Dear Spiritual Family,
Much of the focus of this July 4th weekend is on the celebration of our Nation’s birth two and one-half centuries ago. It arrives against a backdrop of significant challenges, chaos, concerns, and confusion here and abroad.
I (Rev. Steve) am reminded of July 4, 1969, when I had just arrived in Vietnam to serve what I knew would be a long and difficult year. The war protests were raging back home, the assassinations of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy had only recently occurred; there were great racial tensions and civil unrest.
Having been raised to focus, especially in tough times, on Truth, I found peace in that troubled time and place by going to God. I was reminded of this in a new article by Beverly Hutchinson McNeff of The Miracle Distribution Network. In it, she refers to spiritual teacher, Ram Dass, who once said that when faced with a challenging situation, we should use it to go to God. She continues, “The simplicity of this wisdom reminded me once again of the simplicity of A Course in Miracles and the simplicity of God. It is not hard to enter His presence, for He is everywhere. He is in the midst of this fearful thought, in the midst of this confusing time, in the midst of the pain and suffering. There has never been a time He has not been with us, so let’s use whatever we are feeling right now to go to God.”
One of our favorite quotes from the New Testament comes from II Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and of power and of good discipline.” We can, in these challenging times or any others, be fearful and angry and confused or we can go to God and stand in the peace and understanding of love and forgiveness, of compassion and Truth.
Again, quoting McNeff, “If you’re coming from fear, anger or loss, that is not the will of God. He will never abandon you, but He will wait until you change your mind and allow His healing into your awareness once again. God has need for you right now.”
As we think about each of you, this is the vision we hold for you; this is also the vision we hold for our great Nation and the World. God is in the midst of all of us and these challenges in all their forms. As we remember this and keep our focus there, peace will prevail in our hearts and that peace will surely reveal itself in the world.
We love you dearly,
Rev. Steve and Mary
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