Tags
abundance, affirmation, challenge, dignity, God, grace, heaven, Jesus, love, Spirit, thinking, truth
One of my favorite lyricists, but maybe even one of my favorite theologians, is Oscar Hammerstein II. Mr. Hammerstein has taught us through so many of his words in great musical theatre works how we can live life and live it abundantly. Have a challenge facing us? He would teach us to climb every mountain the challenge has presented before us and to know that we can overcome these obstacles and find new life awaiting us on the other side. (The Sound of Music) Afraid that we are on our own as we live our lives and left to our own devices as we seek to move forward? He would remind us that “You’ll never walk alone,” that Spirit/God is with us each step we take, providing all that we need, just when we need it, to help us get through. (Carousel)
We see so much hate, distrust and abuse going on in our world. Turn on the news and you cannot escape it. Looking at other people and labeling them based on their sexuality, color of skin or country of birth is the worst form of destructive dual thinking. When we have to put other people down so that we can feel better about ourselves we have a serious problem.
All of God’s great creation are fashioned in love and mirror the essence of all that Spirit/God truly is, the unconditional loving, affirming and giving presence of strength, dignity and grace. What seems to be happening is that instead of seeing, really seeing, the truth of who one another are we see the illusion and the false persona of others based on the scenarios we have created in our minds of them by those who taught us to react in a negative way. When we do this we are seeing with dual thinking. They and us. We are also not seeing that which is truly in front of us, we are seeing what others would tell us we are seeing.
Mr. Hammerstein expressed this so beautifully in his song “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught,” from the musical South Pacific. We have allowed ourselves, and then perpetuated the myth, that those unlike what we believe ourselves to be are less than we are. We are taught to hate them, fear them, persecute them and rid them from our midst. We are taught this, this is not how we were born. We were born in perfection, each and every one of us. We have been tainted by false teaching from a very early age that not everyone was born that way.
Mr. Hammerstein asks us to examine our thinking, our beliefs, and so change the course of our prejudiced thinking. He would also invite us to do so before we find that it is too late.
There may always be those around us who would ask us to jump on their bandwagon and believe the lies, the fears, the hates they preach. But we must remain clear and steadfast in knowing these are indeed monstrous lies. With the help of Spirit/God showing us the way to true seeing and relationship we can learn to experience our walk as human beings on this earth with the thoughts of heaven. This is exactly what Jesus, our great teacher and way-shower did. He lived on earth with the thinking of heaven.
Just as we may have been taught one belief we can learn another. We can learn a greater truth that all humanity is precious and valuable to the well being of all. The truth will always overcome the lie and the light will always dispel the darkness.
Thank you, Mr. Hammerstein, that as I listened to your lyrics today I have been enriched and reminded that never walking alone, climbing over any challenge, and changing ones mind will change the world.
Affirmation: Releasing the old false teachings of yesterday opens the space to receive new truths for today. It’s a great way for each of us to do our bit toward changing the world.
Rev. Jefferson Beeker
http://jefferson340.wix.com/index
We live our lives one thought at a time. Let each of those thoughts really count for something wonderful.
Be prepared to change your thinking and change your life.
Follow me on Twitter @jeffersonbeeker for daily affirmations of uplifting and positive faith.