Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"Something opens our wings.
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us.
We taste only sacredness."

- Rumi, Sufi poet

Rumi was talking about Staying Open. Open to transformation; to Fearlessness; to Trust. It’s the way to fully experience Life, and Life’s possibilities.

I don’t think it makes any difference as to “What” we are open. “Something” is good enough. I definitely believe in the “Something”. And we can call that what we will.

I know that the “Something” is the core of the Mystery of Being. You can call it “God”. You can call it “Nature”. Whatever. Put this instinctual Knowing together with the human brain and heart, and you have “Sacredness” - that’s as good a word as any ………. actually, a beautiful, eloquent Word. And is it any wonder that the Bible (John’s Gospel, to be specific) identifies that Word as Jesus. After all, “John” flowed out from a community led by and steeped in a Mystic Mind. I sensed that Mystic Mind when I sat in the cave on Patmos where metaphorically the Gospel was “written”. Nothing is more characteristic of the power of the human Mind than to wield the Imagination in the cause of Truth.

Rumi is right. We must Stay Open. It is not easy. There are tremendous forces working against Openness. Here, I think, is why Community is important. On our own, it is difficult to Stay Open. Too many connections demand our loyalty, to the detriment of Openness. And rightly so, for we have legitimate bonds of love requiring our commitment. Openness is enabled by Community, specifically Community in which all share commitments to the essential principles of Being Fully Human.

Therefore, choose or build your Community carefully. Many Communities foster closed-ness, fear, control, narrowness, suspicion. Including many “churches” and “religions”. Choose Community that values and encourages the fullest respect for “going deep”, and for the wondrous diversity of being Human.

Brian+