THE POWER OF SPIRIT
by Frank Sontag
Power is an
interesting word. It is used in many different contexts in our world. Most
people want it, very few feel as if they have it, and even fewer truly
understand what it is. Let's first start off by using our trusty old dictionary
for some standard definitions. POWER: 1) the ability to do, act, or produce. 2)
a person or thing having great influence, force,
or authority. 3) the ability to control others.
4) a nation having influence or domination over
other nations. 5) a large armed force; military
strength such as an army or navy. 6) a spirit or
divinity. Wait a minute, what was that again? What is this spirit or divinity
stuff?
Whenever the
word spirit is mentioned I cannot help but think of Native American people.
Indians, as they are called by the masses, who have suffered tremendous
heartache and oppression. But yet today, stand tall and proud, mostly in part,
I believe, to° their participation and understanding of the world of spirit. Now,
contrary to what we believe, we do not live in one world. The truth is we live
in two. The outer world of appearances, commonly known as
"reality," and the inner world of spirit, a place deep within us,
where true power lies.
If we are to
look at what our society calls "reality" we see; government
corruption, crime on the increase, massive environmental problems, an ongoing
crisis surrounding the education system, the destruction of the traditional
family household, a deteriorating economy, and the worst form of
violence that exists on our planet, otherwise known as poverty. But our
so called "reality" is not as it appears, it is a reflection of who
we think we are and how we feel about ourselves. Therefore, to change that
reality, we must first change ourselves. By that I do not mean just sitting
home and meditating the problems away. I mean doing the inner work that is
needed to continue on a path of self-love and self-discovery; then getting off
our butts and doing something about all the injustices being committed at the
expense of our ignorance and complacency. When enough of us practice living
lives that are spirit-filled, i.e., peaceful, loving, compassionate,
strong, respectful, kind, trustful, and honest, then we will see our outer
world change as we know it.
The great
degree of powerlessness we feel can be found in how we habitually look to
others for our answers. For instance, why do we look to the so called
"experts" to tell us the right and proper way to live our lives? Why
do we believe that the government is willing to solve some of the very problems
that they are perpetuating? And why does our society "worship"
celebrities? Why, just because these individuals are "famous," do we
think that they somehow have the market cornered on wisdom and truth? Consider
this: the overwhelming majority of people in the
How will the
"bewildered herd" wake up? When we strive to mindfully
become alive in this very instant. Right here! Right Now! Simply put,
the problems or challenges that we face today are caused by a lack of belief in
ourselves, an unwillingness to take full
responsibility for our lives, and most of all, the failure to feed our spirit;
for we live in a culture that is truly spiritually starved. By tapping into
that boundless potential within each and every one of us, we then can recognize
another power in our world other than that of destruction. When that awareness
is actualized, then we will come to know and understand the power of creative
redemptive love.
Life is a sacred mystery singing to itself,
dancing to it’ s drum, telling tales,
improvising, playing;
and we are all that Spirit, our stories all
but one cosmic story that we are Love
indeed,
that perfect Love in me seeks the Love in
you,
and if our eyes could ever meet without
fear
we would recognize each other and rejoice,
for Love is Life Believing in itself.
-from a Medicine story by Manitonquat