{"id":2168,"date":"2012-12-01T19:03:19","date_gmt":"2012-12-02T01:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/umpteenhorizons.org\/wordpress\/?p=2168"},"modified":"2012-12-02T07:55:35","modified_gmt":"2012-12-02T13:55:35","slug":"crashing-suffering-compassion-courage-and-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/umpteenhorizons.org\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/01\/crashing-suffering-compassion-courage-and-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"Crashing, Suffering, Compassion, Courage, and Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Our ancestors, from all continents and cultures, handed down stories of our prehistory to wake us up to live courageously for the benefit of all. These stories remind us of what Humanity has lost: our original companionship with the Universe and God, the first songs and winds that engendered life and caressed Creation, the gift of living in wondrously lush gardens, unity between woman and man, friendship between humanity and the animals, universal harmony, and love. These stories tell also of our great early crashes: the first jealousies, the first power-grabs, the first crimes, the first upheavals, the separation between Earth and Heaven, our divisions, our battles, and our hate. In these stories, we are the main actors striving to overcome our pain, guilt, and shame and striving to re-attain our collective Humanity, Conscience, and Oneness.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIn the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.\u201d \u2013 Luke 1:78-79, photograph of a dawn along the Kunene River in Africa by Hans Hillewaert in June 2007.<\/p><\/div>\n

Hurting from all we\u2019ve lost, we should collectively and courageously have immense compassion for one another. Instead, however, hurting from all we\u2019ve lost, we, as individuals in denial, tend hardly to think of the great sufferings around us. Hurting from all we\u2019ve lost, we, as individuals in fear, run from suffering and run from people who are suffering. Hurting from all we\u2019ve lost, we, as individuals lured by the pursuits of personal prosperity and status, give up on what Humanity has lost.<\/p>\n

Still, no matter how hard, fast, or far we run, there\u2019s no escape from great suffering. Yet, as individuals we try to live like this isn\u2019t so. When great suffering comes, in shock we try to hold on to our denial, but sooner or later our illusions are shattered, we can\u2019t ignore what we have lost, and the emptiness of our lives reveals itself.<\/p>\n

Crashed and emptied, we may harden our hearts in anger and die inside, we may disengage even more from others, or we may just sweep what has been lost under some rug in some forgotten room and lock the door shut. If so, we\u2019re just moving on as an individual and seeing our crash as an isolated exception to our otherwise \u201cfine\u201d and \u201cnormal\u201d lives.<\/p>\n

Or, alternatively, crashed and emptied, we can courageously open our hearts in compassion, see the suffering that is all around us, join our tears with the tears of God, and engage our pains and sorrows with all our energy and effort. Being now awake, we can work collectively to create a wholly renewed world where nothing is wasted, every gift is shared, and every need filled \u2013 a wholly renewed world on the course of infinite joy, generosity, hope, understanding, creativity, openness, forgiveness, and love (see prayer<\/a>). We CAN<\/em> save all that each of us and all Humanity has lost!<\/p>\n

Great suffering has come to me too. My daughter, Gina, at 9 months old, was killed in an automobile accident on May 9, 1986. I\u2019m shaking right now as I write about this crash. It still hurts and I\u2019m still struggling for wholeness. About an hour ago, I reread some words from my journal, \u201cGina died for me. Gina died that my life and its mission might continue. Remember Gina, remember our canoe trip [a moment of incredible unity shared between Gina and I just a few weeks before she died], remember the people of the Bay Minette and Atmore areas [where we lived at that time] and all the people that shared our life then! Remember and live!\u201d<\/p>\n

Courage is neither about being perfect nor being a lone hero. Courage is much more about being connected to one another and showing up for one another. I have seen astounding courage and enduring love in others, and these people have inspired me to pray with Gina and pray for Gina every night. I\u2019m still struggling to live and to be the things that I\u2019m writing about here. I hope my simple courage to share my thoughts, experiences, and stories will also speak to you. Moreover, I am gaining the courage and love to be in union with everyone and to join the great collective endeavor to regain, not only all that has been lost, but with God\u2019s healing to live for much more as well, much that is beyond our wildest dreams.<\/p>\n

Carl Jung, a renowned psychologist, who wrote much about Humanity\u2019s stories and how they embody our collective nature, also spoke of suffering, \u201cI am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.\u201d Similarly, Bren\u00e9 Brown, a vulnerability researcher, says, \u201cOwn your story! Don\u2019t bury it \u2026 If you own this story you get to write the ending.\u201d Part of the Good News is that we can all start writing the rest of Humanity\u2019s story!<\/p>\n

I must share about another crash too, a particular crash that occurred 38 years ago, today, December 1, 1974. Real people, 92 people who will never be forgotten \u2026 children, parents, students, soldiers, runners, artists \u2026 all fellow passengers \u2026 died in that crash on that day, TWA Flight 514. It is a great sorrow whenever people die tragically, but even in such crashes, like when my daughter, Gina, died, or when my mother died suddenly, their light can shine for us in new ways. The light of TWA Flight 514 and the light of all crashes can lead us toward our great benefit, toward our great hope, and even ultimately toward our great thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

As we, fellow human beings, continue on our journey in this life, we grow together step by step, and we seek to support one another as best we can. So today, on this 38th anniversary of this crash, I would like to make the following dedication to all those who died and to all their love ones:<\/p>\n

We are never alone!
\nThe Great Compassionate One hears each of our cries and holds us in all our hurt!
\nBe compassionate!
\nShed tears!
\nLet go of all that holds us back!
\nReceive compassion and forgiveness!
\nOur sorrow will turn to joy!
\nWe will rejoice!<\/p>\n

We are never without help!
\nThe Great Courageous One hears our cries and raises up all who crash!
\nBe courageous!
\nAwaken, the long night is ending!
\nThe past, present, and future are being united!
\nA new dawn is breaking!
\nLive and work for the benefit of all!<\/p>\n

We are never without hope!
\nThe Great Healing One shares our tears and brings us together!
\nTogether we\u2019ll become as children!
\nTogether we\u2019ll put away our divisions and find our way forward!
\nTogether we\u2019ll live and work for the benefit of all!
\nTogether we\u2019ll recover all that was lost and much, much more!
\nTogether we\u2019ll give thanks without end!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n