Portland Center for Spiritual Growth
Spirit
Spirit, the 6th principle, is a continuation of Soul. This time, though, we will be honoring other people's paths and choices. It's all about forgiveness, the ability to recognize that other people's decisions lead us to our higher good, if we are willing to see the possibilities.
We are a society of judgers, assumers and blamers. We tend to think negatively about others when they don't live, behave, speak or even think in ways we wish they would.
One way we do this is by getting enraged over the decisions and actions of others. We assume the outcome will be to our detriment. We harbor resentments and try to get them to change. There is a better way to respond to those decisions and actions. First, acknowledge God's wisdom and presence by remembering that there is a seed of opportunity for us in the decisions and actions of others. Since we cannot see or even accurately predict the future, we can instead affirm a positive outcome based on our faith that God is truly in perfect control of each situation, and that God, being the loving, benevolent, perfect parent, plans for each of us our highest possible good. When we do this, our minds are open to receive the divine Wisdom, Guidance and Blessings pouring into our lives, often without our awareness. Miracles appear out of nowhere.
Another way we practice judging, assuming and blaming is through our religious beliefs. To be so sure that our way of seeing things is God's way of seeing things is nothing less than utter spiritual arrogance. The truth is, we have no way of knowing whether we are correct in our assumptions, other than to point to dubious interpretations of ancient wisdom. We often speak as if we wrote these texts ourselves, or as if we are scholars of the ancient languages and know for a fact they were translated exactly as we claim. Spiritual humility requires us to bow to God's greater knowledge at every judgment and assumption of our own. Here's one way to do this:
Say: "I believe that [fill in a judgment or assumption of your own], and I might be wrong. God, give me the strength and humility to be kind, understanding, loving and supportive to all those who would feel harmed by me were I to try to force them to live according to my beliefs and standards. Show me the way to understand differently. I know that an untrue understanding leaves me feeling angry, afraid and frustrated. The real truth will set my heart free, and all whose lives I affect by my spiritual humility will feel safe with me."
This is the true meaning of forgiveness. It's knowing that God is in the midst of all error and will find a way to heal it, whether it exists in others, or ourselves. It's knowing that God's mysterious intentions will create a greater peace and happiness than any we could possibly hope for, using our own perceptions.
"Lean not on your own understanding..."
As a very wise Mother Superior once said, "If something is of God, nothing can stop it. We will all learn to live with it and accept it, eventually. If it is not of God, it will fizzle out on it's own in God's time. God is in control of it all."
