WE HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT A SPIRIT MANIFESTED IS AVAILABLE FOREVER TO ALL. ONE ASPECT OF MANIFESTING SPIRIT IS THE BRINGING FORTH OF ESSENTIAL TRUTH… TRUTHS THAT ENDURE THROUGH TIME THROUGH A PROCESS OF BEING ENFOLDED INTO THE INTENDED UNFOLDING, EMERGING WITH INCREASED DEPTH AND WHOLENESS… BECOMING A DEEPER, MORE WHOLE EXPRESSION OF TRUTH, AN EXPRESSION THAT PROVIDES PARTICULAR MEANING AND DIRECTION WITH REGARD TO THE NOW. SO, THE TRUTHS OF THE “THEN” AT AND THROUGH ESSENCE EMERGE WITH CLEAR RELEVANCE TO THE “UNFOLDING NOW “… WITH CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING WITH REGARD TO INTENT, INTENDED WAYS OF WORKING. THREE SUCH ILLUSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE WITHIN… EACH SEEMING TO BE HIGHLY RELATED TO OUR WORK… AND ON THIS MORNING THEY ARE ASKING TO BE SHARED, THUS THIS NOTE.
1. “MAY GOD BREAK MY HEART SO COMPLETELY THAT THE WHOLE WORLD FALLS IN…” MOTHER TERESA
WE HAVE COME TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY FOR “ROCK CRACKING”, BREAKING THROUGH THE CRUST THAT SURROUNDS THE HEART… THE CONDITIONING CRUST THAT INTERFERES WITH INTENT. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY, AT THIS TIME, FOR SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE AND START POINTS FOR OUR THINKING. THUS WE CAN SEE IN MOTHER TERESA’S PRAYER THE TRUTH OF THE NECESSITY FOR BREAKING THE HEART AND HOW SHIFTING TO A LIFE OF THE WHOLE PERSPECTIVE FROM A HUMAN CENTERED ONE BRINGS A VERY DIFFERENT LEVEL OF WHOLENESS WITH REGARD TO THE WORLD THAT FALLS IN.
2. “SEND ME ALL YOUR UNWANTED CHILDREN…” MOTHER TERESA COMMENTING ON ABORTION
I HAVE, FROM THE TIME I FIRST HEARD THIS, FELT A SENSE OF HOPE FOR TRUE RECONCILIATION OF AN ISSUE THAT IS SO DIVISIVE WITHIN OUR SOCIETY AND WITHIN SO MANY PERSONALLY. RECENTLY I HAVE BEGUN TO SEE THAT WHAT HAS DRAWN ME TO THIS NOTION IS THAT IT HOLDS WITHIN IT THE POTENTIAL FOR LOVE TO ENTER THE PROCESS. LOVE – THAT WHICH WE ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF, BUT CAN BE VESSELS FOR – ALWAYS BEING A MATTER OF THE HEART. IN MY REFLECTIONS ON CURRENT APPROACHES – BE THEY FOR OR AGAINST ABORTION – I DON’T PERCEIVE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOVE ENTERING THE PROCESS. MOST, IF NOT ALL, APPROACHES SEEM TO BEGIN THEIR THINKING FROM ECONOMICS, LEGALITY, AND RIGHTS – COMING FROM ONE OR MORE OF THESE; AND ARE SEEKING TO OBTAIN POWER TO SET LAWS THROUGH EVOKING EMOTIONS AND WINNING ARGUMENTS – MANY OF WHICH INCLUDE BIBLICAL/GOD PRONOUNCEMENTS. NONE OF WHICH LEADS US ALONG A PATH OF LOVE ENTERING. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMON ULTIMATE PURSUIT OF ESTABLISHING LAWS WE ARE REMINDED THAT YOU CAN’T CHANGE HEARTS THROUGH LAWS… AND ALSO WE CAN SEE THAT THE COMMON PREMISE THAT WHILE YOU CAN’T CHANGE HEARTS THROUGH LAWS, YOU CAN RESTRAIN THE HEARTLESS SEEMS TO, THROUGH TIME, LOSE ITS EFFECTIVENESS. THIS PERSPECTIVE AND START POINT THAT MOTHER TERESA LIFTS UP FOR US, AS WE REFLECT UPON IT IN THE CONTEXT OF NOW, MOVES TOWARDS A MORE WHOLISTIC EXPRESSION WITH REGARD TO THE WHOLE OF THE LIFE OF THE CHILDREN – NOT JUST BEING BORN, BUT THROUGHOUT LIFE… AND ENGENDERS AN INTENTIONAL STANCE WITH REGARD TO SUCH ISSUES AS HOMELESSNESS, IMMIGRATION, ETC. ALL OF WHICH SEEMS HIGHLY RELATED TO THE INTENTIONAL PURPOSE AND INSTRUMENTAL ROLE OF OUR COUNTRY… A PURPOSE THAT WOULD REFLECT THE NOTIONS OF “SEND ME ALL YOUR UNWANTED CHILDREN” AND THE TAKING UP OF PURSUITS THAT WORK FOR ALL CHILDREN IN THE WORLD.
3. “WE ARE NOT THE SOURCE, RATHER INTENDED INSTRUMENTS”… THE LIVING PHILOSOPHY OF POTENTIAL
WE HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THERE IS – AT THIS TIME – A NEED FOR A PHILOSOPHY THAT IS WHOLE ENOUGH AND COMPLETE ENOUGH TO EMBRACE THE WORK BEFORE US… NOT A THEORETICAL, BUT RATHER A PRACTICE-ABLE PHILOSOPHY – ONE THAT CAN BE LIVED OUT, WOVEN INTO DAILY LIVING AND WORKING. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY FOR AND ORGANIZING POWER OF AN INTENTIONALLY WORKING PURPOSE… BOTH IN TERMS OF LEADING US, AND KEEPING US ON PATH. OUR AIM WITH REGARD TO THIS PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE IS TO MAINTAIN CONGRUENCE WITH UNFOLDING INTENT. PRINCIPLES THAT REFLECT OUR INSTRUMENTALITY ARE NECESSARY AND VERY USEFUL IN MAKING THAT WHICH WE PURSUE PRACTICE-ABLE. THIS PAST TUESDAY, AT THE DAY CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS, ONE SUCH PRINCIPLE WAS ARTICULATED:
“WE DON’T USE GOD HERE, WE LET GOD USE US.”
THIS WAS LIFTED UP IN RESPONSE TO A VOLUNTEER’S REQUEST TO BRING RELIGIOUS MATERIAL AND INEVITABLE ‘PREACHING INTO OUR PROCESS, TO WHICH THE RESPONSE WAS “NO” – A NO REINFORCED BY THAT PRINCIPLE. A PRINCIPLE THAT REMINDS ME OF THE COUNSEL GIVEN BY FRANCIS OF ASSISSI: PREACH THE GOSPEL EVERY DAY, IF NECESSARY USE WORDS.” THIS PRINCIPLE BRINGS TO LIGHT THE NATURE OF SHIFT BEING CALLED FOR TODAY – AT THIS TIME OF NOW.
WE HAVE LONG HAD CLARITY OF UNDERSTANDING THAT NOW IS THE TIME OF POTENTIAL. RECENTLY IN FOLEY, ALABAMA AND AS WELL HERE IN GRAND JUNCTION, I EXPERIENCED WHAT I HAVE COME TO THINK OF AS TRUE HOPE… REAL HOPE THAT COMES THROUGH FAITH IN INTENT… HOPE THAT COMES TO LIFE AS WE SEE INTENDED UNFOLDING ACTIVELY AT WORK – ENTERING THROUGH INTENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS, WHILE THEY ARE IN PROCESS OF BEING FORMED… BEING LED FROM AND THROUGH PURPOSEFULNESS – INTENTIONALLY WORKING PURPOSE. EACH HAVING A PARTICULAR ROLE AND WORK WITH REGARD TO THE SHARED INTENTIONALLY WORKING PURPOSE OF NOW:
– MOVE TOWARDS WHOLENESS AND AWAY FROM THAT WHICH DIVIDES.
-TAKE UP PURSUITS THAT WORK FOR ALL CHILDREN, ALL CHILDREN OF THE WORLD.
– BRING THE WORLD OF OUR MAKING INTO CONGRUENCE WITH THE WORLD OF INTENT.
AND SO, WHILE WE HAVE LONG UNDERSTOOD AND MAINTAINED CONVICTION TOWARDS THE NECESSITY FOR A STEP CHANGE, A TRUE SHIFT IN BEING; HOPE EMERGES AS WE EXPERIENCE THE INTENT OF NOW AT WORK. PERHAPS CONVICTION IS A REFLECTION OF MY WILL – APPROPRIATE USE OF MY WILL; AND OUR INSTRUMENTALITY WITH REGARD TO INTENDED UNFOLDING IS A REFLECTION OF THY WILL AT WORK… NOT SURPRISING THAT THIS WOULD BE THE SOURCE OF HOPE…
Terry P. Anderson, Philosopher of Potential
