“Still Crazy After All These Years…A Case for Sacred Activism”
(Just a little piece of my Truth!)
As far back as I can remember, there has been one great constant Love in my life…
that is the love of the written and spoken word…
As a young child, my favorite possession, was not a doll or a stuffed Animal...
It was an ever growing pile of Little Golden Books…
I would carry this stack with me literally, everywhere I went...
It didn’t matter if I could read the words printed on the pages within,
what they held for me within their covers,
Was an essence, a consciousness that resonated deep within my young heart,
It was as if, I, somehow instinctively knew that written on those
pages, lie all the answers, to the all mysteries, of the Universe, & that
as long as I kept them close…All would be well in my World.
A weekly tradition, in our house were the trips to the public library…
and you can only imagine what places of delicious joy and delight
those outings held for me…if there is a heaven, I would think…this must be it!
When I was a little older, on one of my solo, trips to heaven…
As I was browsing in the Youth section, desperately and unsuccessfully,
looking for something of interest, that I had not yet read,
I decided to wander, into the section for new arrivals…
And there featured front and center was a book by a new young writer,
A book that would set the course of my fledgling life...
Its cover and the words of the title were sinfully intriguing...
A young man, walking alone, down a deserted early morning path…
Titled simply…”On the Road” by Jack Kerouac
My young mind intuitively knew that a book of this sort would most
definitely be considered…CONTRABAND!
I picked it up quickly, so as not to arouse suspicion & deviously
tucked it between a copy of Nancy Drew and The Song of Hiawatha.
As I gingerly moved through the building to check out my new
forbidden treasure, my heart pounding madly,
my mind racing with explainations, lest I be questioned
as to what I was doing with a such a book,
after all it clearly did not come from the children’s Section…
But then, beautifully, blissfully, thankfully the gods were smiling down on me,
As the elderly woman behind the counter, who at first, seemed to not
even notice, handed me, my prize selection, & as I openly breathed a
sigh of relief…she looked up, shot a knowing wink and smiled at me broadly…
Even though, I never saw her again...that moment bonded us together,
kindred Spirits, for all time…lifetime members of the Closet Jack Kerouac Society.
I couldn’t wait to get home and tear into the pages…
What joy and rapture I felt as I breathlessly opened its cover
And little did I know, as I read, that my lifelong journey was about to truly begin...
his words jumped off the page, into my soul, and there they have remained, forevermore.
”The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding
like spiders across the stars...
So, Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them; disagree with them; glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, I see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change
the world are the ones who do. "
I was 10 years old when I first read those words…and I knew in an instant
what I wanted to do with my life…
I wanted to write,
but not to write lofty tales about dragons, and princesses locked away in castles…
I wanted to write like Jack...
To write about the things that were important,
To write about the things that moved us closer to our own Humanity...
To write about the things that would bid us to recognize and step into our own inherent Divinity…
To write, as a catalyst, to change old,outmoded ways of thinking and of Being in the World
To engage and empower others, as well as myself, to be the vehicles of that Change
And to embody a Passion for Action …
Jack Kerouac was a new breed of writer…
He believed in living his Art…
He was Out there…On the Road…
Living, grooving, burning and Being his craft…
His writings were lifted up as sacred offerings
To desperate lives on the brink...a clarion call for Change
To change the way people looked at life and their world.
It was at that moment that I began to breathe this new found passion
into the threads of my existence until it was to become my all consuming reality...
As a writer…AND…an activist.
From that moment on, this consciousness went with me into every aspect my life
And by the time I was in High School and College,
I was a fierce and furious activist for the
Causes of peace, social & civil injustice and change,
Working on the Presidential Youth Core campaign for Robert F. Kennedy,
Serving As VP of the Students For a Democratic Society,
writing speeches, organiizing and participating in countless rallies and marches…
And then, came the murders at Kent State, the deaths and
disappearances of young civil rights workers in Alabama,
and the assasinations of RFK, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X.
And my voice, like so many of my generation, was laid silent and
dormant for many years to come…
But the passion, still burned deep within me…
Jack’s words my constant companions and admonishers...
As well as the words and deeds of others of like mind,
who kept alive the belief that action and service is and should be our highest priority,
Their words were good company, in those dark days, they kept me sane…
and kept my hope and passion alive…
Schweitzer & Einstein, Christ & Krishna, Wordsworth and Whitman,
Dorothy Day,Mother Teresa, Julia Butterfly Hill, Marianne Williamson and
So many others…
But most profoundly for me were these words by the poet,
William Ward, which had become my anthem…
”Blessed is the person who sees the need,
RECOGNIZES THE RESPONSIBILITY, and actively becomes the answer. “
And now gratefully, that Passion reignited…
Here I am folks, standing before you…like the song says…
Blissfully, Still Crazy After All these Years!
In the subsequent years, Like many, my spiritual path, took Priority,
and it took me away from the direction of the religion of My youth,
I was in search of something that “fit” this misfit…
And one day, guided by a Divine hand,
in the guise of my first mentor in the flesh, who now currently resides,
as a local medium right here at Lily Dale, Shirley Calkins Smith,
I was led to the Unity Church in Rochester…
I crawled through the door, on my belly,
at a very low point in my life…
I first anxiously and joyously perused the Bookstore, of course,
And then summoned up the courage to wander into the service.
I remember listening to the message that day,
with tears streaming down my face…
I wasn’t crazy after all…or at least, if I was,
in my madness, I was now not alone…I had come Home…
I embraced the philosophy of metaphysics and New Thought Philosphies and
have been an avid and voracious Student and,
I hope, Teacher, of Truth, ever since.
But as the years moved on, something was missing…
the focus in the Metaphysical world was mainly on the development of self.
And while this is indeed an enormously important step,
I became conflicted with my need to actively bring the Light
that was emerging from within me, out into the world…
the teachings and the philosophies of those at my Church,
as in many other metaphysical establishments of the time,
were interpreted as the idea, that in raising yourself up,
you raise up the rest of the world, that God is in charge,
All is perfect and in Divine Order...
That sadness and misery and pain are illusions,
and there is nothing else to do but affirm and meditate and see it all as good.
And my all time favorite, often delvered with a raised eyebrow and incredulous stare
…”We don’t do causes”
Now I am not disputing these teachings...
for I understand the sentiments behind them...
But for me there was something missing…
I once again began to feel like a misfit…
I was questioning my own faith and spirituality,
and if maybe, I just wasn't "getting it"…
Because, try as I might, I couldn’t squelch that passion for action
that was so deeply embedded in me…
I kept remembering the directives of Jesus, to feed the hungry, help
the poor, clothe the naked and heal the sick,
And his ultimate charge..."Am I not my Brother's Keeper?"
and there was the compassionate works of Mother Teresa,
Ghandi and the Dalai Lama, and so many others
Who ALL dedicated their lives in service...and ACTION…
So I once again, embarked out on my own…
to reconcile yet another Spiritual dillema...
to find my own Truth…
Last fall, on FB I was made aware of an issue that I was guided to
champion and to share this with others, in an effort to provide
information, so they could also help if they felt moved to do so...
This issue brought me great sadness,
and I felt the pull to Speak up and do what I could to bring the
awareness to Light
So, in true FB fashion...I posted a petition, a few words, and a call for action.
While the majority responded favorably,
up popped that familiar philosophy of old…
It was pointed out to me, that I was fighting against something
and giving it power, that God was in charge,
and that I should basically apply metaphysical principles (based on their interpretation)
that I should practice what I preach and shut up already…
My inner Spirit was speaking loudly to me, to not remain silent
And after much soul searching, I was guided to finally
put into words my Truth on this subject,
no matter how unpopular my beliefs may be to some…
This is what I wrote…
We are the Voices and the Hands of the Creator
To All My Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
I would like to ask that you indulge me with a request and call for your assistance
for an issue that I have been guided by my Heart to champion.
I would ask that you consider the message that I would like to convey here,
and not just restrict your awareness to the present situation at hand...
but all situations of this nature,
that are happening every day across the face of our Beloved Mother Earth.
This is also, not a treatise or admonishment of those who condone, partake
and put into law the movement of these acts, but a call for awareness...
and a prayer that all will be brought into the Light of this awareness...
And with it, the understanding, that with the gift of that awareness bears much responsibility.
I am sure many of you are aware,
of the recent presidential lifting of the ban on the hunt of the Grey Wolves in Idaho.
I would ask that you go to the link I have included and take action as your Heart guides you.
Throughout the course of these past few days,
I have received many responses to my various posts and calls for action,
most of them have been positive and supportive...
and all well meaning.
But there is a concept that has come across of late,
that I feel bears some response at this time,
and that is the passive place of inaction, in the name of the "will" of Spirit.
It is a dangerous Metaphysical Misnomer that everything that happens is somehow Divinely Orchestrated by the Hand of God.
And that all we are here to do is sit in our pretty little gardens
& think lovely, happy thoughts,
& the weeds will miraculously disappear.
This is not the Truth or the Purpose of our Being.
We are the Hands & the Voices of the Creator...
And That, We are, in Truth, the Only Hands that Spirit has.
And along with prayer, meditation, & positive intentions,
when the weeds appear,
it is up to US to get down on our knees,
dig in the dirt & pull them up by the roots
And to plant in their stead…
The seeds for the flowers of Truth, Justice and Love.
This is not a Passive Universe but a Participatory One...
and we have, Hands, Feet, Voices, Minds and Hearts,
not just for our own personal wants and needs but for a much greater Purpose.
When we are witness to that which cannot possibly be considered the "Will of the Divine"...
But what are in fact, the direct products of our own miscreations…
Whether it be….Consciously or unconsciously,
Individually or collectively…
The existence of war, killing, injustice, abuse, destruction of Our
Beloved Mother Earth & and her children and the denial of freedoms...
It is then our responsibility to bring Voice and Action to this Purpose.
It is our responsibility to do what we can,
with & through the Power of God to change the status quo...
Nothing has ever changed for the good on our planet or in our world
through silence, inaction or denial.
It may be an illusion...
But We, collectively, have created this illusion...
And, We collectively have birthed it into reality...
And it is now up to us to dissolve the illusion
And to consciously choose to create a New Reality!
This is the Truth of Our Being...
and the Purpose for which we were Created.
We are more Powerful than we realize
We now hold within our Lives a responsibility greater than we can possibly fathom...
It matters not so much, that which you choose to Stand up for and bring into the Light...
(And Standing Up does not mean Fighting Against)
I heard it said once that, "If you don't Stand for Something...You will Fall for Anything"
What does matter, then, is that you choose to Stand up at all.
That you Choose...To Shine your Light,
That you Choose...To Raise your Voice,
That you Choose...To be True to the Stirrings of your Heart.
That you Choose...To Act by whatever means you are Divinely Guided.
The time is Now...
The moment is at Hand...
"We are the Ones we have been waiting for!"...
By and for all that is Sacred...Just Act!
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers.
So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin.
Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
And what is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit.
For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
All things are connected.” ~ Chief Seattle
There it was…I had spoken my Truth and put it out there…
I had no attachment to how it would be received…
And remarkably…
The response to this little treatise was overwhelmingly positive…
Again, more validation, that maybe I wasn’t quite that alone after all.
All of this aside, the most serendipitous event occurred when
A person who has been a friend of mine on FB for several years,
upon reading my piece, told me about a man,
who I had not been aware of, by the name of Andrew Harvey,
who has started a movement called Sacred Activism…
I googled him immediately & once again…was the return of that feeling of coming Home…
The first line I read off his website, sent me reeling, and once again
I felt validation for the Truth that I had struggled with for so very long…
“When the joy of compassionate service is combined with the
pragmatic and practical drive to transform all existing economic,
social and political institutions a radical Divine Force is born…
that Force is Sacred Activism…”
Through my rapidly forming tear filled eyes, I read on…
”Sacred Activism is the Passion of Compassion and Love
in Action, on every level, in every realm, to change the world...
From the Heart of every sacred activist flows a golden ecstatic torrent of Passion to change all things, out of love for all things…”
And then more validation from some of the greatest Spiritual Leaders of our time,
in praise of Andrew & his book, “The Hope – a Guide to Sacred Activism”
One such endorsement stood out above the others…it was from Beloved Luminary, Michael Bernard Beckwith… he wrote…”Sacred Activism is the most potent after effect of
our Inner Spiritual Practices…when the heart explodes into the
conscious Oneness with the Beloved…what remains is a burning
desire to be a Servant to the One that enlivens all sentient beings,
every speck of Space…
Back came those words of old…”I am not crazy, and if I am, I am not
alone in my madness”…and I am indeed, once again, in Good Company…
I would like invite you all, at this time…if you have not already…
To consider making the Shift to the next level on your Spiritual journey.
At this most pivotal time, It would behoove those of us, who call ourselves
Light Workers, to evaluate, the full Meaning of that term… Light “Workers”…
not Light Thinkers or Light Meditators…which are indeed important aspects of our being,
but the key word, my Friends…is Worker…
So, I invite you, to take your Light out into the world in the direction of
whatever Passion Is calling to you…if you don’t know what that is…
then consider the words of Andrew Harvey as a guidepost
to connecting with that place within you...he says..
"Do not push away your sadness, Be with it…embrace it…I don’t say Follow your Bliss, look where that has gotten us…I say follow your Heartbreak…for within your Greatest Heartbreak, lies your Greatest Passion…”
So, my friends, in this season, as we are moving into the period of rebirth, resurrection and renewal…
I Invite you to make the commitment to follow your greatest Heartbreak to your greatest passion…
Literally…Trip the Light Fantastic…Make a Joyous Noise!
Move and Groove…Shake and Bake…Make a Bang heard round the World!
and in doing so I promise that you will Experience the greatest Joy you will ever know…
the Joy of Action, in Service to our Mother Earth, All things Living and all Humankind.
In closing, I once again, quote Andrew…
“We must turn our whole being to God in praise and longing so our
actions are illuminated, guided and energized by Divine Light,
for God is everywhere working a massive resurrection and it is the
Destiny of our time to be the birthing ground of this resurrection.
We have very little time in which to awaken and transform ourselves,
To be able to preserve and to heal the divisions between the powerful
and the powerless. Let us go forward now, with firm resolve and profound dedication…”
My friends…The World is starving for your Light, Compassion and Talents…
I believe it was Walt Whitman who said, “The Powerful Play
goes on and we each must contribute a Verse”,
What will your verse be?
Remember, these are the Only Hands that Spirit has…
Use them Well...Serve with Joy...Contribute your Verse…
And burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars...”
May the Spirit of God, Come upon us now…
To bless us and raise us up,
To the better angels of our being…
So that we may be a blessing unto others, as well!
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