Memorial Day Reflection

Memorial Day Reflection
by Rev. Durrell Watkins

Memorial Day is observed in the United States on the last Monday of May. It commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or armed conflict.

I find myself thinking today about the many people who have fallen in one kind of war or another. I think of the Native inhabitants of this land who died in the evolution of what would become the United States.

I think of people who were enslaved to help build fortunes of people in this country; of course, many of those people died in slavery and died resisting the evils of slavery.

I think of women who had to fight for the right to vote, many of whom died before the battle was won.

I think of heroes who put their lives on the line, and sometimes lost their lives, to promote the cause of civil rights in our country.

I think of the many beautiful people who fought on the viral battlefield of AIDS and who lost their courageous struggle.

I think of those who continue to fight against heterosexism and homophobia, risking life and limb so that there will one day truly be "liberty and justice for all."

And, of course, I think of soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen and women who have given all that was possible to secure the interests of their country. I especially want to honor those LBGT people who had to serve in silence. I think not only of the American lives that have been lost, but also of the lives of "enemy" combatants. Every person who fell in battle was a child of God, and God was surely the first to cry for each one slain.

In the history of the U.S., there have been many wars, and fighting continues on several fronts. This Memorial Day, I honor the lives of those who have died in any war, and I also use this occasion to pray for peace and for justice in all the world. I remember the heroes, and I wish for a day when we will "beat our swords into ploughshares" and peace will prevail on earth. Amen.


--Rev. Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div.

The Mythic Hero is Me!

"The function of mythological symbols is to give you a sense of 'Aha! Yes. I know what it is, it's myself.'" - Joseph Campbell

The Phoenix rises to new life from its own ashes.
Moses encounters a divine voice in a burning thorn-bush.
The Princess Aurora is cursed, but "good fairies" mediate the curse so that instead of dying she will only fall into a deep sleep one day, and "true love's kiss" will raise her from her coma.
Samson has super-human strength as long as he avoids all barbers.
Jesus is touched by a woman in a crowd; the woman is instantly cured of a disease she's had for a dozen years.
Mary (like Elijah before her) is taken bodily into heaven without dying; she (again, like Elijah), is thought to return to earth from time to time to help people in need.

We'll recognize these stories from Greek mythology, the bible, children's books, and church tradition. Even though they come from different sources and different times, I believe they share something in common. They show us a heroic character that is meant to represent our highest potential.

WE are the phoenix. We are able to get back up after we have emotionally crashed and burned.
WE are Moses, exiled and surrounded by burning shrubs. We are able to commune with our Higher Power and receive hope and guidance even when we are facing difficulties.
WE are Aurora. We have angels or fairies (friends, ideas, intuition) who help us survive difficulties and rise to our full potential.
WE are Samson, with strengths and talents that can amaze the world if we won't sabotage them.
WE are Jesus, capable of living with such courage, integrity, grace and compassion that people around us are healthier and happier just because our lives have touched theirs.
WE are Mary (or Elijah). Our consciousness is being raised to a place of peace, joy, and fulfillment; from our higher state, we can be a blessing to others.

The mythic figures represent the possibilities that exist for us and in us. They call us to embrace the best within ourselves and to let our true light shine!

Myths aren't false…in fact, they are supremely true! Remember philosopher Joseph Campbell who said, "The function of mythological symbols is to give you a sense of 'Aha! Yes. I know what it is, It's myself.'" Embrace the heroic tales, and let them guide you to your own heroic truth. You are a perfect idea in the Mind of God. Affirm this truth; live in its power. Amen.

--Durrell

The Formula For Miracles

“You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.” [Brihadaranyada Upanishad IV.4.5]

We have lots of wishes – those “wouldn’t it be nice” thoughts and day dreams. But some of those wishes solidify into real desires. What we honestly, deeply desire, we make a commitment to and we find ourselves working toward. Imagination fueled by emotion and accompanied by action is the blue print for accomplishment.

In 1829, New York Governor (& future president) Martin Van Buren wrote to the sitting President of the U.S., Andrew Jackson. In his letter, Gov. Van Buren said, “Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside…The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” I wonder what Mr. Van Buren would think of our world where we fly across the country and even from continent to continent in only a few hours!

In 1948, Claude Bristol wrote in his book, The Magic of Believing, “…the American Rocket Society has made application to the United States Government for land on the moon. Perhaps the application was made in a spirit of facetiousness, but who knows when some ‘Buck Rogers’ will pilot a rocket plane to the moon? I, for one, wouldn’t say it couldn’t be done some day, for I don’t know and neither do those who say it is impossible.” That was written when my mother was 5 years old! Since then, “rockets” and space shuttles and satellites have made many trips into Space.

The point is, an idea may seem foolish or impossible. But if we can imagine it, then at some point in some measure we can probably accomplish it. When the idea becomes a desire, and the desire grows into a “driving desire,” then eventually we actually make up our minds to do the thing (or at least to honestly attempt it). Once we’ve made up our minds, action follows and our actions create our destiny.

We may be too sophisticated to believe in magic or miracles, but then in 1829, traveling at 15 miles per hour seemed like the stuff of science fiction. A seventy-mile per hour speed limit would seem like a fantasy (or a nightmare) to Martin Van Buren. But someone dreamed the dream of locomotion into reality, and here we are. When my mother was a child, Buck Rogers was a fantasy hero. Now, space flight seems almost common.

Once we allow our “wouldn’t it be nice” thoughts to evolve into desire, and then we allow our desire to evolve into commitment and action, we will find that magic and miracles still take place. Imagination fueled by emotion and accompanied by action remains the blue print for accomplishment…even miraculous accomplishment!

Happiness is the Point

“The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness; no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.” – His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Some people believe in reincarnation, hoping that they will “come back” as a person who enjoys life fully. Some people believe in an after-life paradise; they hope that by living a good life or holding certain beliefs they will enjoy an after-life filled with joy and abundance. Why is the promise of joy in the next life so attractive to people? If joy isn’t the point of life, then why do the religions offer it as a promise for the next life?

For a variety of reasons, many of us are skeptical of happiness. We think it is shallow to want it, unrealistic to expect it, and we assume people who try to help us embrace happiness are somehow deluded. Isn’t it odd that we sometimes find happiness in this life to be questionable but happiness remains our greatest hope for the next life?

I don’t mean to suggest that we will always be happy. Sadness, regret, fear…these emotions are real and they have their place. But I do believe that happiness is our natural state. Fear passes, and we return to happiness. Sadness fades, and we return to happiness; at least that is how life can be.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” Happiness, in Paul’s opinion, was a divine gift. In my theology, no divine gift is withheld from any of us! Happiness may be the promise of the next life, but I also believe that it is the promise of this life. This life is the only one I know! Whatever lies beyond this life is mere conjuncture on my part; but the life I live today is what I can be certain of, so it is in my best interest to fill this life with love, joy, and peace.

Joseph Campbell used to say, “Follow your bliss.” I think that is wise counsel. Let’s not be afraid of happiness. We deserve it. We won’t be shallow, or selfish, or unkind, or greedy, or lazy if we are happy. In fact, if we are truly happy, we are more likely to be kind, justice-seeking, optimistic, and generous. Let’s not put off our happiness until the next life. This life is the gift we now have, and it is our duty to make the most of it. Daring to embrace our happiness seems like a good place to start.

The Truth About Myself

"Dear God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is. Amen." - Macrina Wiederkehr

In his book, Happiness Now!: Timeless Wisdom for Feeling Good FAST, psychologist Robert Holden quotes the prayer by Macrina Wiederkehr: "Dear God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is." Dr. Holden writes, "[This prayer] offers a perfect example of how to remember and reconnect to our true, unconditioned Self."

Many of us were taught that we were innately flawed and that without divine intervention we were doomed to lives of despair and depravity. And so we would go to confession, or pray for revival, or beg God to have mercy on us, or ask Jesus to save us from the consequences of our sinfulness. Such theology may have been in some ways cathartic, but mostly it provided a low image of human nature.

I have come to believe that our true nature is beautiful and wonderful and divine. Ignorance of our potential may keep us from being all that we are meant to be, but at our core we remain loving, joyous, beautiful expressions of the perfect, infinite Source of all life.

I'm not interested in saving people from their wickedness; on the contrary, I want to help save people from the lie that they are innately wicked! Salvation, in my view, is liberation from self-loathing, fear, and degradation. Salvation, then, isn't about being rescued from who we really are; salvation is about waking up to who we really are. Our real, unconditioned Selves are perfect, wonderful, and divine. Mine is a higher view of human nature than I was taught as a child, but I have come to believe that it is a healthier one.

Today, I invite you to pray with me, "Dear God [Abiding Peace/Inward Light/Infinite Wisdom/Perfect Love/Spirit of Life], help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is." My suspicion is that if we will really believe in our beauty, we will manifest it more often in the world. As we live in the power of our glorious truth, the world around us is bound to benefit. "Help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is." Amen.

Easter Reflection

Easter Reflection by Pastor Durrell Watkins

“What should Easter mean to us?... It should point the way to the ascended consciousness…Jesus gave us the perfect example of the Resurrected Life and the [Christ] Consciousness—Oneness with the [Divine].” – Lucile Frederick

Whether with family dinners or Easter egg hunts or concerts in the park or church services…many of us celebrated yesterday the newness of life that Easter represents. And this spring season is a perfect time to keep that celebration going, reminding ourselves that renewal is always possible for us.

I think it is a mistake to make Easter an historical event. It has to be more. The story of the hero who cheats death and is raised to new life is an old and often repeated tale. Elijah escaped death by being taken to the heavens in a whirlwind. Osiris was torn to pieces, but was later returned to wholeness and raised to new life. Hercules sacrificed himself and was raised to eternal life among the stars. The Phoenix would plunge to its death and from its own ashes rise again to new life. Stories of the deity or hero who escapes death or returns from it are many.

Rather than trying to dismiss them all, and rather than trying to prove one of the ancient resurrection stories are “true” while the rest are not, it could be that all of them are trying to get at something true and relevant for us. Perhaps these stories about a renewed, resurrected life are telling us what Confucius taught, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”

Life has meaning, and its significance lasts beyond the years of mortal existence. Our significance, our dignity, our ability to cling to hope can raise us up when we fall, and can remind us that we will be raised up after the final fall. Night is followed by morning. Winter is followed by spring. Failure is followed by second chances. Death is followed by new life.

Of all the resurrection stories, I remain partial to the Christian version. Jesus’ resurrection retains special meaning for me because it isn’t just about him. It involved his friends, his followers, his community, his admirers and devotees. His isn’t just a story about a hero who rose to new life…that wouldn’t be an original story at all. His is a story about a common person, a carpenter, a rural peasant who rose to greatness as a teacher, healer, and prophet and who spent his life giving others their dignity back. When he was executed, people still found their hope and their dignity in stories about him, and they continued to experience his power and grace beyond his execution. He lived in them, and they lived better as a result.

Jesus’ resurrection was a tool for lifting up others. As people insisted that they experienced him beyond Golgotha, they somehow found courage and hope in the face of their own challenges. Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t just one more super-human performing one more incredible feat…Jesus’ resurrection was a symbol of empowerment for people who needed to be lifted up in their own lives. And it worked! And apparently, it still does.

An average person with access to divine potential: That’s a story that I can put to use in my own life! A person who is raised to new life after being put down by mighty forces: That’s a story that I can put to use in my own life. The Easter narratives remind us that the power of life cannot be killed, and that significance of a life well lived cannot be diminished. Jesus as an example of the Resurrected Life and the Christ Consciousness is something that is powerful because it isn’t about one person long ago; it’s about what is possible for all people at all times. I hope the power of the Easter message will bless us all throughout this season of renewed life.

(c) Durrell Watkins, 2008

The Divine Breath

“Are you looking for me?...When you really look for me, you will see me instantly – you will find me in the tiniest house of time…What is God? [God] is the breath inside the breath.” – Kabir

The book of Genesis begins, “In the beginning…a mighty wind swept over the waters.” That driving force, that Creative Breath, that divine Spirit moves in the ancient creation myth and as the Wind or Breath moves, creation starts to take shape. It’s a poetic rather than historic or scientific image, but it still suggests something
wonderful about ultimate reality. God is the breath inside the breath, the wind inside the wind, the energy within the energy…the source and substance of All That Is. We aren’t talking about a deity in the sky, a cosmic judge, a divine warrior, a super-human…we are talking about movement. This “god” is a verb more than a noun. This “god” is experience more than subject. This “god” is “is-ness,” the path and the journey and the traveler: one-in-all; all-in-one. Everything is part of this “god” and “God” is more than the sum of Its' parts!

“God” may not be a meaningful word for you as you consider the meaning of life. But language is a human tool…”God” is our word. We made it up, and we can make up some other word. It doesn’t matter what we call ultimate reality. The Web of Existence (to which we all belong) can remain nameless or It can have a thousand names. The
search for meaning is where meaning is found; that is, God is the search for God. Whatever path we take, whatever name we use, as long as we are asking the questions and remain open to possibilities, we are in the flow of spirit, the divine Breath; we are in communion with the breath inside the breath.

May Indomitable Hope/Abiding Peace/Unfettered Joy/your Higher Power/the spirit of Life/Goddess/God…the symbol of your search for meaning and purpose and wholeness, be your comforting companion and source of strength today and every day. When we seek, we will find! The search is itself divine.