite having recently lost their home, that they would be okay and did not need groceries delivered. The priest had them delivered them anyway and they called him in tears, overwhelmed with gratitude that the children had nutritious cereal to eat that week.
We don't always see the whole picture. We don't have to. We just need to try to hold on to our faith. When we feel it slipping, we can ask for help. We can lean on others. Eventually, we'll get to a place of gratitude. We will get there. Eventually, we can turn our minds toward the Blessings that we have - and help others as best we can.
Prayers for all those in need... be it need of comfort, of a friend, of a kind ear to just listen, and for those in need of basic necessities. Prayers of gratitude for all that we do have, and for the strength and will to help others however we can.
