ConsciousCreation

Several Sundays ago, I asked the congregation what the definition of paradigm is. The first answer I received was Two Dimes! Cute, right? Old joke and still funny! However, I was actually looking for a slightly different definition, something more like “…A pattern or model, an exemplar; (also) a typical instance of something, an example’ from the Oxford English Dictionary.

As I think about the lesson for this Sunday entitled New Horizons, I find myself wondering about how we – or rather I – will be moving through the significant changes that are emerging in the world. The old patterns and systems are being modified and/or manipulated so significantly that in many cases they are unrecognizable or completely lost. And at the same time, there are new patterns and systems – new paradigms – emerging from sometimes unlikely places to replace Some are still in the chrysalis; some are still drying their wings, and some are flying amongst us on beautiful wings.

I find that I can embrace the new patterns that hold the light of love, compassion, justice, inclusivity, and oneness whole-heartedly as I adjust to the evolution from the old. The concerns – the issues – the struggles I have are with those patterns, models, systems that are being modified and manipulated to limit or eliminate that light of love, compassion, justice, inclusivity and oneness and thereby dimming and, in some cases, extinguishing the light of our world.

If I let myself get too stuck in how dark it seems to be getting, I remember a concept that Emilie Cady wrote about in her book, Lessons in Truth, called chemicalization – the intense yet ultimately beneficial conflict that occurs when new spiritual ideas clash with and overcome old, erroneous beliefs, leading to a higher spiritual understanding.  In Rev. Paul Hasselbeck’s book Heart-Centered Metaphysics: A Deeper Look at Unity Teachings, he defines it as “the experience of inner conflict and upheaval that occurs when aspects of our consciousness resist the transformation process.   This happens when a high spiritual realization conflicts with a belief that is contrary to the new realization.”  

Using a variation of the example given by Emlie, imagine that you have a tub with layers of built up crud on its sides and it’s full of dirty water. You want to clean the water. If you drop cleaning agents into the water, the chemical reaction will cause agitation, foaming bubbles that dissolve the dirt in the water and at the same time break down the layers of crud on the sides. As the layers of crud break off the sides, the water itself will actually get dirtier. If you think to yourself that this isn’t working and stop putting in the cleaning agent, slowly the agitation will stop and the crud will settle again and the water will clear up But the tub will still be cruddy. If, on the other hand , you continue to put the cleaning agent into the tub, it will break down all of the built-up layers and dissolve the crud in the water, giving you a clean tub and clean water.

So, when it seems like things in me and around me are ‘getting dirtier,’ I remind myself that the cleaning agents are working and clearing away the built- up layers of old paradigms, old belief, old perspectives, and it’s time to redouble the amount of ‘cleaning agent’ I’m dropping into my soul, mind, and body. I also remind myself that I am one of the ‘cleaning agent’ deliverers for our society. It is through my thoughts, my feelings, my prayers, my words, my actions, and my energy that the ‘cleaning agent’ called truth and light bring about a clean vessel holding pure, clean light and truth, both for me personally and for our world.

We stand on the threshold of a new paradigm for ourselves and our world – a New Horizon streaming love, compassion, justice, inclusivity and oneness. Let’s be cleaning agents until the tub and the water are clear!