Sunday, January 22, 2012
-Giving to Simply Give
~ Rev. William M. Heller
For the better part of my adult life, I have been involved in some form of service. Gratefully, I was introduced to the importance of this, without fully understanding it, as early as 1974. The initial form took the place of assisting in est, my first true contact with the human potential movement.
Over the years, I’ve found service is comprised of the following:
- To have some skills applicable towards making life easier for others and myself.
- A willingness to do something without any expectation of any external reward, other than to support others. The reward is the relationship.
- A notion of persistence; the willingness to walk through whatever is needed for this to be accomplished.
It is this latter point that I’d like to focus on today. For that persistence refers to reaching a point of personal resistance; a point where whatever I’m doing calls for me going beyond what I think is reasonable; what I think I should be expected to do. Here is an opportunity for a growing edge.
Much of the time when in service, I've had fun. However there are times when this feels like a burden and I feel angry, impatient, tired, resistant or upset. Here is where the true opportunity for personal growth arises. For virtually always I ultimately move through this resistance, and get to a point where I am able and willing to complete whatever the project is. I’ve then moved beyond my egoic perspective. I am able to see the connection, the union, the oneness that underlies the situation; the opportunity to experience relationship with the others involved. This is the means of touching that deeper, one connection we all have; our Oneness with God.
Recall Jesus’ teaching: “when a soldier asks you to carry his pack a mile, go the distance, and then carry it a second mile.” Think of the meaning of this. Your enemy, who you hate and fear, demands you help him. Doesn’t that bring up resistance immediately? Absent any other input or consideration, can you feel the notion of sacrifice associated with this request? Now our teacher of love tells us to carry this twice the distance! That could really set you over the top.
Why would he be doing this? Because our way shower wants us to learn where all that resistance, all that anger, all that opposition exists. The Roman Soldier is but the manifestation of the upset. The source of the upset exists within you, within your thoughts.
Jesus wants us to learn there is a relationship with that soldier, and you have a choice as to how you are going to hold that relationship. You can use that time with that soldier to focus on your thoughts of how you are being mistreated, by your enemy, or you can use that time to learn about the ability for compassion within you, the opportunity to learn more about your ability to forgive and to extend love.
Is that outrageous? From this world’s perspective, you bet it is! Yet sticking with that perspective alone, nothing changes in the world. The world of duality and separation persists: we have an entire history of that mental perspective, and the corresponding world.
The lesson is the lesson of love, of giving without the notion of sacrifice, but instead of recognizing that soldier has a burden he is carrying, and it is a part of the human condition. It is his trial, his version of hell. While the form may differ, both the you and the soldier are locked in feelings of the woes of their life.
The opportunity exists to see that soldier beyond the world circumstances, and at that same moment, uplift you beyond that level of consciousness as well. That is the opportunity to learn of the eternal one loving connection. What is required here? One must be willing to move beyond the ego’s notion of the unfairness. In this process, we can discover what really matters: it is the relationship that matters! It is the relationship with another creation of God that we have the opportunity to discover.
Rev. Randy Jones, another ministry student, has this line as the footer in all e-mails he sends:Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
I’m also reminded of The Dali Lama’s quote: “My greatest fear is that I will lose compassion for my enemy.”
This is an opportunity to move beyond our limited thinking. I harp on this, because I believe this opportunity exists for us. And within Unity, I offer this as a means to heal our perspectives of relationships with others. We have the opportunity to learn of our growing edge here, a part of our curriculum. Here is the opportunity for Service for another Child of God.
Gratefully, others in our community have had experiences associated with providing service to others; learning about themselves and conditions of life along the way:
- Kathy Sierakowski learned to experience loving service through her providing compassionate care to terminal patients and their family; going beyond what is called for in her role as a nurse.
- Karen Mangine learned of giving service through her model of teaching, and of caring for others in her family.
- Laura Clark shared of her experience of providing service with a focused consciousness of Jesus’s teachings, and the means to learn of herself through serving others.
- Our friend and brother, Rosario/ Russell is “snowbirding” in Florida. He provided the following:
I have been involved with the Unity movement and Unity churches for nearly 35 years now. During that time I served in many capacities from sweeping the floors to President of the Board and everything in between. I never gave much thought as to why I did all these things and with such great enthusiasm and dedication too. In retrospect, it was probably the same in every area of my life. I have always had this strong desire to serve whether it be family, career or church.
Over the years, I really enjoyed attending Unity classes, study groups, services, etc. As my awareness of spiritual matters grew I began to look more closely at the what and why of my life experiences. I became very concerned because as I looked at this pattern of service, it caused me to think, was this something I was doing to fulfill my ego? I wrestled with that for a long time giving it a lot of time and consideration.
In time, I came to the realization that I did these things because I LOVED doing them. It felt to me very natural, effortless and satisfying. From then on, for me, Service and Love were the same, two sides of the same coin. Through service to others, I am able to express my love for my family and for my community.
And now the greatest understanding has occurred as I believe that all of this was not of myself, but the source is the Father within, moving in me, through me, as me. Also, the giving of service was not in one direction only as I have received far more love back that what I gave.
Service for me means Love of God, Love of Neighbor and Love of Self.
I thank everyone at UIF for all the love I have felt over the years and I look forward to continue my service to our church community.
God blesses you, Rosario/Russell
Here’s a man on his inner journey. Rosario’s awakening to his highest self, his Oneness with God, is manifest through his willingness to serve.
Service is about giving; it is about relationship, and it is about discovering a capability within each of us to extend our light, our love. I pray you are able to get a sense of this, and use your time in Unity as an opportunity to learn this message to its fullest extent.
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