A More Perfect Union

I have been blessed to become acquainted with the community of Congregation B'nai Israel here is Sacramento. In particular, with Rabbi Mona Alfi. I see in Rabbi Alfi something that seems to be rare in spiritual leaders: a keen sense of oneness along with a commitment to inclusion, restoration and united effort.

Rabbi Alfi was invited to speak on Thursday night at the Salaam Center of Sacramento on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of 9-11. 

Rabbi Alfi's remarks follow.

[Just as a note, Judaism and Islaam have the common root of being the tradition and lineage descended from Abraham, Israel (Judaism) from Abraham's son Isaac; and Islaam from Abraham's son Ishmael.]

A More Perfect Union

(Presented at Salaam Center of Sacramento, Sept 8, 2011)

 

Hinei mah tov u'mah nayim, shevat achim gam yachad - How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together (Psalm 133).  Tonight we come together, as brothers and sisters, children of a shared dream, a single family that has also suffered loss together, all of us the children of this great nation of the United States.

In the Bible we are taught that when our father Abraham died, his sons Ishmael and Isaac came together to bury him (Gen. 25:9).  

The Jewish tradition teaches us that with Abraham's passing, Isaac and Ishmael lived in harmony with each another.  They came together not only to mourn their shared loss, as brothers should, but they also found healing from their pain, by living side by side in peace.  

I can easily imagine these two brothers standing at their father's grave, weeping and embracing each other, and asking themselves what is the purpose of fighting?  What greater way is there for two brothers to honor their father's memory than by living in harmony with each other?

Today we come together, also as brothers and sisters, to mourn our shared losses of all those who perished on September 11, ten years ago.  This is a time for us to remember that we are all part of the same American family.

By coming together tonight we are given the opportunity to not only look back at the terrible events that haunt us still, but it also reminds us of the necessity for us to look toward the future and our shared obligation to create a society that lives by our country's greatest teachings.

In the preamble of our Constitution, our founding fathers wrote that "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."

We are the lucky inheritors of these great ideals.  And what greater way is there for us to honor our founding fathers than to live by these beliefs?  This is not an inheritance for us to put on a shelf or to simply read about or study.  This is an inheritance that provides for us a blueprint of a great and just society.  

The Blessings of Liberty that the founding fathers spoke of are blessings that need to be secured and nurtured by each and every generation.  And it is our shared responsibility to create opportunities to come together for the common good, so that we can ensure that our children, and our children's children, will enjoy these blessings as well.

We must never forget that our nation is a Union - a collection of people with different backgrounds and religions, different regional interests, different political beliefs, and yet we can come together with not only common purpose, but also a shared feeling of responsibility for each other's welfare.

We are a family, and like every family, we do not need to be the same, but we must listen to each other, accept each other, know and understand where each other's concerns are coming from.  We must find ways to honor our differences and protect each other's rights.  And we must never forget that our destinies are intertwined.

When my brother grieves, my heart is saddened.  When my sister has success, I am joyful.   And when I weep, or when I celebrate, it gives me comfort to know that it matters to them.  In the shadow of 9-11, we must never forget that all Americans are brothers and sisters, and we must never fail to act as such.

Ours was a shared horror as we watched the Towers collapse and the Pentagon attacked.  We all mourned the deaths of those who were killed.  We were all inspired by the first responders and those on United Flight 93 who showed tremendous courage on that fateful day.  We all felt lost and scared in the days, weeks and months following the attacks.  And we went through all of these experiences as an American family.

But just as we are able to come together in times of mourning and remembrance, and in times of great celebration, we must remember what makes a family strong is how they interact on a daily basis.

Let us study together so that we can understand how to put our shared beliefs into practice.  Let us repair the world together by helping the most vulnerable in our society.  Let us break bread together, and share our stories, and remind ourselves over and over again - how good it can be when brothers and sisters dwell together - hinei mah tov u'mah nayim, shevat achim gam yachad.

May the Holy One, the Creator of all humanity bless our nation with shalom, with salaam, with peace.  Amen.  

Rabbi Mona Alfi

 

Honesty

Everyone starts at the bottom

of the mountain of honesty.

The climb is long,

littered with the stones of lives

that became hard and brittle

with what is required in this ascent.

Slowly, and upward, things become sparse,

exposed, elemental.

Slowly come

the brilliant views,

the intense light rising within,

the brutal effort in moving another step.

And then the summit

presents itself:

a mirror of diamond clarity

giving nothing, reflecting everything,

offering you to yourself.

In this moment, you are alone.

In this moment, all that is in you

is all that is needed,

and you must decide if that

is enough.

The Way

"The way to God can only be found in your willingness to embrace and live fully the very life that is within you and that unfolds through you with each moment."

Quoted from The Way Of Mastery, Lesson 3, The Power of Forgiveness

I refuse any longer to judge my life so harshly. I choose to live freely without regret.

I now assume responsibility in this very moment for all I see, all I think, all I feel and all that I remember. I am the one that gives these perceptions form, substance and energy. I embrace my creations, and therefore transform them.

Of myself, I can do nothing. But the Father, through me, does all things.

Father bring each moment to me that I might learn anew to love, and to allow that love to transform this temporary illusion into that which extends the good, the holy and the beautiful.

All Thought Is Creative and Influential

If you are reading this on a computer, I have a question for you. Where did your computer come from? Maybe from Costco, or CompUSA, or from some online store. But where did it come from for them? Probably from the manufacturer. OK. But where did it come from for them? They had it built, probably somewhere in China, and most likely from parts made all over the world. Then it breaks down to the designer, his drawings and calculations...  On and on, until you get to the point I am trying to make. The computer you are looking at came from a thought. Someone, somewhere, had the thought of this computer, and here it is.

Thought is what creates everything, and all our experience of everything. The  fundamental concept is that all thought is creative and influential.

All Thought is creative

I remember beginning to learn about the power of thought. How exciting it was to finally know how to make life work! I felt a deep inspiration, knowing that I really could step into the purpose of my life, and have the life I wanted. Then came a day when I didn’t feel that way. I saw that my life was still working the same old way. I wondered what was wrong with me. Maybe my new thoughts were somehow not working.

So, here’s the lesson: ALL thought is creative and influential. There is never a time that it is not. What about the time when I didn’t see the results I wanted? All that means is that I didn’t see the results I wanted; it doesn’t mean there weren’t results being formed from my thoughts. This may seem disconcerting at first, but really it is very good news.
Ernest Holmes brings more clarity to this:

All Thought Is Creative. Since this is true, it follows that we cannot say that one thought is creative while another is not. We must say that all thought is creative, according to the nature, impulse, emotion or conviction behind the thought. Thought creates a mold in the Subjective, in which the idea is accepted and poured, and sets power in motion in accordance with the thought.

‑ Ernest Holmes, The Science Of Mind

There are two ideas here that are important to understand. First, a thought enters the creative process, and is nurtured in consciousness by affirmation and action. Then this thought incubates within the subconscious mind (“the Subjective”) filling the mold it has created. Second, “all thought is creative, according to the nature, impulse, emotion or conviction behind the thought.” The power of a thought to create is determined by the emotional energy and commitment to the idea that the thinker places behind the thought.

So, what is the very good news?

It is very good news that, for the most part, there is not an immediate demonstration of every thought that I think. That would, at times, be quite embarrassing.

It is also very good news because I can know that my life, the way it is right now, is a product of my deeply held thoughts. It is not about “my thoughts not working.” Whether or not I like what I have and experience in this moment, I am right now demonstrating the power of my own thoughts to create my life. I have the power. I am using it right now. I have the choice to change my thinking. I can live the life I desire. Ernest Holmes might have said, I can “create a [new] mold in the Subjective [subconscious mind], in which the [new] idea is accepted and poured, and sets power in motion in accordance with the [new] thought.” I do not live at the mercy of fate, chance or circumstance. The thoughts I hold deeply in my heart produce what I actually demonstrate in my life. Here, again, is Ernest Holmes:

“That which thought has done, thought can un-do. Lifelong habits of wrong thinking can be consciously and deliberately neutralized, and an entirely new order of mental and emotional reaction established in Mind.”

‑ Ernest Holmes, The Science Of Mind

All Thought Is Influential

I attend a fabulous church in West Sacramento, California – The Center For Spiritual Awareness. One of the things I hear often at CSA goes like this: “As soon as I walked into this building, I knew there was something different here.” Or “When I entered the sanctuary, I felt at home.” This is a demonstration of the influence of thought. Consider what happens in this church: praise and worship, the teaching and receiving of positive principles of truth, prayer, demonstrations of individual passion, commitment and purpose, recovery, healing. All these things begin with thought, and this thought infuses the very spiritual atmosphere of my church.

The word, “influence” literally means “to flow into.” The world of duality would have me believe that thoughts reside only in my head, not outside of me. The universe of oneness demonstrates that this is an illusion. My thoughts are not contained within my skull. Thought flows from me into the universe. It touches everything, and it influences everything.

In 1961 Edward Lorenz, a professor of meteorology at M.I.T., described how an infinitesimal change in only one of dozens of atmospheric factors can drastically alter the weather weeks and months away. In his writing, he used the analogy of the flap of a butterfly’s wing in Brazil setting off a tornado in Texas. This idea has been dubbed, “The Butterfly Effect,” and this analogy can be applied to thought. One of my coaching friends once said to me, “If you think the thoughts that flow through your mind, and that you hold within your subconscious do not have influence, think again.” All thought is creative and influential. So become vigilant about what you think.

While the thoughts I think are creative within my experience, my thinking does not create your experience. However, my thoughts do have influence; as do yours. The sum of all thought generated within a culture, a country, a race is could be called “human human race consciousness,” and it is a powerful influence. The sum of all the thoughts that we collectively bring with us to church, to work or to our homes, creates an “atmosphere” that is very powerful.

The Drift

The influence of human race consciousness and our personal history I call “the drift.” Being in the world, I am standing in the flow of thought that moves through this culture and from my past. But I am always at choice in my thinking. I can go along with the flow ‑ the drift – or I can purposefully choose to think differently. If I go with the drift, I float passively along, perhaps turning this way or that, but always with the drift, going where it takes me. However, if I choose to inhabit my life in a different way, choosing my own destination, I experience the oppositional power of the drift. Think of crossing a fast-flowing creek. The deeper the water is, the more difficult it is to move across or even stand against “the drift” of the creek. I have been knocked off my feet by the pressure of the current.

Standing against the drift takes practice and support. I practice working with my own consciousness through self-observation, affirmations, affirmative prayer, study, and participating in community. I adopt a new outlook in my life; I reinforce that outlook and begin to speak from it. I begin to consciously create the life I desire. Yet, always the drift is there, urging me to go with the flow. If I stay conscious, observing my thoughts, words and reactions, and without judging them, I can maintain my footing, and keep moving forward. If I don’t, I can catch myself, and make the choice to get back on my feet.

I find the support I need to stand against the drift in my CSA and coaching communities. Immersing myself in the atmosphere of life-affirming thought which provides me support in making the changes in my thinking, creating the experience I desire. How?

1. By giving me some relief from the drift. It requires mental stamina to stay focused and in alignment with the thoughts I have chosen to create my life anew, when everything around me is saying something different. This community can give me rest.
2. By the influence of the consciousness of these communities. If all thought is influential, the atmosphere of positive thought at church and with my fellow coaches has a big influence. Availing my self of the powerful consciousness of this community, my thinking is invigorated and enhanced.

In Conclusion

The life I am experiencing in this moment is the effect of my life of thought. It is encouraging to know that positive thought is far more powerful than negative thought. Using these principles, it will not take the rest of my life to have the life I deeply desire. I have found that it is never too late unless I declare it so.

Positive and negative thinking are merely two ways of using the same mind through the power of self-choice. Positive thinking is direct and affirmative, sure of itself and moving straight toward its objective. Light is a positive principle, as it were, and when set in operation, the negative condition of darkness is instantly overcome.

‑ Ernest Holmes, The Science Of Mind

The drift is not an evil entity. It is simply a river of thought. That’s all. And it challenges me. In this way, it can be a positive aspect of my spiritual growth. Remember, the power of a thought to create is determined by the emotional energy and commitment to the idea that the thinker places behind the thought. Oppositional force can help me become strong in will and resolve, increasing the creative power and influence of my thought. Coming in from the drift, into a place of praise, love and encouragement can lift my emotional energy behind my chosen thoughts.

The author Margaret Wheatley says: “Life is an experiment to discover what is possible.” In an experiment, no result is ever “wrong,” it is just more information from which one learns. Be gentle with yourself on this journey. There is nothing wrong with you. Learn from your life. Learn ceaselessly from your creations. As you gain more information from your life, you can adjust and fine tune your thinking. The very life you are now living is the wise and truthful mentor you have been looking for.

I Am Content

This year,  I have experienced contentment for the first time in my life. I’ve been happy. I’ve been enthusiastic and excited. I’ve been in love and peaceful and joyful. But contentment was not among my experiences until this year.

I even looked the word up to make sure this was the right word for what I was experiencing. The dictionary said “content” means “satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.” Yep. That’s it. I have never been satisfied with what I have; I have never not wanted more. But today, I am content.

I run in circles that talk about abundance, and how to get more out of life and following my passion or my bliss or my longing. All of it is fabulous. But contentment, for me, is better.

I had a bit of a hard time with this at first. Contentment was simply off my emotional map. I could talk about it, even pretend that I had it, but when it came, I wasn’t sure how to navigate the experience of it. Does that sound odd? It does to me too. But then I remember how driven I have been in my life.

In the year 2000 I entered into what might be called my “mid-life crisis.” I lost my job that I really liked. Got a new job I didn’t. Divorce. Debt. Addiction. I gave up the first house I ever bought. All of this brought me down to bottom, several times. But I started taking a look at my life.

This wasn’t the first time I had examined my life, but it was the first time I ever did it with some humility. I had learned to play the victim with finesse. I was real good at it because I knew that I was a victim. But I was brought up short one day after a talk with my therapist. I realized that - out of all the things that have happened in my life, out of all the relationships, out of all the times I felt I had been wronged or overlooked - out of all those experiences I was the only common denominator.

This was uncomfortable, but there was something in this idea that felt powerful. As I looked back over my life I saw how I had always been on the hunt. I was always looking for something that I could never quite identify, because any time I got what thought I wanted, it never turned out to be what fulfilled the need. During one period (of about twenty years), I moved (family and all) about that same number of times. I spent money I didn’t have. I never got the recognition at work or in ministry I felt I deserved through all my efforts. I wanted something. My life was consumed with wanting anything until I found it.

I can’t tell what my secret for getting contentment is. I don’t have one, and I’m not sure there is a follow-the-dots kind of secret to getting there. I’m not even sure that contentment is something one “gets.” Like I said before, “content” wasn’t on my emotional map, and I never had the thought, “Contentment! That’s what I want! I’m going to affirm and work my way there.” One day while sitting in my backyard with my wife, Sandora, drinking a cold Bud Light, I looked at her and said, “I am content.” When I said it, I was filled with gratitude for knowing this. I had never put a word to this experience I had been having until now.

For me, contentment is about my soul that I have nurtured and heard, and how my soul fills my heart and mind with love. Before Sandora, I don’t think I knew what love was. With her, it seemed like all these hollow places were being touched and filled. Also, she is an open recipient to the love I extended to her, and that, I found, filled me as well.

I have a new way of being around giving and receiving. For me, giving is an act of surrender, of giving over to the hands of a loving universe what I seem to possess. The receiving part was the big awakening for me. Receiving is not about getting. Getting requires work. Receiving requires grace. If giving is about surrender, then receiving is about allowing.

I’ve worked plenty hard to get what I thought I wanted. But it was not until I gave up the work - the struggle, the effort, the striving - that I could experience allowing. I don’t mean that I have stopped going to work, or to church, or that I just sit around waiting for money to materialize. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have a goal, or a vision, or a plan. I just know that contentment is not found through these aspects of living. I still want to do my workshops, my coaching, my ministry. I still want to go camping, and enjoy friends’ company, and cook a nice meal. But I don’t need any of this. My “wanting” has no drivenness in it. It is simple, pure desire that helps me experience more grace, newness and fulfillment. All I do is allow it to occur with no need for it to occur.

I think I began feeling content when I made a decision to stay in the home we now live in. This will be the place Sandora and I live the rest of our lives. It felt very different to make such a decision because wanting to move on to the next thing or the next place was “in my blood.” But I began to settle into it. We started doing things together around the house that made it more comfortable, and pleasant. We cleaned out rooms and the garage, and got rid of a lot of belongings. We have completely changed the look of our backyard. It used to be a square patch of lawn. Now it is becoming a sunny and shady garden sanctuary. We grow our vegetables, and just get so excited when they first pop up out of the ground, and get bigger and bigger, and when we harvest them, and eat them.

Now all of this may sound like a lot of work, and it is. But I do not work to be content anymore. My work is an expression of it, and that is a huge distinction.

Sure, there are days that this contentment seems to evaporate.  I can get caught up in the struggle and toil. I have a way of looking at this that has really helped. The struggle, the anxiety, the upsets - all these are clouds passing through my experience of life. Clouds always move. They are simply blown away. The sun always is there. I don’t have to do anything. And I certainly don’t have to identify with the clouds.

My brother, Douglas, gave me a poem back during the time that I was on my way to the bottom. “The Truelove,” by David Whyte, has been with me all along. It has been a rudder for me in my travels through this life, to this contentment. I offer it to you.

The Truelove

By David Whyte

There is a faith in loving fiercely

the one who is rightfully yours,

especially if you have

waited years and especially

if part of you never believed

you could deserve this

loved and beckoning hand

held out to you this way.

I am thinking of faith now

and the testaments of loneliness

and what we feel we are

worthy of in this world.

Years ago in the Hebrides

I remember an old man

who walked every morning

on gray stones

to the shore of baying seals,

who would press his hat

to his chest in the blustering

salt wind and say his prayer

to the turbulent Jesus

hidden in the water,

and I think of the story

of the storm and everyone

waking and seeing

the distant

yet familiar figure

far across the water

calling to them,

and how we are all

preparing for that

abrupt waking,

and that calling,

and that moment

we have to say yes,

except it will

not come so grandly,

so Biblically,

but more subtly

and intimately in the face

of the one you know

you have to love,

so that when

we finally step out of the boat

toward them, we find

everything holds

us, and everything confirms

our courage, and if you wanted

to drown you could,

but you don’t

because finally

after all this struggle

and all these years,

you don’t want to any more,

you’ve simply had enough

of drowning,

and you want to live and you

want to love and you will

walk across any territory

and any darkness,

however fluid and however

dangerous, to take the

one hand you know

belongs in yours.

The House Of Belonging, by David Whyte. 1996, Many Rivers Press.