Timely Response from Rev. Michelle
August 24th Response:
Love Demands Demonstration
Lauri Carleton, a California store owner was shot to death for her beliefs. Oh my! This is August 2023, how is this kind of violence against another for their beliefs possible? What are we not seeing or doing as a society that cultivates this level of hate, that allows for this type of reaction all because someone believes in something that you do not agree with?
This is why I will beat the drum of mental health and emotional intelligence until my fingers bleed. We – YOU, ME, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR SIBLINGS – WE must do whatever is necessary to heal our inner landscape – our pain, suffering, and righteousness. If we, those who think of themselves as conscious, aware, or woke, don’t, then who will? We must do whatever is necessary not to be part of the problem.
Lauri Carleton, a wife and mother to a blended family of nine living in California, stood in her conviction as she stood for human rights. Yes, she was making the gentle message that love is love is love, and an individual (who will remain unnamed in this blog) decided that Lauri’s life was less important than his personal belief in heterosexuality. (Although he probably has a deep-rooted shadow.)
To feel angry and appalled is quite appropriate at this moment – and I am. We, the collective, have got to do better than this. There are so many potential points of impact here.
1. People passionate about human rights might feel frightened about standing up for their rights.
2. Homophobic people might feel braver about speaking their minds – although the individual who shot Lauri was shot dead. 3. Those of us who care will heed this as a call to action. What action? Anything from letter writing to your representative in Congress to joining consciousness-raising groups.
4. The impact I fear the most – NOTHING – we do nothing different, make no changes to our way of being and never raise our expectations. Apathy scares me the most.
I know, accept, and love many, many individuals who identify as other than heterosexual. They are my friends, and some are my family. Today, I ordered my own pride flag and will begin to fly it proudly. Please, consider hanging your own flag, consider making a difference. Let us: expect more; call others to action; and model the behavior of acceptance, compassion, and unconditional love.
If you have a family member who identifies as other than heterosexual – show them some love today, the world is still a scary place. If someone has stood for your rights, show them appreciation, too!
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November 22nd Response:
Support of our spiritual brothers and sisters with any pronoun!
I write this piece not to jump on the bandwagon of so many but to invite you to go inside and consider
what these acts of violence mean to you personally, how they impact you, and how you are impacting
the world.
This is our task to do. If you think this has nothing to do with you then you are living in the lap of privileged luxury. If you ask, then you are living a life of never needing to wonder if you are welcomed or safe.
We, a Center for Spiritual Living, are a community of people who I believe are compassionate, caring, and willing to speak truth to power. You are not expected to do anything out of the ordinary, but if you are reading this my hope and dream is that you find it within your heart to take a stand for acceptance, for all forms of love, for our spiritual brothers and sisters within our own community. If you love those who walk amongst us identifying themselves as LBGTQ Plus, then you are called to be one who cares for them out loud.
I witnessed my grandson’s very first Taekwondo last night. From the start, the teacher begins to drum into the students the philosophy that they stand for. Immediately she barked out the values and they were asked to repeat them as call and response. The initial ones that I remember are I respect my teacher, I respect my parents, and I care for those who are weaker.
No, our gay brothers and sisters are NOT weaker, but that does not stop the world from picking on them and in some places trying to eradicate them. We do not have to agree with or approve of someone’s lifestyle to respect them and the space they contain.
If you believe in my last blog There is no Outside, then ask yourself how does this prejudice live inside of me? My message to those who are annoyed by this message. Go inside, look at your inner landscape, and imagine that you are not accepted for being exactly who you are. How would that be for you?
My message to our LBGTQ Plus within our community and I am taking the liberty of speaking for the collective of us is this:
We see you; we love you; we accept you exactly as you are. No matter who you choose to love we love you. Love is love is love. This is the stand we take for you, on your behalf now and always.
If you need any support, call me directly or call your practitioner. Don’t go through this alone. We are here for you.
May we be a blessing to the world!
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October 25th Response:
e world is hard right now. Most specifically for those who dance with doubt, worry, and fear. That dance is a dance with the metaphoric devil. WE, yes all of us, have been through almost three years of watching and experiencing illness, death, and profound challenges unlike any you have seen before this time. Yet, my spiritual siblings, our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents saw worse.
Yes, it has been tough, the world that we depended upon doesn’t exist any longer and the sooner we accept the changes the better off we are. Never have we been called to accept what is as we are right now. Stores are closing, service isn’t what it was, the cost of living is skyrocketing, people discovered that they like staying home and doing with less, and the incessant call to give money to causes can feel absolutely exhausting.
Priorities have changed, and the future, depending upon where you are standing, is looking quite uncertain. The stress you feel is real. The stress is resulting in health challenges for many. The result of uncertainty is alarming because the ground you are standing upon is less dependable. (Or, so you think) We must work our way back to being our spiritual metaphysical selves.
Nope, I am not going to try and convince you right now that you should be coming to the Center (Where is that anyway?) or that you need to take more classes and get involved. This piece is not about that.
The purpose of these words is to ask you to do for yourself whatever it is that you need to do to navigate this time. You will arrive on the other side of it, you will, of this I have no doubt. But the manner in which you ride this out is what matters right now.
1. Stop judging yourself and life. Judgement releases toxic energy into the atmosphere.
2. Take time to be still, to be quiet, to breathe. Yes, literally sit down and breathe mindfully.
3. Spend time with friends telling stories and laughing together.
4. Get out and spend time in nature, mother nature will help to heal you right now.
5. Don’t make any major decisions right now.
6. Don’t be tempted to tell tales of whoa that you hear.
7. Look through the stories being shared, raise your sight up to see beyond what’s happening.
You are more than what is happening around you. You are not at the mercy of current events. There is a presence seeking to express Itself as you, call It what you like, but It is here seeking to love you, carry you, and guide you. Allow It to do so. While the world around you might be tempted to give power to fear, I remind you to give power to your faith, the faith that we are never alone, never!
The appearance of things is not the reality. We live in a multidimensional reality, call forth that which you seek by looking through what is before you. Look through the distraction to call forth the perfection of life. Is this tough while we are still in recovery mode, yes, but you can help to quicken your own recovery by seeing past what others see to seek the reality of God, Love, Faith, Spirit.
Yes, things are challenging right now, but you are by far tougher and more resilient than you can imagine. You can do this. We can do this. You are not alone.
