Elevating America

In light of the recent events happening across America, this blog post addresses some of our own fictions of what the 'other' of us is, and what it does to our lives when we view others in that way.

Are we accountable to our own racism?  What role do we have to play in the healing of America?  How are we also responsible for keeping these pains in place? 

It seems that in the last few weeks, every time we turn on the TV to catch up on the news, we find ourselves looking at the latest shooting and killing event that took place either here, there, or anywhere, and it can be overwhelming.

But in the last few days, things seem to have been brought to a crisis point.  Six officers targeted and shot.  The deaths of two black men, in different parts of the country, happening within days of each other, and both killed by police officers who thought they were threatened, but in reality were not.  

There was nothing more powerful or painful for me to see and hear than the short video recorded of Philandro Castille, by his fiancee at his side in the car during his shooting death. A little three year old girl in the back seat offering support to her screaming, panicking mother: "Don't worry Mom!  I'm here with you!"  

It was absolutely heart breaking for me. What angel is this in the back seat?  And what life experience has she chosen to experience while here on Earth?  Three years old...

For those of us who are spiritually attuned individuals and seekers, all of these events combined and in quick succession can be overwhelming and cause confusion.  We're asking questions and looking for answers: What are these events showing us?  What is it time for? What are we to learn from this? 

What's going on? 

What's going on has always been going on. It's just that now, it's visible.  Right up front and center, in our lives for us to see, as a nation. 

As someone who is trained in the teachings and principles of A Course in Miracles, I know that forgiveness is a principle that brings us new light and miracles in our lives that we hadn't experienced before.  It is not the kind of forgiveness that I was taught as a young girl going to Catholic Mass on Sundays.  It is forgiveness of a different kind.  Forgiveness that brings healing to the extender of that forgiveness. Healing that occurs on both sides of the equation.

What are we being asked to forgive here?  The shooter(s)?

Ourselves?

Our own race relations in America?

Almost certainly we hold judgments, and for sure those are going to need to be released.

What I am suggesting, and looking at myself is, where are we in our own racism? How does it manifest? Where are we holding it?  How do we view people who are of different races and colors than we are?

What judgments do you make when you're dealing with someone who's black, whether in your social circles, business dealings, or in any area of your life?

In what ways are we personally racist, without telling anyone about it?

Do your regularly avoid hiring, using, listening to, or working with blacks because you're not sure?

The Course teaches us that all thoughts are shared.  That what we think are often thoughts shared with others.  We assume that what someone does, or thinks over there does not affect us, or has nothing to do with us.  But in fact it does.  

How many times have you passed someone over because of your judgments about who you thought they were?  

Who cuts your hair?  Does your books?  Who is your doctor or lawyer or dentist?  If you were introduced to someone who was black to do any of these jobs for you, what would cross your mind?  Would your decision be affected by your pre-conceived ideas or judgments about their capacity or competance?

The concept that 'We are all One', instills that what each of us does and thinks is all a part of the other.  We are all in this together, so we must look closely at our beliefs.  To forgive is to transform a situation, to take a belief, or judgment, or perspective and turn it into truth. It heals ourselves, and the other that we hold judgments against.  

When we look at any one of these situations that has occurred in the past week, we want to look at who, or what individual riles us the most, and see it as a reflection of a part of ourselves we don't want to look at.  The one we bury, and hate. 

We all have some soul searching to do.

I don't presume to have any answers for what is in your own consciousness, I can only look within mine and see what decisions I may or may not make, based on what I think a person is because of what they look like.  But we can never know for sure, anything about anyone, can we? 

To know someone is to love them.  Perhaps that is the credo we should be seeking to live by, from now on.

As many of us I'm sure like to think: "I'm not racist!", we have to look a little closer, examine more deeply.  We need also to pay attention to what we hear around us as well, and respond to the racism, no matter how subtle it may appear, as it rears its ugly head.  We are here, to heal this all together.  Conversations, that are often uncomfortable, need to happen.

We may feel exhausted by what we're seeing, and we may feel that we still have so far to go.  But we have done so much already in the short span of the last 50 years.  President Obama addressed this sentiment when he spoke in Dallas on Tuesday, during the memorial service for the six officers killed last Friday:

"I’m here to say we must reject such despair. I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we’ve come against impossible odds. I know we’ll make it because of what I’ve experienced in my own life, what I’ve seen of this country and its people—their goodness and decency—as President of the United States. And I know it because of what we’ve seen here in Dallas—how all of you, out of great suffering, have shown us the meaning of perseverance and character, and hope."

​—President Obama at the memorial service for the fallen officers of the Dallas Police Department.

    
​Yes, we have come a long way, and yes, we still have far to go as well.

You may not be in America specifically, as people from all over the globe have access to my blog.  But it would be hard to deny that race relations aren't difficult no matter where you are in the world.  It just seems so amplified here in the US at this time because we are talking about cities that we know and love, and we are seeing protests and peaceful demonstrations happening all over the country.

What needs to happen now in our communities is for listening to occur.  And I'm not talking about blacks listening to what whites, or police officers have to say.  It is time we started listening to blacks, listening to what their lives are like, and listening to all parts of this pain and fear and struggle that they have to live in daily.

This is not unlike having to listen to your own emotional body, when you are in pain, or frustrated, or feeling like you are threatened.  We want to deny the pain, we don't want to hear what our subconscious, or feeling body has to say. We just want it to go away.  But that's not going to happen.  It's being denied, and it needs to be listened to, and accepted.

Just for now, it's best to leave aside our own personal needs, and simply pay attention and listen to our black and brown brothers and sisters who have sustained a great deal throughout history, and do still now and just allow some release to occur. Allow it some expression, and be available for some deep listening, without judgment.

We, as a nation, all need to take responsibility for what is in our culture, present every day and everywhere. That's what Oneness is. There is nowhere that judgments do not exist.  There is nowhere that imposing belief systems aren't affecting peoples lives.  But that doesn't mean that healing can't occur on all levels, as it's being called for to do so now.  It's the only way we can elevate this country into another way of being.

I am feeling called to give whatever I have of my spiritual gifts to this cause, and am compelled to reinstate The Global Energetic Downloads.  These are live, on-line events whereby energy and words from Spirit are delivered to the participants, who then in turn extend that light through their lives, their worlds.

​The first one will be Thursday, July 14th.  You can read more about them here, and just so you're aware: Healing comes from Spirit.  It always does.  We are here now to heal the globe, and so why not let's do it together.

In love and blessings,