Word of the Month Video, July 2016: Devotion

We live in a world where one of the most controversial words is God. Sometimes families can’t speak the word God to one another because it sparks an argument. The word God can be said in an imploring way, “ God, Please help me.” it can also be said in a hurtful way, “God, I hate that.”

We say that people start wars because of their devotion to God. It isn’t true. We start wars because we refuse to do the work that peaceful resolution requires. Wars have never been about God. God is synonymous with love. We use religion and the law as an excuse to be right or to get our way. We turn devotion into treachery because we don’t see our inherent selfishness.

We have had the excuse of devotion to our country, our religion, our rights, to hurt others, we have even gone so far as to believe that if only we rid ourselves of all of “those people” we’ll be happy. This isn’t about God or love, this is about greed, love of power, jealousy. These thoughts arise from hate.

These actions of hate have occurred throughout the world, in all countries, from all races and ethnicities throughout time. Believing that we will be happy by persecuting people, and attempting to eliminate them arises from a treacherous and perverted need to be right. People who think and act like this are filled with hate.

These treacherous thoughts are so pervasive that we have to make laws to protect certain groups in a society because the collective of people in that country can’t be trusted to act with dignity.

People say, “I have a right to be angry,” but when was the last time you heard someone say, “ I have a right to be forgiving” or “I have a right to speak about love and peace.” “I have a right to experience compassion.”

What are you devoted to? Your parents, your children?

Are you devoted to your religion, or your country?

When your parents age, it’s a complicated privilege to serve them.
When your children are teenagers, it’s a tumultuous privilege to serve them.

When your spiritual community starts using terms like “those people” to represent people who are different, well then, I say it’s a privilege to serve, “those people.”

When your country is torn by anger and hate, it’s a privilege to serve compassion to one another.

When your country is hurt by violence that’s disguised as the law, it’s a privilege to serve peace to one another.

When your country weeps, it’s a privilege to comfort one another.

When your country is divided and lost, it’s a privilege to stand in solidarity with one another.

When your country aches with grief, it’s a privilege to grieve and comfort one another. Our country is not alone when it comes to hateful atrocities.

People in Syria are huddled in underground shelters, hungry, even starving, their hearing is being lost because of the sounds of bombs, the sound of hate.

It’a a privilege to pray for them, to send them love.

Half of the world’s population are women and everyday women are raped, violated, denied basic education and forced into unspeakable situations.

It’s a privilege to serve the Mothers, daughters and sisters of the world. Racism is ignorance that leans towards deep hatred.

It’s a privilege to pray for those who are shunned, as well as pray for those who are too ignorant to love one another.

A great American Yogi named Abraham Lincoln told the people of his beloved country, A house divided against itself cannot stand.

He was wise and devoted to the humans of his country. He was a man of heart. He knew division would weaken all of us.

It’s a privilege to work and pray for the unity in the United States.

Human beings like Mr. Lincoln are all too often betrayed by those who have treacherous thoughts. Martin Luther King, The Kennedy brothers, Gandhi, Jesus the compassionate one, these are names that live on in our hearts.

Those who harbor treacherous thoughts have given into the desires hidden in their jealous hearts and it makes them want to steal the light from the exceptionally good that walk among us.

If you are only good to YOUR loved ones and you are petty or even cruel to someone else’s loved ones, you are making a huge mistake. You don’t want someone out there to forget that your loved ones, are just that, loved ones. We all know what a broken heart feels like. Why would we want anyone to feel such loss?

It doesn’t take intelligence to be hateful, prejudiced, overbearing or cruel. It’s the good heart that has the intelligence to love, the intelligence to teach the power of love.

The good are the courageous ones. They are able to remain standing after pain and suffering have ravaged the landscape. They are fearless and relentless in their duties to dispense healing and comfort. The good will never give up.

Remember that the Yogi’s tell us that God’s favorite game is hide and seek. He hides deep in the recesses of your heart because someday your pain will be so great that you will give up wanting to retaliate against those who have hurt you and you will find what you’ve always been looking for, Love.