Month: March 2016

March 13, 2016 – The Force of Compassion

by

Rev. David McArthur
The Force Of Compassion

In Unity I found the beautiful universal truths of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. “The scriptures of all the nations of the world testify to the existence of an invisible FORCE moving men and nature in their various activities. Not all agree as to the character of this omnipresent FORCE, universal Spirit, but it serves the purpose of being their god under whatever name it may appear.” (Chas. Fillmore, “Atom-Smashing Power Of Mind”) Many of us call it “love”.

Stacy Smith, an American woman, found it difficult to comprehend Mother Theresa’s level of experience. Inspired, and to confront her own fears, she went to India. There she entered a concrete room filled with rows of cots with ill and dying women. Stacy noticed a woman struggling to breath and in great pain. She felt deep compassion. She had such a different experience from hers. She didn’t even know the woman’s language. All she could think to do was sing to her. She noticed the woman’s breathing was better. The woman opened her eyes and “looked with clarity into my eyes.” Two women, bound together in need, sharing their deep soul. “The moment slipped away. I continued to sing. In a short while the woman took her final breath.” That force of compassion can reach beyond.

In Hindu scripture, Krishna instructs Arjuna to be compassionate to friend and enemy alike, to “see yourself in others” to know this beautiful force. Jesus instructed, “love your enemies… Feed the hungry, clothe the naked…for whatever you do for one… of mine, you do for me.” In the scripture of Islam, it is expressed as “God is compassion.” And from the Jewish scripture, “Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless…for  ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’

Many years ago I was in a Palestinian refugee camp in a room with a mother and her four children. The window had a hole where the father had been shot. We were totally different. I was a “rich” white man; she was a poor woman in a culture dominated by white men, a single mother confined by that culture. I told her, “I lost a spouse and I’m sorry you have, too.” Her response as it was translated to me, was “You don’t understand. Was your spouse killed by a gun?” I said, “Yes.” I saw her face change. She looked me in the eye. This is a culture in which a woman does not look in the eyes of any man but her husband’s; she had changed to do this. I looked in her eyes and saw her soul. I saw tremendous pain, loneliness, fear for her children, and a yearning for a husband to care for her. She saw into my soul; she saw my journey. The force of compassion took down impossible barriers and we were just two people, soul-to-soul, understanding. In our culture there is a commitment to separation and the belief in our differences. It is my belief the force of compassion cuts it down.

This week hold your friends in the compassion of your heart when they feel separate. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I promise every time you reach for it, the FORCE will be with you!

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March 13, 2016 – The Force of Compassion

by

Rev. David McArthur
The Force Of Compassion

In Unity I found the beautiful universal truths of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. “The scriptures of all the nations of the world testify to the existence of an invisible FORCE moving men and nature in their various activities. Not all agree as to the character of this omnipresent FORCE, universal Spirit, but it serves the purpose of being their god under whatever name it may appear.” (Chas. Fillmore, “Atom-Smashing Power Of Mind”) Many of us call it “love”.

Stacy Smith, an American woman, found it difficult to comprehend Mother Theresa’s level of experience. Inspired, and to confront her own fears, she went to India. There she entered a concrete room filled with rows of cots with ill and dying women. Stacy noticed a woman struggling to breath and in great pain. She felt deep compassion. She had such a different experience from hers. She didn’t even know the woman’s language. All she could think to do was sing to her. She noticed the woman’s breathing was better. The woman opened her eyes and “looked with clarity into my eyes.” Two women, bound together in need, sharing their deep soul. “The moment slipped away. I continued to sing. In a short while the woman took her final breath.” That force of compassion can reach beyond.

In Hindu scripture, Krishna instructs Arjuna to be compassionate to friend and enemy alike, to “see yourself in others” to know this beautiful force. Jesus instructed, “love your enemies… Feed the hungry, clothe the naked…for whatever you do for one… of mine, you do for me.” In the scripture of Islam, it is expressed as “God is compassion.” And from the Jewish scripture, “Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless…for  ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’

Many years ago I was in a Palestinian refugee camp in a room with a mother and her four children. The window had a hole where the father had been shot. We were totally different. I was a “rich” white man; she was a poor woman in a culture dominated by white men, a single mother confined by that culture. I told her, “I lost a spouse and I’m sorry you have, too.” Her response as it was translated to me, was “You don’t understand. Was your spouse killed by a gun?” I said, “Yes.” I saw her face change. She looked me in the eye. This is a culture in which a woman does not look in the eyes of any man but her husband’s; she had changed to do this. I looked in her eyes and saw her soul. I saw tremendous pain, loneliness, fear for her children, and a yearning for a husband to care for her. She saw into my soul; she saw my journey. The force of compassion took down impossible barriers and we were just two people, soul-to-soul, understanding. In our culture there is a commitment to separation and the belief in our differences. It is my belief the force of compassion cuts it down.

This week hold your friends in the compassion of your heart when they feel separate. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I hold you in the compassion of my heart. I promise every time you reach for it, the FORCE will be with you!

March 6, 2016 – Be Here Now

by


Freddie Weber
Be Here Now

I wanted to be still so God can love me, to be still and relax and let God take over. But I can’t sit still! It’s hard to honor the still small voice in my mind! 60,000 thoughts or more a day on a loop: Where do I have to go today? What do I have to wear today? What about my hair today? Me, me, me, me, me! –and what’s for dinner?

Be here now? What is “be”? What is “here”? –with so many thoughts! What is “past”? What is “future”? –and what’s for dinner? What is God? Who am I? Who are you? So many voices, so many choices in my brain!

God loves us whether we’re still or not. I give it all to you God. I surrender. I will notice silence. No more thought. No more fear. For just a moment I was here. I understand now how to pray, nothing in my head, no thought today. I knew nothing of the silence or still small voice inside. Nothing will make you happy until you know that still small voice. I had no distance from my thoughts. I WAS my thoughts and lived my life according to my head.

So I learned to meditate. I meditated to get a Broadway show! But God didn’t care why. And something lifted. My day felt better. I got to watch stuff going on in my mind. I looked at the icky “I’m no good” stuff, at so many negative depressing things. After a while it became funny. I saw that I thought things like “people who wear glasses are smart, so I should stay away or they’d find out I was stupid.” I wanted to be enlightened, so I didn’t want any thoughts at all.

I studied with Eckhart Tolle. He loved the human of us. He said, “You’re going to have thoughts. Allow them. You don’t have to believe them or buy it. Allow.” So I began to notice without judging. Eckhart Tolle had said to just be aware. Don’t judge. Just allow—it is just a thought!

One day I was surprised to notice I did love! I cared! Something had opened up, like my heart. I felt such real compassion. I hadn’t even known it was possible. It was no longer about me, me. It was about the world! When you’re doing “your work” what comes up is the real you! When I asked God what was “my work” I heard “I don’t know.” It’s really a moment to moment thing. A smile, what you wear. Look into their eyes for just two seconds without judgment. Eckhart Tolle said God can come through and bless them. They don’t know and you don’t know what you did. God comes through. A real smile. Something so small done with your heart—that’s why you’re here today! My mom used to say, “Don’t just sit there, do something.” Now I say, “Don’t just do something, sit there!”

March 6, 2016 – Be Here Now

by

Freddie Weber
Be Here Now

I wanted to be still so God can love me, to be still and relax and let God take over. But I can’t sit still! It’s hard to honor the still small voice in my mind! 60,000 thoughts or more a day on a loop: Where do I have to go today? What do I have to wear today? What about my hair today? Me, me, me, me, me! –and what’s for dinner?

Be here now? What is “be”? What is “here”? –with so many thoughts! What is “past”? What is “future”? –and what’s for dinner? What is God? Who am I? Who are you? So many voices, so many choices in my brain!

God loves us whether we’re still or not. I give it all to you God. I surrender. I will notice silence. No more thought. No more fear. For just a moment I was here. I understand now how to pray, nothing in my head, no thought today. I knew nothing of the silence or still small voice inside. Nothing will make you happy until you know that still small voice. I had no distance from my thoughts. I WAS my thoughts and lived my life according to my head.

So I learned to meditate. I meditated to get a Broadway show! But God didn’t care why. And something lifted. My day felt better. I got to watch stuff going on in my mind. I looked at the icky “I’m no good” stuff, at so many negative depressing things. After a while it became funny. I saw that I thought things like “people who wear glasses are smart, so I should stay away or they’d find out I was stupid.” I wanted to be enlightened, so I didn’t want any thoughts at all.

I studied with Eckhart Tolle. He loved the human of us. He said, “You’re going to have thoughts. Allow them. You don’t have to believe them or buy it. Allow.” So I began to notice without judging. Eckhart Tolle had said to just be aware. Don’t judge. Just allow—it is just a thought!

One day I was surprised to notice I did love! I cared! Something had opened up, like my heart. I felt such real compassion. I hadn’t even known it was possible. It was no longer about me, me. It was about the world! When you’re doing “your work” what comes up is the real you! When I asked God what was “my work” I heard “I don’t know.” It’s really a moment to moment thing. A smile, what you wear. Look into their eyes for just two seconds without judgment. Eckhart Tolle said God can come through and bless them. They don’t know and you don’t know what you did. God comes through. A real smile. Something so small done with your heart—that’s why you’re here today! My mom used to say, “Don’t just sit there, do something.” Now I say, “Don’t just do something, sit there!”

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS