Fresh Thinking, Inspiration, and Vision on the Process of Spiritual Transformation

I appreciate Paul Price’s emphasis earlier on inviting each person to reawaken to their own sacred covenant with God. I also appreciated the words of Oren Yakovee’s song: “I think there’s more to love than what I feel inside…. I think that love can see with its own eyes,” suggesting that there is always more to be seen than what I might in any moment see with my own eyes, or know in my own heart.

These words speak to a reawakening to magic, letting magic appear in our lives through what we do individually and what we do together. I have been thinking this week about the words in the 14th chapter of John, verse 12: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” These words also speak to this magic beyond what any one of us can do on our own. It is intriguing to me that someone who is considered a master would say that the works that I do, you can do greater works. I believe this points to the notion that greater things can be done collectively than any one of us individually could ever hope to accomplish.

This has led me to look at the word collaborate. It should not be surprising that the Latin origin of the word translates into “to labor together.” So, to collaborate is to labor together, or to undertake something together. That relates to the “greater works” that were spoken of. I have also been thinking about what it is that keeps us from doing that. What are the things that get in the way, that hold us in a state of not getting on with the greater works? One answer to that would be barriers in the heart, barriers in my heart, barriers that come up between us, that don’t allow the love that Oren was singing about, the love that can see with its own eyes beyond anything that I might see with my eyes or feel with my heart. I believe, either unknowingly or deliberately, these walls get fortified and strengthened by the way we live our lives.

It is possible, and may be necessary for each of us, to come to a point of openness where there is the willingness to say, “I can’t do this on my own. I understand there is something very large at work here that I, as an isolated individual, cannot fully comprehend and take sole responsibility for.” I believe this also relates to what is conveyed in the first chapter of Genesis, verse 9: “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.” Let the separations in and between our hearts subside, that the waters—the deep feelings and longings we each know and experience—might be integrated with others who love what we love.

In their original context, these words related to the creation of this planet, the third day of creation. That cycle of creation was completed. I believe what we are involved with now is re-creation. Re-creation, as some have put it, after the fathers fell asleep. So we are in a process of reawakening, of re-creating. I believe there is a great need for the barriers to come down in us, in me, so that we might get on with the greater work of re-creation.

As I was considering this, I thought of another quote, a speech that Ronald Reagan gave on June 12, 1987, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. When the speech was given, speakers were set up so President Reagan’s words could be heard on the other side of the Berlin Wall, in what was then East Germany. I believe he addressed very specifically and powerfully the matter of removing walls of separation. He said: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

There is a very specific sequence here. He invited Mr. Gorbachev into close proximity to the wall. For any two of us, if there is an interest to clear something between us, acknowledging that separation exists is the first step. Once that step is taken, there might be what we could call an opening of the gate, the beginning of a flow between us where there previously had been none. But eventually there may be the call, the invitation extended, to tear down the wall. It’s not serving us. Let’s tear it down.

I see the word wall—what we describe or define as walls—as a symbol for emotional barriers, barriers of separation that keep us from doing the greater works together. So what does it take for us to be willing to tear down the walls? President Reagan’s words in 1987 were a specific challenge to the Eastern Bloc. There may be times when something of a specific challenge is appropriate, but I also think that oftentimes, in the spirit of Oren’s song, in the spirit of love, much more can be accomplished.

My prayer today is that we would let the waters be gathered together unto one place, that we would let our hearts join together in ways that they have not been joined previously, that we would actually let there be one heart and one way. The family motto of Martin Exeter, who led this program for many years, was “One Heart, One Way.” One Heart, One Way was also the title of his biography. I pray that we would let the heart of Mother God be healed. Can you imagine the pain in the heart of Mother God, seeing what human beings have been doing to each other and to this planet? The only way that pain is going to be healed is if there is a grouping of people who are willing to let the experience of separation disappear into the reality of oneness.

I think there has been a lot of effort and energy put into getting things right in the earth, trying to create a wonderful world according to our individual visions and ideas of what should be. But, as I remember in the description of day three in the Bible, it says: “Let the dry land appear.” That happens because the waters have been gathered together unto one place. Waters represent the spirit of truth, which I think also represents the feminine, Mother God. Let the heart of Mother God be healed. Let the dry land appear. Let us fulfill our shared destiny.

I have felt magic afoot this week. Paul Price mentioned his walking around the property. In our service meeting this week more than one person commented on the experience of magic. I have wondered, is it because my friends Will Carpenter and Ed Haimes have been here working this week, getting a lot accomplished and generating a fuller sense of camaraderie together in this setting? That may be part of it. I had an experience walking into the permaculture garden Wednesday morning. Permaculture can be a concept; it can be an idea about how we relate to the earth, or the dynamic of seeing weeds as food for chickens. When I walked into the garden enclosure, Bob Shine and Sharon Mueller were there. As I approached them, I experienced a brief magical moment of revelation. I knew that this is not just an idea. Permaculture is not just a new way of viewing, mentally, our dealings with the earth. In that moment, in that place, there was indeed magic going on, and I felt it deeply.

I believe that what I touched in that brief moment is but a small, meager indication of what is possible when we actually let the waters be drawn together unto one place and we are specific about what it is that we have to do together.