I regret not sending out my
message last week. We were in the midst of a violent wintry blast that covered
our plentiful hardwood trees with ice and snow and then toppled them with 40-50
mile winds. Tremendous power outages ran rampant through our county in East
Tennessee – well over 60% of people were without power.
I’ve talked a lot about Oneness,
as so many do. For whatever reason, many of these ideas have been in the
forefront of my consciousness over the last month or so.
In Alcoholics Anonymous I have
developed a sense of spirituality that expresses itself mostly in seeing a
little bit of me in everyone’s story and experience. Without any willful effort
on my part, other than being willing, I have found myself looking for the
sameness rather than the differences in all I meet in these church basements or
other meeting places. Seeing myself in them creates an atmosphere that can only
be described as a form of Oneness. It has been very healing for me and opened
me to hear my Higher Power in their voices.
In A Course In Miracles (ACIM)
oneness is a particularly “hot topic.” Collectively, human beings are referred
to as the Son of God – co-creators with God the Father. We are all One. As we
mature in the Course, that reality becomes more palpable and we change. As our perception
changes so does our world and our reality. God needs for me to become aware of my
Oneness because He works through me to create that sense in others.
As stated in Lesson 56, part 5:
“In my own mind, behind all insane
thoughts of separation and attack, is the knowledge that all is one forever. I
have not lost the knowledge of Who I am because I have forgotten it. It has
been kept for me in the Mind of God, Who has not left His Thoughts. And I, who
am among them [His Thoughts], am one with them and one with Him.”
I recently attended a seminar
with Rev. Michael Dowd, whose outlook on Oneness encompasses all of creation. His
evangelizing to some 1,800 audiences, starting in April 2002, provided material
for his book: Thank God for Evolution
in 2008. This book is noteworthy for its breadth and depth of endorsements,
including six Nobel Prize-winning scientists. On April 2, 2009, Dowd addressed the
United Nations concerning the lack of an evolutionary worldview, which he
maintained has resulted in a global integrity crisis. Overcoming this crisis,
he said, will require a deep-time view of human nature, values and social
systems.
Maintaining a Christian
perspective he accepts the theory of evolution. In 2010 he began EvolutionaryChristianity.com.
Thirty-eight religious leaders from diverse backgrounds joined him in an audio
seminar introduction. In spite of their dissimilar religious orientations and
backgrounds, they hold many perspectives in common; such as valuing Big History
(deep time), a global ethos, and realistic expectations grounded in an
understanding of scientific (Evidence of common descent), historical (History
of the world), and cross-cultural facts (cultural evolution) as "divine
communication". This program has drawn both rebuttals and praise from
Christian sources.
I have written in these messages
describing my feelings about this “thing” called Life. I’ve discussed how
indigenous cultures recognized, knew, and understood this. Everything “contains”
a spirit and their spirit was no bigger than, more important than, nor
different than anything else’s – deer, stones, trees, river/lake/water, birds.
They were at one with their environment not users of it.
Now there’s a series on PBS
called “Earth: A New Wild” that is simply fantastic. It airs on Wednesday
nights. Its premise is to examine what’s happening in the world of nature,
including humankind, and how people and nature interact and can help and
encourage each other. As described in
Wikipedia and produced by National Geographic Television in association with
Passion Planet, the series is hosted by Dr. M. Sanjayan, a leading conservation
scientist, who takes viewers on a stunning visual journey to explore how humans
are inextricably woven into every aspect of the planet’s natural systems.
Shooting in 29 different countries, the series features spectacular natural
history footage from the most striking places on Earth, filming encounters
between wild animals and the people who live and work with them. With up-close
looks at a range of species, from giant pandas to humpback whales and African
lions to Arctic reindeer, Sanjayan reveals that co-habitations with animals can
work — and be mutually beneficial.
It is a scientific look at
Oneness. I believe it’s worth checking out.
Although these messages are
mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this
message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual
journey.
Don
#1 March 2015
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