Seek to stand together in unified compassion

Every now and then life slams into us, doesn’t it? And in those moments we become acutely aware of our connections to each other and to God — however you define him or her. At times those connections seem impenetrable as steel and, at others, as weak as a wet paper towel.

It occurs to me that over the past few weeks, we have all been slammed around — some more than others. By the vitriol of hate and the wrath of Mother Nature. And we can only endure the slamming and rise up in recovery, IF we let down our guard, reach into our deeper self and allow Spirit to flow through us.

And, while those words flow easily from my thoughts to this paper, that is a big IF. For this flow requires much of us. It requires a willingness to be vulnerable, a willingness to relax our rigidly held boundaries, and a willingness to be guided by compassion rather than fear. The kind of holy and complete compassion we read about in many sacred writings:

In the Christian book of Romans we read, “...if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...”

The Buddhist monk and revered teacher, Pema Chodron, writes: “True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.”

The Gita proclaims: “Ignoring the plight of fellow beings renders worship of God futile.”

We have, thankfully, seen this deep compassion in action during the recent catastrophic events in this country. From the wild fires in the West to the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey and, at the time of this writing, the preparation for the power of Irma, people have, without judgment, pulled together. Without reserve, they have put everything aside and fed, clothed, rescued and helped those in need.

Without regard for age, color, belief, education or gender, people have lovingly reached out and saved lives. They worked through the fear, through the exhaustion, through the pain. They walked through grace and connected humanity and Di-

vinity in many precious moments. They were the perfect manifestation of Saving Grace.

The witnessing of great compassion confirms to

me that deep, intimate and unwavering connection is what we all need and, sometimes secretly, desire. But it is not easy. And again, I must reiterate, it requires much.

We must want to connect and be connected; to love and be loved; to give grace and be filled by it.

We must be willing to offer and receive help and to find comfort in the discomfort of vulnerability. We must comfort the crying and be willing to shed tears. We must, above all else, be able to willingly live in the space of transition.

These last few weeks

have found churches, temples, mosques and street corners filled with open hearts, prayers, meditations and intentions offered by the many beliefs of the world. Our roadways, waterways and resting places have been filled with them as well. And when we stand together

in unified compassion, offering love, help and support to any one in need, no matter what slams into us, we remain strong, connected to each other and to the Source of All. And, then, love will win! Again.