On Tuesday, April 16th, the Brentwood Ballroom in Santa Monica, CA, was filled with the lively buzz of friendly faces. These monthly Q&A evenings with John Morton, which are also broadcast live on the Internet worldwide, have become quite the phenomenon, and there were lots of new faces in the ballroom. NOW Productions was on hand to broadcast the evening, with their usual excellence.
Once again, Candy Semigran emceed the evening. Checking in from all over the globe were listeners in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela, and several of the United States including Alaska. Candy stated that tonight’s broadcast was sponsored by The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), an ecumenical, non-denominational church that teaches Soul Transcendence, becoming aware of yourself as a Soul and as one with God. After invoking the Light, Candy asked us all to find a place of peace within ourselves, and to extend that peace all around the planet, wherever it was needed.
Then MSIA’s own Bob Tackney sang his original song, “Living in the Traveler’s Love”, and asked us to sing along, as he gently strummed his guitar.
By way of introduction, Candy gave thanks to John-Roger and John Morton for these monthly Internet Broadcasts. She added that, in her perception, MSIA’s most valuable teaching is how to walk through this world while maintaining the peace inside of us. She described John Morton as an author, a global traveler, a teacher, as well as a father, and a peacemaker who lives what he teaches, putting his body on the line.
John opened his remarks by thanking us all for showing up, and told a story about taking final exams at the University of California at Davis, which somehow led to tonight. It was an enjoyable story about showing up, especially showing up in the right place at the right time.
On the way to this evening’s seminar, John had been listening to a radio discussion about crises, and was reminded that the Institute for Individual and World Peace (I IWP) has been, for several years, presenting a workshop called The Process Towards Peace. Through the “Process Toward Peace,” they had discovered that awareness, intention and willingness will bring Peace.
John described the symptoms of Againstness: withholding, mis-communicating, inaccurate communication, confusion, mistrust, all of which lead to a closed state. When we are acting toward Peace, we participate, communicate, honor, forgive, forget, let go, understand, and we are in an open state. He suggested we seek understanding, and that IIWP is set up to study ways toward Peace.
Then John shared a letter sent to him. John received the letter in response to his request for personal experiences of blessings. The letter came from a woman who was facing her second round with cancer, and was looking for answers. She said she began to share her experiences with friends and family, in an open, honest way. She started to “partner” with her doctors, in mutual respect. And through hospital stays, and months of radiation and chemotherapy, her inner thoughts were of God. She said she came close to dying many times, but she had rapture in her heart. She experienced pure joy and love, accepting that she is divine, and that God’s Light shines through her. She was in the laughter and the joy of death, having had the choice of dying. She felt she had to come back and tell everyone this message: We are always loved, held in the arms of the Traveler, all the time. She experienced the divine gift of loving service, through hospital staff, family, friends, and ministers. It was God giving to God. She was moved to remember the presence of Spirit in all we say or do.
Then the Questions began. From a young man, age 11, the first question was: What can I tell my father if he is not being kind, and it is causing him a health problem? John responded, “Just say, ‘That’s okay, Dad. I understand. Let me know if I can assist you in any way.'”
Other questions included: How can we get more involved in this adventure called Spirit? How can we tell the difference between resisting what’s working, and when it’s really not working? How can we give ourselves more support when things “out there” aren’t going the way we want them to? How did an “out of balance” situation escalate into rage, and what can we do about it next time? How can we confront negativity? How can we be content with what we have, without always wanting more? Why did God invent the universe, karma, etc.? Is there any way Spirit can decide which parent a child will go with, in the middle of divorce? How can we discern the different voices inside of us?
A 9-year-old boy asked: How can I build a “Light Wall” between me and someone else? (Answer: With Light bricks and Light mortar!) Further questions involved: How can we bring peace into our dreams, and what can we do to avoid nightmares? What is going on in the middle East? What can we do to disengage from turmoil and violence there?
John answered each question thoroughly, compassionately, and with sweet grace and humor. You can listen to or watch the entire broadcast online at http://www.msia.org/live/archives.php
John ended his portion of the evening with a short prayer, said in humor and great loving: “God help these people.”
Elizabeth Loggins closed the evening with the first verse of “Amazing Grace” sang acapella. And then there were treats and coffee and tea.
