For me, doing as you ask, my mind becomes expansive. Our differing beliefs often create barriers; unending wars fought in the name of the one righteous religion. Love is universal and inclusive; Love is union. Love invites unity. Love knows my name, yours, and all are invited to the table; no one is shunned. Love recognizes that our only sin is thinking we are somehow separate from Love, authors of our lives and creation. Love is accepting and forgiving and my salvation comes through Love of other; Love of enemy as my neighbor. When we remember what we are in Love, we are no longer separate, and there is really nothing to forgive, after all.

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This weekend, my friend/neighbor and I had another one of our animated discussions where we looked at our motivations and assumptions about life that make us challenge our emotions, reactions and attitudes. This started after sharing with her my recollections of a speaker who spoke about critical thinking and how it was necessary to apply it against “Eurocentric” thinking that was pervasive in the practice of nursing. The speaker talked about how the “collectivistic” inclination of the minority health provider was many times not taken into account by the mainstream thinkers and organizers who shaped clinical practices. As the numbers of ethnic care providers increases and the general population grows incrementally, it is time for a new “more” to come into place with our thinking of how our patients need to be treated and illnesses approached. In the concept of “mind, body, spirit” healing it calls to challenge us to consider whose mind? Whose body? Whose spirit?
I have not seen the film, but I can understand why someone would question the process of religion and why one would wonder the same things about the presentation of religion rite and wonder where the essence of spirituality has gone.
Is success measured by the amount collected in the coffers? Or the empowerment of the soul that is reached when spiritual people gather in a religious rite and their faith is made stronger because they have been joined in community and re-enforced because they have been heard, answered or made more spiritual?
So this weekend we reached an agreement to recognize a new descriptor “Sciemo” which to us means dealing emotionally with scientific thought. Or emotional intelligence as part of critical thinking.
If we do not allow ourselves to question the reason for the physical, we would never change in the spiritual. It is this questioning that formed new religious processes, breakaway practices and what in essence feeds our soul.
The speaker, a Latina, told us how her mother would line up all of her family every morning and made them recite this quote which to this day shapes and forms her inner motivation: “No existimos porque estamos aqui Estamos aqui porque existimos” translated it says- “We exist not because we are here- We are here because we exist”

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Sometimes I share Journal meditations with friends and I received the following e-mail response. I asked my friend’s permission to post this anonymously because she (like most Journal readers)is not one to post publicly.
I have not seen Bill Mahers movie and don’t expect that I will. I was asking those questions long before he was.
Having said that, experience has taught me that all religions reflect rather than create. Humans developed religions in response to inner needs for connection, creating maps to help meet that need. I do think many people pay lip service to the fundamental core principles of their religions but I feel the same way about much of our “National pride” vs. a real internalized feeling for the principles of the constitution.
So little self reflection! What we say is so much in conflict with what we do. I am humbled more and more as I quiet the loud, demanding, accusing, blaming voice that resides somewhere in my mind. All rests on me.
I have looked at so many maps —- I wanted just the right one–one that would not ask too much from me, but give me everything! I became an expert in discussing complex maps all the while not really engaging or completely committing to the territory.
Now it seems I never really needed a map. That other voice–the one that speaks in feelings has always been there nudging me in the right direction– is uncomplicated, has no grand rules to follow, no elaborate rituals, and is always right. Its only requirement is being quiet and acting on its directives.
All is well here. Autumn has arrived. The air is crisp,leaves changing color, smell of decaying foliage.
Hope all is well with you, Love…

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