Looking within

"If you want to understand others, 

look into your own heart." 

Johann Schiller

I read this quote this morning in my OA reading and it really struck a chord with me. Recent events in the world are really igniting a lot of controversy and anger amongst the people I'm friends with on Facebook. I see on my newsfeed a lot of posts and articles for and against a lot of different issues such as war, refugees, peace, terrorism, and religion. I, for the most part, stay out of any debates I see going on. I know that participating is not likely to change anyones minds and will just make me feel really awful.

The hard part for me is when I read things that seem cruel and filled with hate for others because they are different. I have a hard time understanding that. My wish is for Universal Love and Acceptance - that I love the way my Higher Power loves. I, being human, often fall sort of that wish, but I do try and I find it hard to understand others not having that same goal.

I know in my heart that I can still love others even if I disagree with their politics, their personal philosophies, their religious convictions, and even their hatred. I don't have to agree with them to love them.

In trying to understand where they are coming from, I need to turn to my own heart and look deep inside myself because there is where I will find the answers. I feel fear, disappointment, dislike, maybe even hatred (though I'm not really sure of that one), joy, love - all these things drive us - well I'll just speak for myself - they drive me to do and say things I'm not always so proud of or so sure of in hindsight. I may make decisions based on one of these feelings and I may even have the best of intentions, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to sometimes hurt others or cause pain. It is scary how I can get so caught up in my visceral reactions to events and feelings that I lash out or try to blame outside myself. I will even often try to take responsibility for things that are so far beyond my control that it doesn't make any sense, but I feel so strongly that someone must take that blame and I have no one else to blame, so I blame myself. 

Today, I look inside myself, and see the reflection of others in myself and myself in others. We are not so different. I think we all want the same things, safety, love, acceptance, joy, hope - the crux is that many of us disagree on how to get those things. 

I'm saddened by the conflicts that are going on in the world and I'm saddened by the conflicts that are going on on the newsfeeds of my friends on Facebook. I'm saddened by the conflicts that go on inside myself. There is little I can do about the conflicts outside myself, but I can reach out my hand in love and acceptance in spite of our differences and I can work on the conflicts I find within my own heart.

And I can hope that by doing so that I make some small difference in my world.

Universal Love and Peace

It's been awhile - I've been in a bit of a writing slump. I just haven't had a whole lot to say, but the attacks on Paris last Friday the 13th really brought to a head all the thoughts and feelings I have about the many places on our beloved planet that are suffering from war and persecution. It was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I knew I had to take some sort of action, but knowing that there is not a lot I can personally, physically do, I decided that some sort of energy work was what I was called to and I decided to invite others to join me.

Saturday, I was inspired to create an event on Facebook, a virtual candle light vigil for Universal Love and Peace. I set the time for the evening of Sunday the 15th from 8PM EST to 11PM EST. I then invited a handful of friends. I created this event expecting a few of us would light our candles and find some peace in our world. Word spread and I was blown away by the response.

When I went to bed at midnight - yes you read that right midnight - there were over 1500 people participating in the event, posting pictures of the candles they had lit in their homes. Over 20,000 people had been invited. I changed the end time of the vigil to 8PM EST on the 16th so people could continue to post and share their light and love with the world, because yes there were and still are people from all over the world joining in.

The thing that amazes me the most is that when I created this event I inadvertently set the settings on private, so every person who participated had to be invited to attend and it all started with the less than 25 people I invited.

Response to the event was so great I created a Facebook group to continue this work on a regular basis. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/421960828000534/

I've already scheduled another event, a vigil with the focus on Hope for next Sunday evening (more details are on the group page) and I hope to have a vigil like this every week for now perhaps eventually changing to once a month. People are reeling with what is going on after the Paris attacks, so they are focused right now and I think many of us need this. I know that world needs it and will always need it, so I want to continue manifesting light and love for my beloved planet and Her people for as long as I feel called to.