I am YOU

I am Trayvon Martin. I am George Zimmerman.

And this is what matters!

This is one possible response to the loss of one of our spiritual family.

By Reverend Michelle Wadleigh

There is a place beyond right and wrong. There is a place beyond opinion. There is a place where love reigns overall. Are you the house of this love, beyond right and wrong, beyond opinion? Are you a place where peace surpasses all things?

A tragedy happened–AGAIN. Another event, affirming the limitations of our collective consciousness, of our race consciousness, of the belief in pain and suffering of US AND THEM. For as long as we believe in separation, until we accept all aspects of our being, the world at large will reflect the limitations of our consciousness.

We are the problem. We are  the collective world consciousness; the microcosm to the macrocosm of world events.

What YOU, what I do next, is what matters! The next thought we have about the tragedy of the death of this seventeen-year-old, son of ours, Trayvon Martin. The next opinion we formulate about our spiritual brother, George Zimmerman, is what matters. Here is one fact that many will not agree with, but one that we cannot change. NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED–not objectively. But we do know that the lives of two individuals ended on that day, and the lives of their families, friends, and neighbors have been touched forever.

Who you are right now, what you do next, how you tell this story, how you hold it in your heart, is what matters now! If you can resist, don’t let the temptation of right, wrong, sin, racism, suffering, victimhood to get your attention. Resist the temptation to be anything other than LOVE, PEACE, POISE, COMPASSION and TRANQUILITY. After all, I am not white, black, male, female, right, wrong, tall or short. I am that which gives life to those things. I am the creation of the Creator, the ONE.

If we can lay down this foundation of Truth, there will be a greater possibility of stopping the momentum of hatred, the practice of racism, and the identification of victim. Let us not join the ranks of those who would join this consciousness of victim. Let us stand aside, stand higher, and stand in Love, especially because, in the end, compensation is in the hands of God. No one gets away with anything, even when it appears to be so. Not you, not me, not George Zimmerman. No one can live outside of his or her consciousness and the effects of personal behavior and the choices made. NO ONE.

Let’s know this truth, together: Love is our very identity. Love heals and reveals, and as we each lean into Love, it has its way with us. Let us embrace the Trayvon and George of us; the white and black of us, and the love and fear of us. Let us allow our spirits to ascend to the highest possible place, and see from that point of view that is above all else, unattached to human opinion, judgment, and any desire to find wrong. We recognize that all involved suffer in this tragedy, even if they don’t know that. Let us be the foundation of love that is neutral and available to all. We hold in our hearts the hearts of the families of the Martins and the Zimmermans and their community.  Together we let love Reign over all of these proceedings and find Peace above all else.

And so it is!

Can't we all just get along

            As they all got into my car (they being four sweaty, excited and fun-loving teenagers), a conversation ensued, which was appropriate to the season but definitely challenging to my son. The question and following conversation began with: “What did you give up for Lent?”  The words struck a reaction in me and immediately I knew that I would have to run interference on my son’s behalf who has learned–at least it seems real–that it is not safe to be too different with certain things while living in Small Town, USA.

             The last time he ventured off into sharing about his religion and beliefs, his friend never let him forget it and for the longest time he offered commentary while they would be in group gatherings with their friends. So run interference I did and glad of it because after he knew that I was there for him and he felt safe, that is when he shared the story with me about his friend, which I never knew until last night. Knowing this explains a lot of his reactions to me. Now I get it. Now I can reflect back and make sense of other conversations that were avoided, or of comments and denials that were made. Now I get it.

I can remember that from my youth also: growing up in a mostly Irish/Italian/Catholic town, being religiously different, believing in an inner and everywhere present God was not welcomed and definitely caused separation. There are a lot of things that one does not get invited to when you are not part of the crowd. Thank God for bar mitzvahs or Seth wouldn’t go to anything spiritually related with his friends.

I must say though, it is a sad day when our children are not welcome to be different, to be who they are, to stand slightly off to the right of something. What a missed opportunity for others who don’t feel  safe enough to have a conversation or inquiry that shows true curiosity and interest in another. Have we as a global society not grown past feeling threatened when someone is different? The richness of our practice is being missed as we lend ourselves to avoiding conversations.

In April, I am performing a wedding ceremony for a young couple: the wife-to-be was brought up Catholic and the husband-to-be didn’t have a huge religious influence. I am so totally delighted to perform this wedding because I have known the groom since before he could walk but this is how the conversation went. And mind you, I will be speaking to this with them. I’ve been invited to perform at the party BUT they will be getting married by the priest the night before because the family wanted to see them get married “in the eyes of God.” WOW. At what point did I cease representing the spiritual side of marriage? Now, I understand and have no energy about this personally but some education is definitely called for here.

I look forward to the day when those of us who practice any religion or spiritual practice outside of the accepted Christian Judaic religion are asked to the table, welcomed to the table or proudly setting our own table to which we will invite in ALL OTHERS. I look forward to the day when we measure someone by their actions and not by the sacred text that they carry if they carry one. I look forward to experiencing all people as my extended spiritual family─ even when I don’t agree with them.  Join me in this dream, won’t you?  Join me in dreaming, peace, poise and possibility. Let’s walk hand in hand in love, in grace in God/Good/Beauty/Spirit/Life.