Surprising Teachers

Never underestimate the potential to learn from anyone and everyone who crosses your path. One particular teacher arrived for me, moving slowly, on two canes. The canes were holding up a body that had known so much life. I saw him there, attentive and sharp, and knew that there was a story to be told. Only after his death, did I truly know the extent of his courage.

Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, and you have to be ready to be surprised if you want to learn from brilliance. There were some Sundays I rushed past this man with his canes. I had places to be. If I had stopped long enough, I would have discovered that the canes masked a life of athleticism and joy. What else am I missing? What other inspirations are passing me by?

Early this year, the Washington Post conducted an experiment. They arranged for one of the best violinists in the world, Joshua Bell, to play a 3.5 million dollar violin in the subway during rush hour. Two days earlier, Bell played to a full theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

He played anonymously in the subway for 45 minutes. In that time, only six people stopped to listen and he collected a total of $32. At the end, no one applauded. He simply packed up and left. The only person who really paid attention was a three year old boy who was quickly hurried on by his mother.

A verse in the Bible that has always intrigued me says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

Who are the angels in your life that inspire and teach you? Do you always recognize them straightaway? Do you pause long enough to appreciate brilliance when you aren’t expecting it?

If we hurry past one of the best musicians in the world without paying attention, what else are we missing? If you expect all your teachers to be standing by a white board with a book and marker in hand, you might miss the ordinary brilliance that surrounds you every day.

Learn from children to be happy for no particular reason. Learn from pets to immerse yourself in life with playful abandon. Learn from veterans to throw yourself into service of others without fully knowing the cost. Learn from the dying to let go and from those in recovery to hang on. Learn from nameless janitors and men with canes. Be inspired by underground musicians and people with stories of courage

Keep paying attention to all of them, lest you miss entertaining angels in disguise.

Affirming Humanity

I only cleaned the pool butt naked one time. That’s all it took to learn the lesson. I was home alone. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. All was calm and peaceful as I moved around the edge of the pool with skimming pole in hand. I was so taken with my garden paradise, lost in the tranquility of it all, that I didn’t hear the pool guy arrive. He had unexpectedly come to fix the filter, and either my hearing is suspect or else he is a very quiet man. I didn’t know he was there until I turned around and we found ourselves cheek to cheek (so to speak). I carefully lowered my pole and toweled up. Paradise was lost, and there was no Eve to blame for this one.

The poor guy was professional enough to keep his gaze high and act as if this happened everyday in pools all around Grand Haven. We did share a light joke about it, laughing about the hypothetical headlines in tomorrow’s newspaper. Many people have only ever seen me in a business suit. Shorts and crocs are enough of a shock for some people - without going to naked extremes.

Do you remember seeing your school teacher for the first time out of school? It was almost unthinkable for me to come to the realization that my teacher had a life, a family of her own, went to shops, etc. It is certainly surprising for some people to see me with my family or having a drink in a bar.

What are your expectations of spiritual teachers? Do you expect them to exist on some higher plane, exuding patience and virtue? How do you feel about their exposed limitations and insecurities?

My hope is to offer spiritual teachings that grow out of my own experience of life, and when helpful, to share the naked truth about my own vulnerability. I have high ideals and a massive vision. My vision demands a personality and presence that is sometimes larger than I am ready to believe I can offer. But I am driven forward and demand that of myself because this is the point of my teaching. Abundance is discovered in self discovery.

I believe that all people can dwell in divine abundance. I believe that deep down in places you can barely remember, you are destined to live in divine abundance. At the same time, like me, you might be a restless person who experiences self doubt and anxiety. The abundance that I speak of is not an escape from insecurity, but an acceptance that insecurity is breeding some other truth in you if you can stay awake, stay open, listen, learn, and grow.

I want to inspire deeper humanity. I want to remind you that your vulnerability is just as sacred as your perfection. As Leonard Cohen said, “Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

You don’t have to let too much light in, nor let it all in at once - especially when the pool guy stops by. Let SOME light in, trust those around you with your humanity, and be trustworthy with the humanity of others. You can offer no greater gift. As Maya Angelou said so wisely, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”

This is the spirit of the www.soulseeds.com Daily Affirmations. Each affirmation offers a way to create meaning in the experiences of your life, to heal the cracks by shining light and love on them. They offer a way to practice being human, first in the safety of your own mind (or by reading them to your best friend, as I know one dog owner does each morning), and then in the world where it can be so hard to stay grounded. The affirmations bring you greater ease with who and where you are, while opening the door to a deeper peace.

A key component of spiritual growth is authenticity. An interesting translation of the Hebrew name for God is “I will be what tomorrow demands.” Celebrate the joy of being you in this moment. It’s not where you will be tomorrow, but it is perfect for today. As you find the joy of acceptance, the you that you are becoming will unfold effortlessly like a rising sun.

The Law of Attraction and Divine Abundance

For a week I hobbled around like a three legged dog. Feeling pretty sorry for myself, I resigned myself to a life of stagnant misery. As I balanced frozen blueberries on my knee, I mumbled irrational thoughts to no one in particular, “There goes the overnight bike ride with my nine year old. There goes a week of yoga camp in August. They might as well put me straight in the nursing home.” If someone had said to me, “Look on the bright side. . .” I would have raised my swollen, sorry excuse for a knee to boot them in the butt, and then screamed in agony.


Of course, there has been a bright side. My shoddy shoulder and creaking back healed with the much needed rest and I enjoyed the extra time to write and plan. And a week later, now that the blood has drained from my knee and back into my common sense, I am leaping up steps and planning bike rides.

Is it just me, or is human nature to catastrophize and obsess about what we are lacking? Consider that question rhetorical.

How does this work? Can I have what I want in life, or do I need to accept what I get?

Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.” Really? As Woody Allen noted, “If only God would give me a sign, like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss bank.”

At a time of crisis such as this, with people worried that their most basic needs might not be met, it’s hard to see that this is also the best of times- with amazing creativity and resourcefulness emerging. Is it insensitive to suggest that people should look on the bright side and attract abundance into their lives?

The Law of Attraction is not about getting what you want. Half the time, I don’t know what I really want. The Law of Attraction is not even about getting what you need. Often, I’m like a hamster on a wheel chasing my tail; and then wondering why I’m coughing up fur balls.

The law of attraction is about attracting “like” to “like”. The more I grow to understand myself, the more I understand what I am attracting into my life. It becomes clear what is serving me, and filling my life with joy. I seek more of that by BEING more of that, and it finds me because it IS me. What I want, what I need and who I am become one.

Joan Borysenko puts it like this -

“The connection between what we hope for and our own self is a field of infinite power and potential that can open doors that seemed to be closed, or were invisible to start with. What we seek also seeks us.”

When you live the Law of Attraction, walls turn into doors, hurdles turn into spring boards and crises turn into opportunities. Knees still swell up. Jobs are lost. Economies recess. Pain is deep. It’s just that it bothers you less. You deal with the challenge, and keep moving towards your essential vision.

Here are some affirmations you can say to yourself:

     I seek strength and instead receive challenges that make me strong.
     
I seek wisdom and instead receive experience that makes me wise.

     I seek prosperity and instead receive grace and grit that keeps me moving forward.
     
I seek courage and instead receive challenges that make me resilient.

     I seek love and instead receive people who teach me what love is.

     I seek favors and instead receive opportunities that prove my resourcefulness.

     I am becoming more of who I essentially am.
     I am divine abundance.
     I am divine.
     I am.

Let go of blame. Let go of judgment. Free yourself to live in the infinite power that opens doors that you hadn’t even seen. What you seek will find you.

Spiritual Democracy - Finding a Voice in Iran

Millions of people around the world wept when Susan Boyle sang I Dreamed a Dream on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. The situation couldn’t have been choreographed to be any more inspiring. This was a rare moment of awakened humanity. The surprise on the faces of the judges was matched by the surprise of Susan Boyle who grew in confidence with every breath and note.

We wept because there was a part of every one of us, even those of us who are tone deaf, that WAS Susan Boyle that day. She was dreaming a universal dream, singing a song for all of us. She stood before the judges, composed herself and released a power that came from so deep within her that it appeared to be coming from beyond her.

The surprise factor was magnificent. She didn’t look talented. She didn’t even look like a singer. The sound of her voice resonated with the part in all of us that can scarcely believe our power and potential. We shrink from it, and suppress the vision out of fear.

Spiritual democracy affirms that every person has a beautiful and unique voice, and our spiritual responsibility is to coax it out of each other. It is the task of teacher, friend and colleague to call out, sometimes with surprise, the voice within. This inner voice taps into the One Voice, the Source of All Voices that has a surreal appearance but couldn’t be any more real. It is the voice we often stumble on during crises and dreams, meditation and trances; anytime when we get our ego out of the way and let the inner voice sing. It leads to reactions like, “I don’t know where that came from” and “I was channeling some other power.”

We get the ego out of the way when we drop our defense mechanisms such as cynicism and judgment. Once the world dropped its judgment on the appearance of Susan Boyle, we were liberated by her genius. My favorite moment in Susan Boyle’s performance was when Simon Cowell stopped being a judge for a moment and allowed himself to be surprised. His mouth formed the shape of the sound, “Awww”, which incidentally is universal language for “Divine Wonder.”

Hopefully, we look at each other differently because of Susan Boyle. Hopefully, we are a little more forgiving and supportive. Like Susan, you will have your off days, and some days you won’t have the inner gumption to face the public. Give yourself a break, compose yourself and then sing again.

There is a power and passion within every person. Sometimes it lays dormant, waiting to be awakened. Expect to find greatness in others. Expect brilliance. Be prepared to be surprised. Tone down the inner judge and allow yourself to be inspired.

Now apply this notion of spiritual democracy to the turbulent situation in Iran. Spiritual democracy asserts that everyone has a valid voice, including minorities and protesters.

Iran stands before its western judges like a shell shocked Susan Boyle. Many in the west seem to doubt that democracy is possible in Iran. Allow the unexpected to surprise you. It may not look like democracy in America, but an Iranian form of democracy is quite possible. Islam is just as diverse as Christianity. Muslim reformers and Sunnis, the majority expression of Islam in the world today, teaches that leaders should be elected and held accountable by the people. They assert that spiritual leaders are fallible and people should develop personal relationships with the God of their understanding rather than swallowing the teachings hook, line and sinker. Sufis and Bahai’is, mystical and non dogmatic branches of Islam, number in the millions in Iran.

Democracy in Iran certainly has some hurdles. The recent election was a reminder that it’s not voting that defines a democracy, but the counting of votes. The death of silent protester, Neda, was a reminder that that there is tremendous fear of spiritual democracy.

Spiritual democracy is the petulant belief that people and nations can rise above challenges and that diverse voices will eventually be heard. These diverse voices will eventually be seen for what they are; the fulfillment of a higher calling to serve the greater whole.

The challenge of democracy is ego; self serving voices. The task of spiritual democracy is to take infallibility away from the rulers, and offer each person a voice in the co-creative process. The ideal of spiritual democracy is each person coming to the table and speaking not for self interests, but for the highest good of all.

Bring on the day when the people of Iran, America, and every place can express their authentic voices. Bring on the structures of family, education and government that serve this greater whole. Susan Boyle represents every individual and every nation as we live out our true calling to boldly sing the songs of the self in community.

As Walt Whitman said,

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good as belongs to you.”

Spirituality and Health Care

Stanley Reimer walked his wife Criste to the balcony of their sixth story apartment, kissed her goodbye and helped her over the edge to her death. Criste was at her wit’s end with unresolved health issues. Stanley couldn’t come up with $800 a week to buy her medications. They had no insurance. They saw no options.

America is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t have a universal health care system. The death of Criste Reimer is a blight on the conscience of a nation that fails to provide for people at a time of need.

60% of bankruptcy cases in the United States are related to health care debts and three quarters of these bankruptcy filings are from people who have insurance. America spends more money on health care than any other nation, and yet has a low world ranking in life expectancy, infant mortality, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

For the richest nation in the world to be running a broken health care system that abandons people at a time of need is what I would call a spiritual crisis.

What would a spiritual perspective on health care include?

1. People have diseases; people are not their disease. Any system, whether it’s a religious, health or education system, that treats people as nothing more than their conditions, is likely to lack compassion. The recognition that people are more than their disease leads to a holistic approach that includes personal, social and financial considerations.

2. Systems exist to serve people rather than the other way around. People own the systems, rather than the systems owning the people. When Jonas Salk invented the vaccine for polio, he was asked, “Who owns the vaccine for polio?” His answer was, “The people own the vaccine. Who else could own it but the people? Who owns the sun?” Systems exist to serve people, not primarily to make profit from people.

3. Are the most vulnerable people being protected by the system? Wisdom traditions have often emphasized that societies are ultimately judged by their treatment of the most vulnerable: children, those with special needs, the poor and the elderly.

4. How inclusive is the health care system? Does it have room for all? There is a beautiful Hasidic story about Rabbi Raphael of Bershad, who invited a group of his disciples to ride in his coach. “But there is not enough room!” a disciple cried out, “The rebbe will be crowded.” The master replied, “Then we shall have to love each other more. If we love each other more, there will be room for us all.”

No system is perfect. A universal health care system seems to best capture the spiritual ideals of compassion, holistic care, protection for the most vulnerable and service before profits. A universal health care system has room for all; affordable health care for every citizen, especially children, and a “hardship waiver” for the poor. Even if it means raising taxes to pay for a universal system, it should be done. The extra taxes are a reminder that we are all responsible for each other.

What do you think? What system best represents your spiritual ideals?

SBNR Language: Gender, Age and Diversity

Over the last ten days, 201 people completed the language survey. Participants were asked to check the selections that best captured their sense of the phrase “Spiritual but not Religious”.

A few notable highlights of the results include the following:

- The two most popular phrases were “Inclusive and open vs Separatist and closed” and “Personal discovery vs Orthodox beliefs”. Both were chosen by 41% of participants.
- 46% of men chose “Inclusive and open vs Separatist and closed” compared to 39% of women.
- 53% of men chose “Personal discovery vs Orthodox beliefs” compared to 34% of women.
- 51% of people aged 31 to 45 chose “Inclusive and open vs Separatist and closed” compared to 33% of people aged 46 to 64.
- The third most popular phrase was one that was suggested by a Founding Contributor in the original Survey. It was “Journey of growth vs statement of truth.”
- The fourth most popular phrase was “Values such as love and peace vs Beliefs such as afterlife and atonement.”

Here is a selection of the many thought provoking alternative suggestions offered by participants:

Work in progress vs Quick fixes
Hopeful vs Fearful
Connected to all vs Separate from some
Vibrating with the universe vs Religion by recipe
Responsible creator vs Passive victim
Responsible Freedom vs Stifling Control
Personal belief not Group belief
Synchronicity vs Division
Goodness - for its own sake
Compassionate as opposed to Judging
Listening as opposed to Telling/declaring
Responsive as opposed to Stagnant
Wondering rather than Knowing
Mystery rather than Certainty
The meal vs. The menu

I especially appreciated the one participant who, with brutal honesty, suggested the following:
NewAgey rather than Rigorous.
Vague rather than Specific.
Fashionable rather than Encompassing complexity.

One participant offered the phrase, Burned by organization but open to spirituality. My heart aches at this response, as I know the pain of being burned by the church. My deepest desire is that those of us in the SBNR movement who are hurt by the church can find healing. As we create a community of love and acceptance, we will be a force for healing in the world.

Thank you to all who participated. It has been most helpful, and I intend to use many of the new phrases. All perspectives are valid. Thanks for sharing.

No More Second Hand God

People at parties and on airplanes often ask me what I do for a living. I’ve never been ashamed of being a church pastor, but it’s sometimes more trouble explaining than it's worth. It goes something like this - “I’m a pastor of a church. But, it’s not a normal church . . . it’s not very religious, you see . . . yes, I know I don’t look like a pastor, but can you blame me? . . . it’s more like a spiritual community . . . we do some “churchy” things but people aren’t “Christiany” and trying to convert people or anything like that . . . we do yoga and meditations and . . . people think for themselves . . . consider me a spiritual teacher . . . but don’t worry, I’m not about to evangelize you . . . So, what do you do?”

Maybe you can relate to that experience. Maybe millions of people are simultaneously claiming the identity SBNR (Spiritual but not Religious) in order to create conversational shorthand with a built in escape clause. With those four words, you can say something about who you are, what makes you tick and also what you’re not. It’s a meaningful identifier both in what it says and in what it distinguishes. It says, “I’m spiritual but I’m not dogmatic and I’m not going to slip a tract in your bag while you look out the window.”

It’s not that all religious people are insensitive. It’s just that a common experience of religion is pushy and desperate. As George Carlin once said - “Religion is sort of like a lift in your shoes. If it makes you feel better, fine. Just don't ask me to wear your shoes.”

It’s not necessary to define “spiritual but not religious” too closely, because it has a certain resonant ring to it. However a little exploration might help. It seems to be a claim on a broad identity but distinguished from its near relation. You know what it's like to be identified with your ultra religious relatives. You can claim an identity without owning its closely related cousin, like “I’m a Democrat, but I’m not a Socialist” or “I’m a Republican, but I’m not a Libertarian.” There’s nothing wrong with being a Socialist or a Libertarian. It’s just that they don’t necessarily represent what is essential about being Democrat or Republican.

Of course, each of these analogies eventually breaks down like a Yugo in the Congo; but you get the point.

The clarity to the phrase SBNR is still emerging. So this week I compiled a survey for the Founding Contributors of SBNR.org. It was a survey about spiritual but not religious language. The responses were extremely insightful. I have now compiled a second survey for the wider community. It is shorter and based on the results of the Founding Contributor survey. I have added some of their preferred phrases to my own language. It should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. I will report back on the results of both surveys next week.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the anonymous survey and then read on. Click Here for Survey

SBNR represents both a distinction and a discernment. It’s not impartial like “I’m a man and I’m Australian.” It has an edge, and does involve some boundaries. There is an aspect of religion in general (not all religion nor all religious people) that SBNR people are happy to transcend. What is this?

Several studies have made an attempt to find the answer to this question.

Linda Mercadante is Professor of Theology at a Methodist School in Ohio. She has interviewed dozens of people about what they mean by “spiritual but not religious.”

She notes these common responses:

* churches claim to “exclusive truthfulness — that they have a corner on the truth market”;
* churches demand that personal beliefs be abdicated;
* churches demand conformity to a “corporate mentality”;
* joining a church means a loss of personal integrity;
* churches demand commitment “to things that have no meaning”’
* churches demand commitment to disagreeable codes of conduct; and
* churches profess arbitrary or implausible beliefs

Researcher, Robert Wuthnow, offers these sociological reasons for the declining interest in organized religion:

* delayed marriage and increased divorce rates;
* fewer children born later in their parents life;
* less job security, therefore greater financial insecurity, making commitment less likely;
* higher levels of education, which decreases “unquestioned belief”;
* “loosening relationships,” resulting in less community involvement;
* Globalization, producing less homogeneity and greater diversity; and
* the “information explosion,” which creates “broader spiritual horizons and therefore looser religious identification.”

Robert Fuller wrote a book called Spiritual but not Religious. He conducted a survey of 346 people who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. The distinction he notes is between personal discovery, on the one hand; and membership, formal rituals and orthodox doctrines on the other.

The word spiritual [has] gradually [come] to be associated with the private realm of thought and expression while the word religious [has come] to be connected with the public realm of membership in religious institutions, participation in formal rituals, and an adherence to official denominational doctrines [Fuller, 2001, 5].

How do you understand spiritual but not religious language? What is the meaningful distinction for you?

Religion is good and useful for many people, but spirituality reminds you that God is in your bloodstream and all of life is infused with wonder and meaning the way sunlight glistens on water. Religion is one way to name and practice this universal spirit, but it is not essential. Don’t let religion that is implausible, exclusive or irrelevant get in the way of your spiritual awakening.

Let me leave you with a quote from SBNR Prophet, Buckminster Fuller. It’s from his book No More Second Hand God. Maybe his title is another way to summarize the SBNR distinction.

“Not legislative code, not proclamation law, not academic dogma, nor ecclesiastic canon.
Yes, God is a verb, the most active, connoting the vast harmonic reordering of the universe from unleashed chaos of energy. And there is born unheralded a great natural peace, not out of exclusive pseudo-static security but out of including, refining, dynamic balancing.
Naught is lost. Only the false and nonexistent are dispelled.”