11/03/2020
I am paraphrasing a sermon I heard that helped me greatly. Hope it will help you too. I made this image to draw a picture of what I heard. Here it is: “In this moment, I have all that I need”.
"This moment right now poses no threat. There is nothing to fear right now in this very moment". You are surrounded by beauty you have all that you need. For most of us, the fear doesn’t reside in this moment of reality. It is somewhere out in the other three circles. Now I have to say that many people believe in something far greater than themselves- maybe the universe or divine love. So when we go to 4th circle, "oh right we are not the center of the universe”. On this fourth level of reality, everything is and will be fine. We are not all that important and that is okay. When we have cleared the first and fourth circles, then we can get down to where fear really lives. In our personal lives for sure. You wouldn't be afraid if you didn't love. Underneath fear is love. Fear tells us what we value and care about. Rather than being drained by the fear, go delight in what you value, cherish it, nurture it, protect it, relish in it! . Instead of fear, a passionate love for life. It’s the same in the 3rd circle of our experience--- that of our concerns for the wider world. Yep our fear definitely lives there too. Many of us have a lot of fear about the widespread suffering that is happening. You’re afraid because you love people, people you don't even know, and you don't want them to suffer. Because you love animals. Because you love ecosystems. That’s what’s under all the fear--all that love. It may be scarier to feel all that love than it is to feel the fear, but it is the key: to look under the fear and discover, rediscover, your big heart. To feel your big heart, and let all that love fuel your living.
Fear alerts us to a threat. Okay we are alerted. There is suffering in the world. Now fear is no longer helpful. Compassion, Love, is the fuel that will sustain us for the long and complex work ahead. To the compromise that needs to happen to build helpful policies. Not frantic fear, not reactive fear, not fear that shuts us down and leads us to distract and anesthesia in our sense of powerlessness, not fear that so easily overwhelms us to despair. But presence in this moment, held by a greater meaning, loving life, loving whom we love, mindful of our great compassion-- this is how we calm our anticipatory fear and energize our love-driven, clear thinking action to be who we need to be in the work ahead". -- I hope this too helps you. Take good care.
