As I come to the end of a beautiful retreat with our Peace Dance community from Canada, Europe, the U.S., and many Latin American beloveds, I am so deeply filled with love, compassion, light and hope.
These amazing, enthusiastic young leaders from the south are filled with a potent love, courage and guidance toward the unity and connection of all beings.
In the ever more discouraging and threatening atmosphere of our insane “leadership” these beloveds remind me there is hope.
And they fill me with the strength to continue to hold even the deepest, most unsettling dark powers in light.
It is certainly the most difficult of my practices to open the news, witness the latest onslaught of autocratic insanity and somehow integrate that into the light of the Only Being, recognizing it as somehow still a part of that Unity.
As Richard Rohr notes, “I suppose there is no more counterintuitive spiritual idea than the possibility that God might actually use and find necessary what we fear, avoid, deny, and deem unworthy. This is what I mean by the ‘integration of the negative.'”
The challenge for me, (and maybe you, dear reader will relate) is to, in some mysterious and often elusive way, remember there is no them and us. No separation from even the most distressing and disgusting manifestations of dark powers. These too must be accepted and surrendered to.
To quote Mirabai Starr, “I am continually challenged to stop arguing with reality and instead soften into what is. Over time, I learned to find beauty, meaning, and wholeness in the heart of reality. Unpredictable, ever-changing, humiliating, and humbling reality.”
The practice I suggest for us all, is to aspire to that source of strength and loving compassion. In meditation. deepen into a place of stillness, invoke and specifically pray for, the assistance and power of the ancestors.
Perhaps chant Alahho Akbar, which Sufi Ahmed Murshid Samuel Lewis taught means “Peace is Power.” Or hold another mantra of strength, courage and action on the breath.
From that place of grounded strength, imagine all those who are weilding those dark powers as surrounded in a brilliant white light.
There is little chance it will actually permeate their brittle, fear and greed induced armor and change their ways. But that is not our work or our goal.
It is for us to simply remember and let it go. And from that place of surrender to what is, to gather the strength and power from the benevolent ancestors; share it in our communities, and open our hearts to what we are called to do.
From that place, it has been my experience that the Divine will guide us to what service is ours and is needed in each moment.
So, set that intention. Invite and share guidance and assistance from your beloved community and ancestors. And remember with each breath to say thank you.
Alhamdulillah. All praise to the One.