Greetings God Spirits,
A gentle reminder about our meeting this Sunday, March 17th Time: 10 AM Place: 937 Canvas Back Drive, Charlottesville, Va. 22903 Contact: 252 312 7322 (Kathy)
We are Blessed to have with us Rev Faith Woods, Minister of Falls Church Science of Mind. Rev Faith will be talking on “How God Works Through Us” Looking forward to being together for this event, and celebrating Saint Patricks Day. Check out our Fantastic web site – somcville.org –Thanks to Paul & Ann Mckinley
This is the article we will be discussing. I know you will enjoy reading. The Art of Spiritual Integrity by Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones
Why separate your spiritual life and your practical life? To an integral being, there is no such distinction. LAO IZU
There has probably never been a time in modern history when the topic of integrity has been more provocative, more in our collective faces. The evening news offers us ample opportunities to witness the apparent lack of integrity ( according to one’s own judgment or discernment) being played out in real time. The question is whether we are willing to personalize this debate, examine our own lives and witness the role integrity plays in our affairs? Most of us will think, “I am an honest person-I conduct myself with integrity.” The word comes from the root word integrate, which means “to combine one thing with another so they become whole. “What is it that we are to combine together in a manner that enables us to become whole? Spiritually speaking, it means bringing an awareness of our oneness with God (the Whole) into the many different aspects (the parts) of our lives. Easy enough, right? Read on. Have you ever caught yourself being one person at home, then morphing into another person at church, another person at work and still another person while stuck in gridlocked traffic? This doesn’t mean your core values are changing—it means you are having a moment of “spiritual amnesia.” As a result, there may be an inconsistency in your demeanor. Your words, deeds, and actions may change based on where you are and who you are with. My point is that while we may believe ourselves to be people of high integrity, when we can catch ourselves being different people at different times based on the “where, when and who” of the moment, we will see that we are, in truth, out of integrity with the one person who should matter the most; ourselves. In the words of Eric Fromm, “Integrity simply means not violating one’s own identity.” THE PRACTICE OF A LIFETIME To live a whole life is to live with integral integrity, to allow our oneness with the whole of God to spill over equally into every part of our lives. When we sense a lack of wholeness, what we are really experiencing is an incongruent connection (aka spiritual amnesia) with the sacred Self. In short, we are living a splintered life, not comprehending (or remembering) what is at the center of our being. While who we are may be defined by the many labels we wear-our name, gender, age, job title, marital status, personality and so on what we are is a singular sacred being, an individuated point of God’s omnipresence-the Self-living in a human skin. The aforementioned quote by Lao Tzu it is an invitation to consider the power of living a fully integrated life spiritually, mentally and physically, 24/7. When this happens, the who we are consciously and seamlessly merges with the what we are. This means there is no part of our lives-no place or time-where or when the sacred Self is not present; it’s a matter of awakening to Its presence-and staying awake. Realizing this truth can be a life-altering experience because how we see ourselves and our world is forever changed. In that sacred moment, we awaken to the fact that we are living an integral life -a life of spiritual integrity. Once we align with the sacred Self and honor Its presence, It becomes integrated, seamlessly touching every aspect of our lives. It would not be an exaggeration to say the Self goes with us wherever we go. If we are al all conscious, this awareness immensely alters our behavior. When we are mindfully aware of the Self’s presence, It sustains us, watches over us, protects us and guides us in the choices we make.
The story below helps illustrate this point: Late one night an aged and wise teacher took his students into the village, saying to his young proteges, “I am old and helpless and have no money. Go and follow people who are walking along the dark side streets, and when no one will see you, pull them into a dark corner and take their money. Do them no harm, but bring me the money.” All the students readily agreed except one who replied. “But Master, there is never a time when no one will see me because my Self is always observing what I do. “With this, the master shouted with joy saying, “At last, there is one among you who knows the truth about himself! Let this be a lesson by which you all live your entire lives.” While the origin of this parable is uncertain, it makes crystal clear that one of the greatest blessings (and challenges) of walking a spiritually integrated path is the ongoing opportunity each day presents to examine who and what we believe ourselves to be and, by extension, what we stand for in the world.
LIVING WITH SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY
Each of the students in the aforementioned story represents a different aspect of our own being; The human(egoic) element was willing to blindly follow along with any plan resulting in gain, including gaining the approval of others, with no thought given to the spiritual reality of how the action would affect us and others. The young student who challenged the master’s instructions is symbolic of that self-aware part of us that knows who (and what) we really are: spiritual beings traversing the terrain of the human condition. The merging of who we are with what we are is so subtle, so seamless, it requires us to consciously exist in a sacred continuum- a deepened state of awareness of our oneness with the Beloved, knowing that within us resides a silent witness (the sacred Self) existing in absolute stillness, observing-and nothing more. Perhaps this is why the mystics have long taught the importance of observing silence: to better commune with the Beloved. The sacred Self, shrouded in serenity, is always watching over us with equanimity. observing our thoughts, deeds, and actions but never judging them. Its only job is to observe and unbiasedly report to us what It sees, leaving any judging to be done by us. If we are listening and open to Its guidance, the sacred Self is always gently realigning us with our innate wholeness. Some people might simply think of this inner process as our conscience at work, but it’s far more than that. When we integrate our actions with divine discernment, we engender a sense of partnership with something much larger, much greater than ourselves-aligning us with that which is infinitely perfect, that which we can trust and rely upon morning, noon and night.
In his classic book “The Science of Mind,” Dr Ernest Holmes eloquently echoes this sentiment: The integrity of the universe cannot be questioned nor doubted. The Spirit must be, as is perfect……When we are out of harmony with some special good, it is because we are off track along that particular line of activity of Spirit.
My understanding of what Holmes is saying is that when we align with the perfect activity of Spirit, our lives become harmonious, balanced and whole. As we live with spiritual integrity, our lives become wholly and transparently visible from the inside out. Mindfully turning within and witnessing the correlation between our awareness of the presence of the sacred Self and Its manifestation in every aspect of our daily affairs require deep commitment. Metaphorically speaking this means we are called to essentially be the same person Saturday night out on the town as we are on Sunday morning in church. To live in this manner means that our words, deeds and outward actions consistently reflect who and what we know ourselves to be inwardly. This is the practice of living so consciously that our souls, heads, hearts, mouths, and feet are all aligned and moving in the same direction at the same time. To live with true spiritual integrity means incorporating a conscious awareness of the sacred Self’s presence at all times, not because we should or because God is watching, but because we can. It is an ongoing opportunity to align with our spiritual nature-with who and what we really are–and that is a high calling worthy of our greatest respect and deepest commitment.
Enjoy your week. See you Sunday. Blessings & Love Kathy McConnin