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Spiritual Activism: Being Alive,
Aware, and Awake
By Rev. Kylie Renner
Have you ever run into a person who is so Spiritual they
are no earthly good? Doesn’t it seem like they’ve missed the
point? The point of being here on the planet at this time can’t
be that we should ignore the fact that we are here together on
the planet. So what does it mean to be together, here and now,
in this particular configuration that never existed before and
will never exist again? Many people mistakenly believe that in
order to remain Spiritual one must remain outside of worldly
events, that to remain Holy one must steer clear of earthly
matters. But what if being involved in the world is important,
even necessary for Spiritual growth?
And, if being involved in the world is necessary for
Spiritual growth, how do we find a powerful path of
Spirituality and Presence on the planet? For me, I have
found that being alive, aware, and awake means paying close
attention to the activity on the planet so that I can better see
the condition in which things are happening in Spirit. I can
see the exterior world as a reflection, mirroring the activity
and condition of my own inner landscape, and the exterior
world isn’t where change can take place. I can draw a pretty
face on my bathroom mirror, and not change my own face at
all. When I smile, my reflection smiles back. The same is true
if I close my eyes to what is being reflected; I am still affected
by what is going on around me, but I have closed my eyes to
knowing its cause.
So how do we interact with the world? I can vigorously
campaign to bring about change, but if I do not first understand
my own Spirit I cannot truly change a thing. I can stomp my
feet, and claim injustice or close my eyes and deny it all, but I
will be ineffectual, because all I will have demonstrated is that
I am against the world. I will not have stood for something
more.
Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science petitions
us who seek an elevated Spiritual experience, to be FOR
something and against nothing, and this can be one of the
most difficult principles to both understand and implement in
our lives. Being against something or saying “no” to it means
that I’m still giving my attention to it, just in a different way.
To be effective, I must focus my attention on what I am FOR,
instead of letting my attention get derailed by what I am
against.
Standing for something more transcends all of our little
“no’s” with a more powerful “yes”. It means that I am aware of
the activity of Spirit and am willing to surrender my limited
idea for myself and the planet to be able to experience more of
the good that is already seeking me. It means doing my own
inner transformative work so that I set myself free to experience
joy, peace, fulfillment, and maybe even bliss. It is not the
universe’s intention that we live in fear, or lack, or any sense of
limitation. All around us, if we are looking with the right eyes,
are reminders of infinite love, possibility, and abundance. A
young child, the eyes of an elderly person, roses in bloom, a
magnificent tree, a work of art, a community event—these
reminders can allow us to move deeper into experiencing what
it means to be truly human, TRULY Spiritual.
Being aware of the activity of Spirit in our lives, is to be
a Spiritual Activist…to see how we participate in it, and to
stand for something more—a world that works for everyone
in which all life prospers—a world in which generous sharing
of heart and resources is the everywhere. Join us to activate
Spirit in your life, live with purpose, and transform the world
from the inside out.
ACSL is located at 2801 Louisiana NE, between Menaul & Candelaria.
Call us at 505-881-4311 or visit us online: www.abqcsl.org. Also, see
our ad on the back cover and news/events pages for more details.
Sunday services are at 9:15 am and 11:00 am
Truly Alive | A Living Naturally Magazine | September/October 2010 17