9-11, A Time to Remember: One People, One Planet.

This Sunday marks the 10th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country.  The airwaves and blogs will be filled with Patriotic and touching tributes, memorials and remembrances of a very painful chapter in our history.

No doubt the men and women who lost their lives should be remembered and honored.  The brave men and women who put themselves in harms way to help in the rescue efforts serve as powerful reminders of the courage and compassion that is the human Spirit.  We will gather together with our friends, families, co-workers and faith communities to reflect and remember where we were on that fateful morning.  All of this is as it should be - and as you gather together in this reflective time, I ask of you to do more than just reflect, morn and pay tribute from an American point of view....

I ask that you become Global Citizens this weekend.  Ambassadors of Peace, Reconciliation and Oneness.  I ask that you join me in becoming a point of consciousness that remembers and reflects upon the greater wholeness of the human family.

You can begin this sacred duty by recalling the greater vibration of September 11th.  You see, this day has a much longer history than the last 10 years.  And this longer history is anchored in a global call to Peace, Unity and Nonviolence.

Let's begin in 1893, on hundred and 18 years ago... Chicago, IL, USA.  The World's Fair was taking place in Chicago - a global exposition on culture, modern technology, commerce and religion.  It was a first of many... the Farris Wheel was introduced, along with the hamburger, picture postcards, florescent lights, Quaker Oats, Cream of Wheat, moving walkways and so much more.  The fair ran from May through October 1893.   It was also the first gathering of World Religion Leaders in the first ever  Parliament of World Religions.  The closing day of the Parliament was September 11, 1893  and the final speaker was Swami Vivekananda.  He was the first Yogi from the far East to visit American and teach...

Swami Vivekananda’s message
on September 11, 1893: 

"Sisters and Brothers of America. [At this moment came a three minute standing ovation from the audience of 7,000] It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us.....

"Sectarianism, bigotry, and it's horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.

"But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal." 

 And so from the East we received a message of Peace and Global Oneness on September 11, 1893 - here on American soil.  


Then, on September 11, 1906, 3,000 people, mostly Indians, packed the old Empire Theater in Johannesburg, South Africa. They came to protest a draft of the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance that would require that every Indian over the age of 8 be fingerprinted and carry a registration card. Moreover, the law stipulated that the police could enter the home of any Indian at their discretion and fine, imprison or even deport those found without proper identification.

"It is not at all impossible that we might have to endure every hardship that we can imagine without resorting to violence, Gandhi warned. The crowd sat in solemn silence. While "everyone must only search his own heart" about taking the vow, Gandhi announced that there was only one course open to him: "I can boldly declare, and with certainty that so long as there is even a handful of men true to their pledge, there can be one end to the struggle, and that is victory." 

Awestruck by the eloquence and power of Gandhi's words, all present in the theater that fateful afternoon stood together with their hands raised and took an oath of nonviolent resistance.   With this, the Nonviolence Movement began...on September 11, 1906.  Some fifty years later this is the movement that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would use to empower the Civil Rights movement in America. 

So long before September 11, 2001 - the day had reason to be remembered and honored...as a day of Peace, Nonviolence and as a call for Global Unity and Reconciliation.  Now as we turn our attention to the 10h Anniversary, let us use this opportunity to reawaken this call to Global Unity.

Let our prayers be not just for our troops, women, children and lives lost - but for all lives affected by this tragic manifestation of "us and them" consciousness.  Let us be the bridge to greater understanding of our fellow beings that we share this sacred planet with.  Let us be the ones to tear down the towers of Us and Them - and rebuild on a foundation of Oneness.  Let us use this sacred time to reawaken the call to create a world that works for everyone.   A world that has no need to defend or attack, because in "the other" we only see ourselves.  Let us remember that we are One People, Living on One Planet.   Lord hear our prayer.  Amen.

New Thought - This is our moment!

In 1959 Ernest Holmes made his last address to the Religious Science movement at Asilomar - now famously known as the "Sermon by the Sea" - The words of that address have rippled deep in to the heart of many in the movement, as a source of inspiration, aspiration and vision. Among the often quoted lines of this address is this line;

"It would be great indeed if a group of people would come to this earth who could stand for something and against nothing...."

Many like me have spent many a long meditation on just that line alone - what does that mean, and how do you go about doing such a thing? Our collective consciousness has grown a lot since 1959. We've seen the launch of the Association for Global New Thought - and its many great projects and initiatives like the annual Season for Nonviolence, a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.

And so here we are, in the early days of this year's season - and we have an uprising in Egypt dominating the news coverage. Now, having some strife, war and chaos during the season is certainly not new - guns have not ceased to fire during this 64 day period. But what is unique about this global headline - is that it began in PEACE. The people of Egypt marched and gathered in PEACE and Nonviolence to affect change in their country. In turn - they were attacked, by the very President that tried to tell the world that he was beloved and the "protesters" were rebel trouble makers. In fact, they had made no trouble, started no violence. The President sent his own police forces, in plane clothing, into the streets to attack and instigate violence, first on the citizens, then on the media for telling the story. Remarkably - on Friday, a day of prayer, the people of Egypt returned to PEACEFUL walks and sit-ins. You can turn to many sources for reporting - I've found that Rachel Maddow on MSNBC is doing some of the best you can find.

And so, my message is simple - this is our time New Thought! Time to apply the meaning of Standing for Something - and against No-Thing. Time to Stand for Peace - and Stand with the People of Egypt. Nonviolence is the only way forward in this conflict. We can support that happening by invoking the spirit of Gandhi, King, Chavez and others - AND by encouraging the people of Egypt to continue to stand for peace and nonviolence.

Within United Centers for Spiritual Living - we are guided by a "Global Heart Vision" . One of our esteemed ministers, adapted the vision for this critical time in Egypt - We are now inviting you - to read, meditate on and share this vision and prayer - post it on facebook, email it to you contacts - and watch for youtube versions from our spiritual centers very soon. This is what Standing for Something looks like - there is nothing to stand against - we include President Mubarak in our prayers - there are many ways for the people and the government of Egypt to move forward - ours is not to take sides on how that may or may not look - but simply that the call for Peace and transformation from the people will be heard.

Join us as together we vision and affirm:

We see Egypt free of homelessness, violence, war, hunger, separation and disenfranchisement.

We see Egypt, a country in which there is generous and continuous sharing of heart and resources.

We envision Egypt as a place in which forgiveness, whether for errors, injustices, or debts, is the norm.

We embrace a vision in which Egypt has renewed its emphasis on beauty, nature, and love through the resurgence of creativity, art, and aesthetics.

We see Egypt as a place in which fellowship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.

We envision Egypt as being an example of a place in which we live and grow as One Global Family, a place where there is respect and honor for the interconnectedness of all life.

We envision Egypt as being as a bridge across the illness and illusion of separation thereby dynamically empowering spiritual life.

We envision Egypt as being actuated by this compelling vision of her spiritual wellbeing.

We see Egypt as a global community of inspired individuals caring for and about each other and the entire planetary family, thereby bringing the gift of active compassion and kindness to the world.

We see the leaders of Egypt as “points of inspiration and influence” effectively advancing the vision of a world that works for everyone.

and so it is.