Now we see that darkness is our own imagining, and light is there for us to look upon. Christ’s vision changes darkness into light, for fear must disappear when love has come. Let me forgive Your holy world today, that I may look upon its holiness and understand it but reflects my own.
– A Course in Miracles, Lesson 302
I must admit that I am having trouble taking a deep breath today. I suspect no one could blame me for being in a hyperventilative state. Today may be the most important election in the history of our country – and that’s not a hyperbolic statement. It literally feels like voters are battling for the very soul of this nation.
Honestly, the only thing keeping me from climbing the walls right now are my spiritual teachers and practices. I have been trying to breathe deeply and remember that I cannot have a miracle at the same time that I am wrapped in fear and grievance. As long as my focus remains on what I perceive as this world’s darkness, I will never be able to see the Light of Love that shines eternally behind the clouds of my fears and anxiety.
Today is an important and pivotal day, indeed, but what we need most of all – not just in this nation, but in this entire world – are people who are committed to Love no matter the outcome of the election. There will be winners and losers in this contest, but in Love there are only winners. We cannot let whatever the outcome is tonight and events of the coming week tempt us to create more separation and division.
No matter what happens, we must be the ones to double down on Love – to commit ourselves to continuing to be a healing presence, even if chaos and violence come as a result of the election. We must lay aside our animosity toward those we consider to be on “the other side” and keep our hearts open to those with whom we disagree.
That, of course, does not mean that we give up the fight to remove those who are using their office to abuse, marginalize or take the lives of others in this nation or any other. Love is not a squishy thing – it is fierce and it fights for the worth of all people and their right to pursue happiness, wholeness and joy in this lifetime. Those who are abusing their power are rightly removed when enough people realize the harm they are doing.
It is my prayer that this will happen, if not tonight, in the coming weeks and months. I pray that those whose hearts are bent on healing, reconciliation and unity will win their races and take their place within our government bodies.
I pray, knowing, that, ultimately, changing leadership isn’t the answer to our problems, though. We must also change our collective consciousness – uprooting it from it’s egoic foundation of fear and separation and replanting it in the fertile soil of Love and unity. Until we are willing to create a consciousness of Love, we will always produce a world of fear.
The good news is, according to this lesson, we can start right now, where we are, by realizing this darkness we perceive has been created by us, and can be uncreated. God’s Holy light is there for us to perceive, right now, to see the world as forgiven, to see the world as whole, reunited and full of Love. We must forgive ourselves for creating the conditions that brought abusive men and women to power and in that forgiveness, remember that we all have the power to bring forth the Divine Love that dwells within each of us.
As we undertake this historic movement today, let us take the advice of that Muslim mystic poet Rumi and cast all our votes for dancing:
I know the voice of depression
Still calls to you.
I know those habits that can ruin your life
Still send their invitations.
But you are with the Friend now
And look so much stronger.
You can stay that way
And even bloom!
Keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From your prayers and work and music
And from your companions’ beautiful laughter.
Keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From the sacred hands and glance of your Beloved
And, my dear,
From the most insignificant movements
Of your own holy body.
Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins
That may buy you just a moment of pleasure,
But then drag you for days
Like a broken man
Behind a farting camel.
You are with the Friend now.
Learn what actions of yours delight Him,
What actions of yours bring freedom
And Love.
Whenever you say God’s name, dear pilgrim,
My ears wish my head was missing
So they could finally kiss each other
And applaud all your nourishing wisdom!
O keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From your prayers and work and music
And from your companions’ beautiful laughter
And from the most insignificant movements
Of your own holy body.
Now, sweet one,
Be wise.
Cast all your votes for Dancing!
Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash