The Re-Awakening of Compassion ...

Take a little trip back in history with me ... not all the way back to 6,000 years ago this time ... just a wee bit back (relatively speaking), into the early 18th century ... the early 1700's. Let's pick England, as it was considered to be "quite civilized" at that time.

You and I would be utterly shocked at the utter void of compassion that was displayed at that time, in that "advanced" place. Executions were spectator sports ... "hanging day" was a banking holiday, with people showing up in droves, to witness the killing of another person (who had committed such petty crimes as pickpocketing, vandalism, or indebtedness). People were branded on their cheeks, to indicate what crimes had been committed ... including begging, or starting fights. Children were treated beyond-cruelly ... infants who were unwanted were thrown into open drains and sewers ... parents would even maim/cripple their children so that they could be better beggars. Animal torture was prolific, with cock-fighting, and ratting. People with disabilities were considered to be "possessed with evil spirits" ... babies with deformities (as well as their mothers!) were often killed, or exiled. Charity was rare .... seen as absurd.

Compassion was scarce, if in evidence at all ...

Compare that with today. Now, by no means am I claiming that we don't still have cases of cruelty happening ... but it's seen as abhorrent by most ... and we speak out. We no longer hang children for stealing ... we don't allow for animal cruelty, and a large number of people give regularly to charity. We have compassion. We've got a long way to go, to be sure, but we've come a long way in just under 400 years.

So, what happened? What changed, between 1700, and now..?

What is compassion? It's a product of the imagination -- being able to "put ourselves in another's shoes". Feeling what another feels ... feeling *with* them. Compassion is transcending ego-isolation -- connecting with another. Tapping into a shared identity with others.

As Steve Taylor eloquently puts it:

"... this new spirit of compassion can be seen as the expression of a collective psychic change that seems to be taking place within human beings: a gradual movement beyond ego-separateness. The first wave was something that individual human beings made happen, but this -- the second wave -- is something that seems to be happening to us... Whereas the first wave was a tiny undercurrent,the second wave is a mass movement, involving a sizeable proportion of the human race."[emphasis mine]

Going back to our portal into the 18th century ... from 1750 or so on, it was a tremendously transitional time to be alive ... for 6,000 years, slavery had been taken for granted, as a human "right". But in the 1700's, it began to be questioned ... is this good? And the anti-slavery movement was born. So too, it was unquestioned that some humans were *better* than others ... but it was being re-thought ... is it true? And a new model of democracy began to spread. For almost 6,000 years, it was unquestioningly assumed that men were superior to women -- that women were vastly inferior and fit to be beaten. But during this transitional time, the women's rights movement was birthed. The question of the rights of animals to live free from cruelty was pondered ... and the SPCA was formed. The treatment of criminals was reformed ... branding was outlawed, stocks/pillories were abolished, along with flogging and the rack, along with all forms of torture. Corporal punishment of children was opposed ... a sense of empathy for the suffering disabled children grew ... with a growing realization that we needed to care for everyone, including the very young, and the very old.

It wasn't perfect - not by a long shot (for instance, the "enlightened" founders of the USA only considered while male landowners to be free to vote ... and certainly the abysmal treatment of the Native Americans attests to the prevalence of the egoic/separate psyche). BUT ... something was happening ... transformation was observable.

Also during this era, the artists, authors and musicians began to demonstrate a profoundly new attitude toward nature, including the body. Romance literature emerged ... with poetry reflecting the inner life, not just the brute/logical conquests of conquerors. The artists were becoming aware of Something More than meets the senses. Catch the beauty of Wordsworth's poetry:

And I have felt a presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:
A motion and a spirit, that impells
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.

This newfound (remembered!) sense of empathy extended to all living things, and to all of nature ... rather than being merely detached observers of the world, they participated in it..!

War also changed ... rather than being merely a conquest for land ... it became more about liberating others from oppression. WWI was the last war to be openly welcomed by those who participated in it ... and because it was so devastating, the League of Nations was established, to ensure that nothing like it ever happened again. Unfortunately, such harsh punitive measures were taken against Germany, this led to them instigating what led to WWII.

(Shame never helps -- it always harms.)

It's interesting that Europe has been peaceful for the past 60 years ... after centuries and centuries of previously ceaseless fighting ....

Obviously, we have a long way to go regarding war..!

What else has been changing, in this "second wave" of compassion...?

- Attitudes toward sex and the body - our sense of shame has been fading.

- Gender boundaries ("what men do" and "what women do") have been blurring ... giving rise to empowered women, and "new men" (those who seem less influenced by the power of the fallen-ego, who are more sensitive, more empathetic, and less aggressive -- more secure in being, than in doing).

- More empathy toward nature ... a growing number of people becoming vegetarian/vegan ... animal rights ... a connection to all life, a reverence for life ... and a growing sense of responsibility/stewardship for the planet we all share.

- The decline of theistic religion ... more openness to what the Eastern/mystical religions/mindsets have to offer ... less focus on "consolation" and more emphasis on "transformation."

- A desire for reparation ... repairing the past harms done against indigenous peoples ... a desire for correcting injustices.

None of this paints a false picture of a Utopia. That's not even the goal (really - think about it -- it would bore the snot out of all of us). We have much work to do, much awakening to experience ... we're still in the "pig sty" coming to our senses ... never before have we seen such rampant materialism/greed being manifested ... never before have we seen such damage done to the environment ... and every day we hear of atrocities committed by humans, against humans.

And YET -- for the first time in the past 6,000 years of history, we are experiencing a growing movement away from the pathologies of the fallen/egoic psyche ... even if it is still, admittedly, a minority. We appear to be experiencing a shift -- moving from a "dominator" society into a "partnership" society ... a clear indication that humans are changing *on the inside* ... just as they first changed on the inside, 6,000 years ago. The signs of increasing empathy strongly suggest that the "walls of separation", borne of the egoic fall, are coming down...!

Why is this happening to us?

It appears that, in order to survive (even ourselves), we are becoming *more alive* ... that we are evolving into a higher consciousness (yeah, I'm well aware of how "woo-woo" this may sound -- stay with me!).

It may be happening because it *has* to ... otherwise, we may destroy ourselves. The built-in capacity for survival, built into this universe, may be kicking in ... doing what needs to be done to keep life itself going.

It almost seems as if a Plan were unfolding ...! ;)

Next ... I'll wrap up this book-study ... looking at how we've come, in a sense, full circle ...

Shalom, Dena

Oh Death ~ Where is Your Sting ~ Part I

So, the other day, maybe it was just yesterday, I spent some time on the phone with Michele O'Donnell (she who wrote the books about "living beyond disease" that I've been foisting on y'all). She shared some things that were challenging to what I think I know.

I found myself in a quandary ... kinda-sorta part way between one mindset that's falling away, and another mindset that's emerging from behind the veil of the former ... and I feel myself pulled in two directions (or so it seems) ... and so I told God this was happening (yeah - like He needed to be informed! He was just waiting for me to confess it as my experience, so I'd be willing to deal with it).

The feeling was of confusion, and percolating fear (fear of losing something I currently cling to) ... and yet an excitement that a lie was about to be revealed, and thus Truth was about to emerge, and thus that freedom was about to be had...!

Basically I told God that I really want to see this thing the way He does, so, please do what it takes to make that happen.

And then I went about my business ... doing what I'd been given to do. Y'know, living life.

Well, this morning, it seems that God met me (again, in the bathroom - Our fave hang-out, me and God), and a downloading has been going on since ... for a while there, I couldn't keep up with the note-taking ... ("could You please slow down a bit, God? My hand is cramping!") ... and it continued during my walk ... wishing I'd had a recording device ... hoping I wouldn't lose it as the endorphins settled down again ...

It really started yesterday, after the phone call, shortly after uttering that "help!" to God ... a friend shared this (thanks, Annie!):

There's a deep rut in the "Christian faith", as most believers experience it. It's like a ditch that you run your car into and can't get out of. Unless God tows a believer out of the rut, he or she will never fully live out of their union with Christ.

The rut is this: most of us believe that in the depths of our being we are both good and bad. Or, to put it in theological terms, we are both righteous and sinful. Using a common illustration, we believe that we have within us both a white dog and a black dog, a good nature and a bad nature, that are fighting for control.

But that is not true. It is vital that we know it's not true, because if we believe that we are both righteous and sinful, it will be impossible to live out of our union with Christ and to rest, trusting that He lives through us moment by moment. Instead, we will be focused on ourselves, on getting our act together, on winning the war that supposedly rages within us, trying to suppress the bad part of us so that the good part will reflect the character of Christ. This endless self-effort is the complete opposite of what Paul wrote:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God... (Galatians 2:20)

The only way out of this dilemma, of believing that we are both good and bad, is to understand that the realm of the spirit, above the line, is singular. It is one. The realm of appearances, below the line, is a duality. It is two.

In the realm of appearances, there is constant evidence of good and evil, both outside and inside us. If we judge by appearances, we arrive at the logical conclusion that we are both good and bad. That looks entirely valid. Christians have believed this for centuries. Except for a small minority who have come to know their true identity in Christ, the whole Christian world accepts the lie. Unfortunately, although something may not be true above the line, if below the line we think it is true, it still controls us. We must choose to live out of what is singular, rather than what is dual.

The realm of the spirit, the singular realm, is eternal reality. That is where our spirit being lives, and where our true identity is settled forever. The realm of appearance, although we must live in it in the here and now, is false as far as our identity goes. All of life depends on which realm is ultimate reality to you: the realm of spirit or the realm of appearances. That's going to determine what you believe and how you live.

Choosing to believe that you are not both good and evil can be difficult. All of the external proof, all of the apparent evidence, all of the sight, supports the opposite: that you have two natures. ''You are good, yes, a little good, but boy, you are still wicked; you are still evil.'' Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you that you only have one nature, not two. In the core of your being you are not both righteous and sinful; you are only righteous.

Now bear with me, as this unfolds ... this is being birthed in me, and I'm hoping to be able to relay it as it happens ...

Then, this morning, I read about eternal Life ... not as Christianity has defined it (i.e., something we achieve via faith, after we die), but as the very Life of God -- which we are living, here and now.

- Immortality is not longevity ... immortality is the realization of our true identity as God-breathed beings ... manifestations of God Himself... here and now. And this life does not end. It cannot.

- Death is not a part of God's creation ... for "the last enemy that shall be overcome is death." Yes, of course, each of us will, in our own time and way, pass from sight to beyond-sight. But we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses ... ultimate reality is that which we cannot see, yet.

- Those who do not live in knowledge of God (who He is, who we are IN Him), may be "forced" out of their bodies by disease, accident, or old age; those with an understanding of God as HE is, as we ARE, make the transition without struggle, pain, or infirmity. We all leave this plane of consciousness ... but how we leave is determined by our understanding of God.

- Life is a long series of transitions ... we go from utero, to infancy, to childhood, to adolescence, to maturity, to advanced years ... each state of consciousness gives way to the next. Those who accept the transition of each stage to the next, without trying to cling to the previous state (which is then outgrown), do not experience the "infirmities" of aging. Resisting the advancement of years, as if they are to be feared, actually brings about many of the sufferings/manifestations we associate with age...! (it's not what happens to me that harms me -- it's what I *think* about what happens to me that harms me) When I accept the natural changes that come with each transition-stage, I'm able to look forward to each new experience ... receiving them with joy and confidence, rather than with fear and dread. My perception determines my experience.

- I am here for a purpose ... to do that which was prepared for me to do from the foundation of the world. To cooperate with God in bringing Light into darkness. As long as I still have work to do, in this plane of existence/consciousness, God will maintain me in strength, youth, vitality, health and wholeness. And when it's time to transition, I transition.

- Every transition is for the glory of God, and for my own development and growth. Each is good, each is necessary. None are to be despised, discounted, or resisted.

- (Here's a biggie!) Death is never part of any of these experiences. What we call death is just another transition, to follow those preceding it. Death is our human interpretation of what we are witnessing. But what did Jesus say, prior to resurrecting those who were called "dead". He said, "they're only sleeping." I notice that I go to sleep every night ... and I notice that I wake up to life again. What is this telling me... day after day, after day...?

- Once we know God, once we know who He is, His true nature and character (and not what man declares), we realize that we are living His life and this life is eternal ... flowing without end. "He is your life, and the length of your days."

- I notice that our bodies "die" daily ... fingernails and hair is dead material that is cut off, and continues to grow ... skin sheds, cells continuously change, being renewed ... the body I am in is not the body I was in even a few years ago ...! It is continuously "dying" ... and yet my true identity, my consciousness *remains*. What does that tell me?

- Here's the problem: from birth, we are told and trained, and unquestioningly believe, the notion that our bodies are US. We have identified our bodies as ourselves ... when, in truth, our bodies are instruments for us to use in this stage of life... the earthly/physical plane. It's a vehicle ... never for one minute do I confuse myself with the car that I drive ... my car is not ME. It's an instrument to get me around. SO too, is my body. My true self is spirit, Spirit, consciousness of God. And this, my true self, never dies ... whereas my body is always dying (John Lennon once said, "we don't die - we just change cars").

- I see that I'm told that I need to die daily ... that is, my thought of me being my body, my mind, needs to die daily, so that the real me, the Spirit, can emerge and live. I am here to live the Life of God.

- Transformation takes place in consciousness/awareness ... and then is externalized as form. Thoughts become things. Everything first begins as a thought. As a man thinks in his own heart, so is he.

Next, I'll share the thoughts that began to come to me, as I meditated on what I'd read ...

Shalom, Dena

The Trouble with Transformation ~ Part II

This sharing has been heavy on my heart ... as I'm currently experiencing the imminent loss of a relationship, due to the transformations I've personally gone through in the past few years. My heart is heavy with a plethora of emotions ... remembering the many good times, as well as the wretchedly painful times, trying to reconcile it all in my mind ... trying to honor it all, and hold it all in my heart ... wanting to see it all from God's higher/deeper transcendent-perceptive ... to better understand, to better learn from it, to better live with it as part of the joy/pain ambiguity that makes up so very much of the human adventure.

I can assure you of two things:

- Transformation can indeed be very, very costly.
- Transformation is ultimately worth what it costs.

I'll be writing largely from a place of heavy emotion in this post, rather than from an organized mind ... so bear with me, and hopefully it will all fall into place before it's said and done.

I see transformation as a necessary-but-messy process ... not unlike the birth process. Both are conceived in a moment of wild-abandon ... both end up with an "expansion" ... both come to an agonizing place of transition ... and both end up giving birth to a new form of life. If you ask either one, in the midst of the transition, if it's a joyous thing, you're likely to be hit, or bit or annihilated, LOL! Oh, and let's not forget that the "new life" must be nurtured, treasured, honored and loved. Neither will thrive well with benign neglect, much less abuse.

During that transition-time, when we're no longer what we were, and yet not quite what we will be, it's agonizing, no doubt about it. There's a sort of "shuffling of normalcy", when we're off-center, askew, flailing. And usually sporting a dazed, wide-eyed expression. It feels like a falling-apart ... like utter chaos. That which we thought we knew, thought we were standing upon, is gone, shattered, and it can feel like a free-fall. and yet, this pattern of falling apart precedes each transition to a new vista of faith. If we're not prepared (or don't learn how) to live with the inevitable anxiety that the chaos ushers in, then we can't well move into deeper awarenesses of faith, or more intimacy with God.

I notice that each encounter with God in scripture, each transition-account, begins with a warning to not be afraid. Fear is to be expected ... it's a given. But we don't have to give in to it ... we can truly come to see that while it can *feel* like our lives are falling apart, our lives are finally coming together ... perhaps for the first time.

Letting go of what we *think* we know to be true (or even "all truth"), letting go of what's familiar, is painful -- it's a strong suffering. But the old has to die to make room for the new ... it's a way of life, if we're going to follow Jesus (He's the Way ... the way out of the old, and into the new ... not just once, but repeatedly).

The old paradigm of thinking is black and white, right and wrong, good and evil -- duality. Such a perspective has been called a "dangerous naivete" ... it doesn't know, but it thinks it does. In thinking it knows, it resists anything new from coming in. But in the new paradigm, darkness and light coexist ... paradox is a way of life. In this realm, death is a part of life, and failure is part of being victorious ... and we learn from our mistakes. Opposites crash and unite ... and everything belongs (it always did). In this realm, there is nothing profane ("outside the temple"), for all is holy.

But there's no "direct flight" from the first paradigm to the second ... most of us have to go through the transformational/transitional stages ... and sometimes repeatedly. It always feels like we're falling apart ... we have to move outside our comfort zones, and allow ourselves the permission to feel lost and confused for a time. The previous ways die away, so that the new ways can emerge. For a while, we're in "no man's land."

It seems to me that the most profound transitions tend to occur in the second half of life (or, perhaps earlier, if the person has "lived hard" and has been shaken out of complacency earlier). I've heard it said that the challenge of the second half of life is very often the re-embracing of what we have long denied, rejected and feared. We come face to face with that which we've spent a lifetime avoiding ... it's as if our "repression sphincter muscle" wears out, or it's warranty expires...!

Transformation is not only terrifying to those who go through it, but to those who witness it. Transformation upsets status quo ... it can throw relationships off-balance - particularly if the relationship was invested in following a script (subconsciously, of course). When our equilibrium is threatened, we tend to self-protect ... to shut down, to hold back, to go within. So it can be in relationships when one is transforming in a particular way, and the other is not. All too often, the relationship can be sacrificed, in favor of feeling "safe and secure" with what's familiar. I wonder how many transformations have been cut short and abandoned, because the one transforming couldn't take the abandonment of those who didn't understand...? How many quit the journey, in favor of conforming to group-think?

I honestly don't see transformation as optional. We can put it off, sure, but to our detriment. The only constant in life, it seems, is change. To live in the now, the present moment (the only moment in which we can engage with God who is called "I AM"), we have to let go of who we were yesterday ... we have to go with "what is" in the present moment... the eternal now. Unfortunately, most of our culture, particularly the Christian culture, focuses either on the glorified past, or the ever-pending utopian future. When we forfeit the now, we miss life, and we resist transformation ... perhaps the only suffering greater than transformation is the suffering that comes with the resistance of transformation.

So, is it worth it? Is it worth it to allow ourselves to be transformed from who we *thought* we were into who we *really* are (and this, I believe, is a huge part of following Christ)? Is it worth it when friends abandon us, when family questions our sanity, when churches excommunicate us, when communities misunderstand and blame us?

Only you can answer for yourself. After a lifetime of living-in-conformity (no, I was merely existing, not living), and after a shorter time of experiencing severe transformation (with all of the inherent fall-out), I can say, "YES." I can say it with tears, with a heavy heart, with an ache in my soul ... and yet I say it with transcendent joy that over-arches the pain ... no, it embraces and absorbs the pain, transforming it into more joy. Odd though that sounds, it's what I've experienced, as I've learned - to my utter astonishment - that it is, indeed, worth it.

Have you ever run into those rare folks who have been chewed up and spit out, and yet there's something deep shining out of their eyes? Yeah, those ones know about the paradoxical pain/joy of transition and transformation. Hang out with those folks ... you can learn a lot by just being in their presence ... even if they never utter a word.

Methinks there's a Part III wanting to get out ...

Shalom, Dena