It’s important to consider how the spirit of God touches us and makes itself known. There is a first step, and that is to be open, to reach out in our purity and innocence, to ask and to remember that God is listening and watching. The answer is in our midst, and if we’re denying or avoiding it, perhaps we’re allowed to play the fool for a while. Thank God we’re not allowed to be foolish forever. At some point something comes along even to the hardest of hearts, to the one who is most lost, most forsaken, and it still has mercy, it still has grace. It’s important that we remember that in our dealings with one another.

I like to tell the part of the Jesus story that involves the disciples asking about the commandment: To love the Lord thy God with all thy body, mind and spirit. What does that mean? Where is the Lord, what is the God? I haven’t found any other answer then “everything.” So the way we treat anything and everything, and anyone and everyone, is quite meaningful.

Recently a translation came my way of a very old Aramaic version of the Bible, and it explained that the Aramaic word “neighbor” means “everyone.” It doesn’t mean just the person next to you or next door, or the one you borrow sugar from. It really means everyone. So consider that responsibility to love everyone. How would we do it if not everyone is likable? Not everyone is fair. Not everyone is kind. And I find that in my life, again and again, there’s a reminder to have compassion.

This is a season where we are often taken by the giving. Perhaps the taking is in how much I have to give and why I give things. It seems like I give things and people don’t always appreciate them, or they don’t even like them and I have been caught up in the hypnotism of those that are making all the money off this exercise. But there’s an opportunity to give from that spirit of giving that simply loves someone, and that does something very precious.

There’s another kind of giving that’s forgiving. And that we could consider at this time, and certainly all the time. Right now, as we open ourselves up with the opportunity to love one another and to share in the giving with one another, is there someone that you would consider unforgivable? Who comes to mind? If you find you cannot muster the strength to do the forgiving, ask the Lord of forgiveness, that power of God that has mercy on everything and all its creation. Ask that one to assist, to open your heart, to let that flow from you so that you would not deny that mercy and grace to anyone.

I like to remind people who have difficulty with forgiving that there is something selfish about it. It is a way to your own healing. If you’re not so well, if you’re not so happy, if there’s something bothering you, forgiveness can be a great way to nurture you and to take care of what ails you. It’s been found by many that as we forgive, miracles happen. And if those of us who are here in the flesh were to consider what’s going on in the world and how we are treating one another, we would find that we’re not always forgiving. We’re not always letting go, we’re not always giving somebody the benefit rather than the doubt, or worse.

I’m going to do an exercise in forgiveness. I would like you to join me and we’ll just put that out for ourselves, for those who we have close to us, certainly our family and our neighbors, and even those we don’t know. Dear Lord, we ask that you visit into our heart, that you bring to us our awareness of whatever we hold in judgment, and especially whoever we would hold in judgment. We ask that you lead us in forgiveness and teach us what we must do. And as we understand you show us we are to let go and be open to your mercy. We ask for our judgments to be bathed within us so we are merciful towards ourselves, that each one of us lets go of any judgment to find we are cleansed of harshness and bitterness. We especially ask that you move into what we have forgotten, into our past actions, and that you clean up and clear the transgressions that we bring to you.

As we know we must trust you, we also allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and to have a sense that as we let go, we also give up control. Since there’s no threat to us in our life, we realize control is a fantasy, not a reality. And we also have a greater knowing of the preciousness of each moment and each situation, so that we can be kind and compassionate even toward our car, or anything else that bedraggles us or disturbs us. You are teaching us in every way, especially those ways that we would tend to disregard and consider meaningless. Lift us up in those ways, showing us that we are to be Light-filled, that we are to radiate your joy. And this can go out to all so there is a celebration with all people, and everywhere in our presence.

We also ask you to bless the place in which we dwell, first in our own consciousness. If we find a sense of shame about what we have made of our creativity in this world we welcome your understanding and compassion. We welcome your immaculate and brilliant presence that renews and restores your indwelling place within us. For as we dwell on this earth, this place we would call home at this time, we ask that your energy and consciousness remains indwelling, that you are welcomed, that we fully receive you with gladness, as an honored guest. And with that honor we also bestow upon you the best that we have to give. And when you depart from us we bid you well, we ask for God’s blessings to go with you. We consider how we may follow you to learn and serve in your Way that is full Light and Truth. And we see now that we freely extend these blessings unto others as they are freely extended unto us. We experience healing, we experience your presence, support and nurturing, and we understand that we have a lot to learn. Our humbleness is a great guide.

Thank you for the children and for showing us again and again that we all are beloved children of God. Come again and again into our midst and remind us of our innocence and our purity that lead us in the ways that we are to become like you. We are all children returning to our rightful place in your loving embrace and in your peace for all.
Baruch Bashan