Multi-faith Seder: Building Bridges with Ceremony

On Tuesday, April 19, I traveled to Stony Point Center with my pastor, Cynthia, and two other church friends, to take part in a Passover Freedom Seder. Stony Point is a retreat center owned by the United Presybyterian Church, but is also home to a growing interfaith community. At the Seder, Christians, Jews, and Muslims shared symbolic foods, prayers, song and dance. While the food was traditional, the message was not.

The focus of the Freedom Seder was on peace and non-violence. The traditional Seder includes a recitation of the plagues that were perpetrated on the Egyptians to force the Pharaoh to free the people of Israel. In this interfaith Seder, one participant read: “I love reciting the plagues! Blood, frogs, lice, boils, wild beasts...”

But another reader interrupted: “STOP! We’re not reciting the traditional plaques anymore.” The reason given was: “…we do not want to perpetuate cycles of violence, nor be the cause of feelings of remorse, grief, or revenge. The only list of plagues we recite, are the ones that we, around this table, have a hand in causing.” Then a moving poem was read that laments the Palestinian experience of being removed from their homeland and forced to live under occupation. A prayer followed, asking for an end to military occupations around the world. This can happen when enough people of goodwill want it to happen. When people lay down their weapons and celebrate the joy of peace between all sectors of humanity, no matter what their nationality, race, or religious background may be.

As the Seder continued, there was much feasting and joyful celebration among the participants who represented all generations as well as several religious faiths. The traditional Passover meal celebrates the time that the hand of God passed over the homes of the Israelites, sparing them from the plagues that were sent to destroy many of the Egyptians who enslaved them. In metaphysics, the Israelites symbolize "our spiritual thoughts; the thoughts that pertain to the real and enduring ideas upon which humanity and the universe are founded" (Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, p. 305). Metaphyscially, the Egyptians represent "thoughts that pertain to the subjective consciousness in its unawakened state" (MBD, p. 184). We celebrate when our spiritual thoughts lift us to a harmonious existence with our brothers and sisters of the world. And we celebrate when our divine-consciousness destroys those negative and fearful thoughts that plague us and create disharmony in the world.

The true Passover will then bring peace and goodwill to all people on earth. Shalom. Salam. Pax.

Easter: Bridge to Heaven on Earth

God's Light by Chris Lissandrello

It's Eastertide again, and every year at this time, I reassess what Easter means to me, since I've never been able to accept the traditional interpretation of the crucifixion and resurrection. Rather than reiterate the old explanation, that God sacrificed his only begotten son so that someone else could be punished for our sins, I have to reinterpret the events of Easter so that they make sense according to my faith in the God of Love and Eternal Forgiveness that Jesus introduced to the world.

I believe that as spiritual beings, we are all begotten children of God; that we were all One with divine consciousness from the very beginning. As co-creators with God we participated in the creation of biological life. Eventually we took on material form in the physical world, and as we fell further from divine consciousness into the depths of self-conscious materialsm, we forgot our true nature. This was our Fall and our separation from God. Thus began the ills of physical existence -- the conflicts between people who should have loved each other; the diseases, and painful deaths -- all stemming from the fear that is so much a part of this physical life.

Jesus was (one of?) the first to remember and reclaim his spiritual nature. He showed us the way to salvation from the pain and suffering of non-spiritual life: by loving ourselves, our neighbors, and our enemies; by having faith in the divine consciousness that creates the food and water our physical bodies need, and heals every sickness; and knowing that a return to faith will give us power over the elements of the earth, so that we might calm storms, walk on water, and move mountains. He was constantly rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith in their own ability to heal and perform the actions that appear as miracles to those who lack divine consciousness.

I believe that Jesus accepted death on the cross as the ultimate demonstration that we humans must let go of our attachment to physical life (and all of its horrors and fears) before we can enjoy eternal life in a spiritual body, such as the one he modeled three days later. Jesus told his followers: "You must be born again." His rebirth occurred when he returned in his resurrected body. As we learn to follow the way of Jesus, which is also the way of divine consciousness, we will "die" in the physical body that separates us from God, and be reborn, or transformed, into the spiritual beings that we truly are, as creatures made in God's image.

Paul speaks of this transformation in 1 Corinthians 15, where he writes:

51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
1 Corinthians 15:51-55 (New International Version)

Now we are all asleep, dreaming that the world we live in is the only world that exists. When we awake from the long sleep of ages, we will find that the knowledge of this life is imperfect; that we now "see in a mirror dimly." Now we know the truth Jesus taught in part -- when we awake we shall understand fully. Then we will understand that the greatest gift of all -- the one that will transform the old world into the new - is LOVE. (1 Corinthians 13)

Bridges all over the World

I like to keep track of the countries that my viewers come from, now up to 53. I wonder who these people are and what are their thoughts about achieving unity of spirit among all countries of the world. Some of my readers come from trouble spots: Iraq, Bahrain, Pakistan, South Korea  . . . .  Not that there isn't trouble everywhere in the world, but these nations and some others in particular are making headlines in the news these days. Seeing that people from these places are reading my blog reminds me that there are real individuals in those countries - they are not just the statistics we see in the newspaper.  My list of countries reminds me to send light and healing prayers to each nation where people are longing to live in peace and justice and willing to risk their lives toward that end.


Sometimes I think about the world, and how, at any one time, people are giving birth, people are dying, people are celebrating wonderful occasions, people are appreciating the beauty of the natural world, and people are suffering - from disease, famine, war, and other horrors. All of these experiences are part of life, and while I want very much to live in a world where only peace and beauty exist, I know that, at least for now, this is not a realistic dream.

Today my 18-year-old niece is having extensive surgery on a leg that was injured in a car accident Friday morning. She also broke her neck and her pelvis, but she survived the accident that killed a young man, and the driver has been arrested for DWI. This kind of tragedy may pale in comparison to  the crises in Japan and Libya, but it's the main focus of my prayers today because my love for my sister and her family is more tangible than my love for people I don't know.

Every member of the human family has burdens to bear, tragedies to endure, and losses to count. Some suffer more than others, but I don't think anyone is exempt. I believe that if human souls had wanted easy lives we would have stayed in the spiritual realm from whence we all come. We chose to come here in order to learn and grow through adversity, as well as to enjoy the material blessings of the physical world. I know my theology doesn't make sense to those who believe that our souls first came into being with this earthly life. However, the concept of choosing our life circumstances in order to grow makes sense to many, especially those who realize that life is not only eternal, but always evolving.

In these current times the hard lessons seem to be coming fast and furious. The positive side of this is that prayers and meditations for peace and healing are being sent out in greater force than ever before. More prayers create more light and love, and so the planet grows closer to being a place where peace prevails.

Seeing all of the countries from where my readers come lets me know that people everywhere are praying for oneness and looking for ways to build bridges with one another. I thank you all for being channels of blessings to our world.

Building Bridges to the Muslim World by Emily VanLaeys

The other night Mark and I attended a program at the Oneonta Unitarian Church called: "Understanding Islam: An Evening to Build Bridges." A lot of people in Oneonta and the surrounding area are interested in building bridges with people of other faiths, as proven by the excellent attendance at our annual Thanksgiving interfaith service and other events, such as this one. The attendance was so good for this dinner that people were seated at tables all over the building.

The halal meal (which abides by Muslim dietary rules) was hosted by the church’s Mali Task Force that sponsors 51 students at a private school in Mali, a West African country. The recipes were Pakistani in origin: delicious, and hot enough to clear out any sinus problems you might have had! The meal was shared by community members from many faith backgrounds, including special guests from Sidney Center’s Sufi community. 

After dinner we watched a film titled: “What a Billion Muslims Really Think.” You can see it online: http://floppingaces.net/2010/09/18/inside-islam-what-a-billion-muslims-really-think/. The movie is based on a Gallup survey of Muslims worldwide, and includes some interesting revelations such as: only 15% of the world’s Muslims are Arab, and only 7% of them support violent terrorist tactics. The movie was followed with a question and answer period, with answers provided by a local professor of world religions, and a member of the Sufi community. Participants agreed that this was a wonderful opportunity for members of different faiths to learn more about each other.

If only more Muslims and Christians/Unitarians/Jews had such an opportunity to break bread together and talk. So much of the misunderstanding between people of different faiths and cultures stems from misinformation which is difficult to sort out without honest and open communication. I recently befriended a Muslim woman from Saudi Arabia on Facebook. She is a member of a Facebook group called “Anti-Islamaphobia.” This group posts videos and quotes with the intention of clearing up misnomers about Islam, but someone in the group has the idea that disseminating misinformation about Christianity will help their cause. 

My new friend posted this image on her FB page:

I tried to explain to her that these ideas are taken out of context from some obscure Bible passages that no Christian follows literally. She asked for the scriptural references, which I hesitated to give her because she didn't seem to understand that these ideas, being thousands of years old, do not apply to anyone today. I did give her the scripture in which Jesus saved a woman from stoning by saying to her accusers: "He who is without sin may cast the first stone."

My Saudi friend uses an internet translator to translate my English into Arabic, and vice versa. The translations are poor, and so the language barrier adds a further challenge to the differences between our cultural and religious backgrounds. I really don't know if she understands what I have tried to explain: that Jesus came to replace the old biblical laws with the divine law of love and mercy. As my communication with this woman continued, I realized that her goal was to convince me that Islam is the only way to the kingdom of heaven. She assured me that Islam recognizes Moses and Jesus as true prophets, but that Mohammed is the best and the last. She also stated that Buddha was sent by Satan, so Buddhists are actually devil worshipers!
I wish that the Gallup survey had asked how many Muslims believe that theirs is the only path to God, because it is just such exclusive thinking that leads to discord between religions. 

On the same day that my Muslim friend wrote: ". . . to say and believe there is no god except Allah and Mohammed is his messenger -- this is the key of heaven and few want to get it," I also received a message from a fundamentalist Christian who warned: "ALL other religions are false and deceptive." Words like these lead to conflict and ill-will among God's children. 

Events such as the community halal meal foster goodwill among diverse peoples. But such events assume a basic attitude: that peace and goodwill among the world's people is our shared goal, and the goal of our God -- whether that God is called Allah, Jesus, or some other name. Do we fear the torment of hell after this life, as these two internet friends think we should, or do we want to be more loving in this life, in order to end the hell on earth that is caused by pride and self-righteousness? The people of the world cannot build bridges of peace and understanding unless we agree that they must be built.

Internet Bridges

The  'Friendship Visualisation' shows pairs of friends between the world's cities. 

               

                 The internet is helping humanity to build bridges all around the world at an incredible speed. Spiritual networks connect people who want to learn from each other and coordinate their efforts to pray for peace and visualize heaven on earth. People of different faiths are connecting to increase understanding and tolerance. My own little blog, “Building Bridges of Oneness,” has attracted viewers from 50 countries, from every continent except Antarctica.  (Do they have internet in Antarctica?) The internet is responsible for bringing together love matches between people who would never have met otherwise. One of my cousins (from New York) is happily married and living with his wife in Mexico – a lovely Mexican woman he met on the internet! Many of the couples that I have married in my work as a wedding celebrant met on the internet. Thanks to the internet I have made new friends all over the world, including a kindred spirit living in California, who I have yet to meet in person. 

                We have all seen how social networks, and Facebook in particular, have helped people to locate lost friends and relatives, and facilitate revolutions, such as the one in Egypt. Thanks to Facebook, I have just met a lost family member, the daughter of a cousin I never knew. This branch of my family was disinherited many years ago, after my Italian Catholic uncle had married a Jewish woman, and then they couldn't agree on the religion their sons would be raised in. Rather than seeing his sons raised as Jews, my uncle chose to leave them and their mother. This is an example of how religion prevents people from making decisions based on love, rather than doctrines or religious laws. 

                Now it is time to build bridges of reconciliation between the remaining members of this family which was torn apart by stubbornness and pride so long ago. Because of religious differences, two boys grew up without a father, deprived of the extended family that I took for granted all of my life. The young woman who contacted me on Facebook grew up believing that her father’s father had been murdered, when he had been living with a new family; the ones that I knew as my aunt and cousins. Is it a coincidence that one of her brothers bears the same name that was given to the half-brother her father never met? And her other brother shares the same name as my cousin who lives in Mexico! 

Of course I loved my aunt and uncle, and the cousins I knew when I was growing up. Many mistakes were made long ago, but past sins do not preclude one’s ability to love all those involved. I hope to learn more about my disowned cousins and their children, and perhaps even meet some of them. None of the cousins involved are responsible for the mistakes of their parents or grandparents. I really hope that they will realize this so that the half-siblings and their children can extend hands of friendship across the bridge of reconciliation. What a wonderful demonstration of Love this would be – a way to honor the One who is God of Catholicism and Judaism, and strengthen the bridge between these two religions.   

Sealing the Door where Evil Dwells

         

             Last night I attended the monthly meeting of a local group: the Mind, Body, Spirit Collective. This is a wonderful collection of light workers and energy healers that get together for a talk by a member of the group, a guided meditation, and a delightful potluck supper.  During last night's presentation we learned about the sacred meaning of words, which led one participant to point out the connection between the words Satan, Saturn, and Saturday. He said that Satan, being a fallen angel, cannot do anything without God’s knowledge and consent. The fear and evil that Satan generates is necessary so that we can fully appreciate the love and goodness that it contrasts with.

               

I am familiar with this explanation for the existence of evil, and I don’t disagree with it, but I spoke up last night and said: “Haven’t we experienced enough evil by now to know that we don’t need or want it anymore?”  I believe that humankind has known enough violence that at least some of us are capable of appreciating a peaceful existence for eternity. I know I am!  

           Following this meeting I went home and went to bed, where I experienced my usual sparkly peace and light-filled waking moments between periods of sleep.  I also had a vivid dream that echoed the experience of the evening’s gathering.

I was at a dreamtime meeting where the presenter announced that she was going to demonstrate a technique that allows people to experience their connection with every part of Creation. I had volunteered to be the subject of her demonstration. She told me that I would have some experiences that would feel very real even though they wouldn’t actually happen, so if I got scared at any point, I should let her know by tugging my ear lobes and wiggling my fingers in my ears.

                I then experienced different aspects of nature, the most vivid being the snow that I actually saw and felt falling all around and on me. I saw several wild animals, but none of them noticed me until one large lion came straight toward me, looking like it was going to attack.  I pulled on my ear lobes and wiggled my fingers in my ears. Immediately the lion turned into a smiling lion-man with obviously friendly intentions. The presenter told me that I could not touch him, but all my fear was gone.

                This dream confirms for me my belief that when we choose to experience love rather than fear – we will. And so it shall be: that those who choose love over fear will enter the new world that will be heaven on earth: a place where violence, evil, and fear have no place.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

from The Lord's Prayer

Let the Plan of Love and Light Work Out,
And May It Seal the Door Where Evil Dwells.

                                           Let Light, Love, and Power Restore the Plan on Earth.

 from The Great Invocation

Avalanche of Love! by Emily VanLaeys

I am participating in the Avalanche of Love this Valentine’s Day morning. I spent the first hour of the avalanche in meditation, feeling so much love, light, and joy for the world that tears brimmed in my eyes. I imagined the world as it will be when all of humanity has returned to Oneness in Love. I saw myself visiting every country of the world, each one beautiful with its unique culture, abundant with the joy of the peace and freedom that will come when all oppressors have disappeared with the passing of the temporal world.  In each country I will meet new friends, eat the food that they offer, listen to the stories that they tell, wear the clothes that they create, dance to the music that they play, worship the divine as they do, and drink in the beauty of the landscape that surrounds us. I will travel to each place on the wings of love, and all of my friends, new and old, will visit me just as easily!  I will serve them the best food I can imagine in the beautiful settings I will create just by thinking about them. Everyone will manifest what they think about, and we will think the most sublime thoughts because we will be so full of love and light and joy.

I am spending the second half of the Avalanche writing this, because I can only think and imagine for just so long before the thoughts insist on pouring themselves into words that I can share! There are 3,800 people around the world joining the archangels and light beings in this Avalanche of Love, filling ourselves with love and sending it out to drench the world in its glory. Unlike so many spiritual activities, the goal is not to seek enlightenment for ourselves; but to spread so much Love and Light throughout the world that more and more people will awaken to their true identity as children of Love, brothers and sisters of Creation, and wellsprings of Light. 

I have been corresponding with a spiritual seeker who has been struggling to overcome his self-absorption while hoping to achieve spiritual enlightenment. I have suggested that the secret to spiritual-growth may be not to seek it for oneself, but to seek it for the world. It is the ego that separates us from one another; creating conflict and unhappiness. Jesus said: "Those who want to save their life will lose it; and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." I'm sure he was not speaking about losing our physical bodies. But when we lose our ego attachment to our particular personality so that we can be One with Divine Love and Light, then we discover our true purpose as our Higher Self. 

Each Higher Self is connected to every other.  As my Higher Self, learning to hold more and more Light and Love, I am doing my part to create more of the same in every heart and every soul. As the hour-long Avalanche of Love ends, the world is holding more Love and Light than it did an hour ago! And this is just one of the many such events that are happening more often as humanity awakens to the divine plan: our return to Oneness and Love.

Blessings to all my dear readers.  Blessings, Love and Joy!