We are interesting creatures, human beings. We are, by design well equipped to function in the physical world in which we find ourselves. We have legs and feet that allow us to be mobile, and hands with nimble fingers and opposable thumbs capable of intricate work. We possess the intelligence to understand complicated concepts, and are capable of pondering the abstract. Unique among our species is the ability to contemplate our own existence; to know ourselves on a deep level. I wonder, do we allocate enough of our time and energy to the latter? Do we truly value that which is under the surface, unmeasurable to the objective mind, and intangible in the world of physical experience?
While there are some things that human beings experience or accomplish that appear quite remarkable, many of the things we do in our daily lives seem routine, mundane even. However, there is little doubt that the seemingly mundane work of maintaining human life is quite necessary. The world of the physical and the busy has to keep spinning in order for us to have this human experience at all. The problem comes when we become lost in the routine and the busyness. We turn on our autopilot, moving through our days in a fairly mindless state. We get swept up in the demands of daily life, convinced that this is all there is to life, and all there is to us.
On the contrary, we are the very stuff of life! We are sparks from the great fire of creation, seemingly separate from it, but fundamentally of the same creative intelligence. We are inherently a part of the larger whole. What a truly awesome thing, to physically be the stuff of stars, and our souls being the stuff of Source. Suddenly the very routine is recognizable as miraculous. We are miraculous. I believe our very existence is profoundly miraculous in the mind of God. But given the busyness of life, and our mistaken belief about our own nature, how can we possibly begin to know ourselves in this way? How can we begin to experience the unique, beautiful, and eternal beings that we are, and in doing so, be the living expression of love in the world?
First of all, we must begin to realize that what we usually think of as the “self” is always in a state of flux, different from one moment to the next. I cannot just be my thoughts, because they are changing all the time. I cannot just be my emotions, because they too are fleeting and often erratic. Finally, I must be more than just my body, even my brain, because my physical make up is completely different than it was years ago. All of these aspects of my humanness are temporary. Yet there is a continuity to my being; a “me” that is present through it all. The person I am in the world is but a temporary expression and experience of the living consciousness that I AM.
That eternal life force that we are is ever present. It is not possible to be separate from it, only momentarily unaware of it. It is in the stillness of the present moment, and the quiet recesses of our consciousness that we are able to touch on the beauty of our deeper being, and come to know our own true nature. This is the ultimate find; that pearl of great price. This is the source of peace, and joy, and love without need or condition. This is the truth within us all, patiently awaiting discovery. This is the sacred journey of the human being. May we all be bright lights, illuminating the way for eachother.
The nature of us 