Transformation
Posted by Jill Warner in Current Event Editorials.
Jesus says,“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”(Matthew 25:40)
There is a longing deep within your heart for peace, for compassion, happiness, and love. The Truth is, everyone deep down simply wants to be loved. In the spirit of this basic human desire for love, peace, and happiness, thousands gather from all over the world every year in Iceland to light candles of peace and float them on the lake in the center of town. Yet war and rumors of war continue to plague the global human consciousness as they have for so many centuries. War and conflict has seems to be never ending on earth relegating most people to the limiting belief that global peace is the impossible dream. Just this week the United States hosted a Middle East peace conference at the famed Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. Of course, the Islamic extremist organization, Hamas, was not invited nor were they willing to attend, and there were Palestinian protests in Gaza. There never seems to be an end to the anger and bloodshed that has become so commonplace in Israel. Over the years there have been many diplomatic attempts by world leaders to try and resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict all to no avail. Of course, the underlying reason for this ongoing conflict is a clash of religious and geo-political ideologies. At the core of this conflict is the centuries old clash of faith between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Anytime you bring people of these three faiths together it seems that the conversation always melts down into the idea “I am right and you are wrong” it is this kind of polarizing thought that renders peace an impossibility. In fact, this kind of meltdown has happened on this blog on multiple occasions. Fundamentally, global peace is not possible until everyone on the planet begins to understand the Truth of who they are – this transcendent understanding is the core message of Jesus Christ. It is through this understanding that the global transformation that everyone longs for becomes the possible dream – the ultimate reality!
Jesus says,“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”(Matthew 25:40) The words of Jesus contain the power of true transformation. His words are a miracle of Grace that can awaken your consciousness. Truly, if you begin to think of every single person you meet as Jesus himself – How will you treat him or her? Will you fight with him? Or condemn him? Throw rocks or bombs her? Or would you open your heart and simply love her? In Truth, the words of Jesus have nothing to do with Christianity, or Judaism, or religion in general. His words contain the Grace of God; a transmission of light that has the power to shift your consciousness to a new way of thinking and being. Christianity emerged out of the life and teaching of Jesus, not the other way around. His message is transcendent of everything including religion and religious beliefs. Jesus points you to eternal peace – the light of eternal life. He is calling you forth to recognize the Truth of who you are at the core of your being. Once you recognize the light that you are, a peace that surpasses all understanding arises within you. This Peace is transcendent of all concepts of peace. It is only from this perspective of unmoving light that global peace can become a reality. Jesus is transformation. Stop and see for yourself. Of course, the ongoing conflict between Israel, Palestine, the US, Afghanistan, and Iraq, all stem from the deep egoic desire to be right. Entire nations are ready to fight to the death to prove their perspective is the right perspective! What can the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East teach us about the everlasting peace of Jesus and his infinite teaching of light?
The body of Lyon Linberg was cremated and his ashes will be release into the Ocean today during a private burial ceremony (see picture of Lyon in the hospital below who died after the surgery that was attempting to save him). In meeting death we have an opportunity to see that which never dies – the light of eternal life. The many prayers and candles that illuminated the entire earth in a global pray for Lyon, and all children, this past week symbolize the light of the heart; the infinite light of prayer. Lyon’s death only 8 days after his birth gives you an opportunity to stop and reflect on your own life. How are you spending your time? Have you stopped for a moment, a single moment, and looked deep within your own heart? Have you been loving and compassionate towards yourself and others? Have you forgiven those who have hurt you? Have you forgiven yourself? Have you helped someone in need? Have you opened your heart and loved your neighbor as yourself? Death is truly a great teacher about what is really important in life. As Lyon’s uncle intimates, “Lyon came to us, especially his parents, to show them and all of us how to love one another and appreciate all the great fun things in life. He is at peace now free of all tubes and drugs looking down at us from heaven with a smile.”
Your eyes scan the news headlines and barely blink when you read the numbers of people who died the day before or moments before. The news reports are simply numbers on a page that carry no meaning, heartache, legacy, or regret. Rarely are you moved to tears at seemingly endless reports of death, fear, and destruction. Reports of death are so commonplace throughout the world that they barely serve to raise an eyebrow. Of course, your perspective changes dramatically when someone you cherish, someone you love deeply, has died, then all of your emotions emerge like a tidal wave, crushing you under its massive weight. You can think of nothing else – the unending heartache, the moments lost, the pain of the void that is left, the emptiness you feel – the finality of death. The truth is you never know how long someone will live, or more importantly, how long you will live, but scarcely do you contemplate the void that awaits us all. In a moment, an instant, a life can come to a sudden immediate end. The young man pictured here is Kyle Scott MacDonald, my neighbor’s nephew. Just a few weeks ago, in a single tragic instant, his life, that was just really beginning, came to a sudden unmistakable end. All that remains in this world of this beautiful young man is his legacy. A code of ethics that represent a different time – a time when young men stopped and open doors for women, a time when your word meant more than a legal document, a time when neighbors supported each other in the face of tragic events instead of calling a lawyer to see who they could sue. His legacy is something that the whole world seems to have forgotten.
