Living In The Gap Between Our Ideals And Our Reality

Setting intentions and goals is important for our sense of direction. Knowing our desired future provides a compass whereby we can determine when and where we are in or out of alignment. Many of us have crafted personal vision and mission statements with each word deliberately selected eventually arriving at a point of seeming perfection. Sitting back with great admiration and appreciation for the possible future that’s been created, imagining the world as it’s been articulated illicits hope and possibility.

Our July Series: “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”

I imagine that is what occurred when the Committee of Five wrote the Declaration of Independence. The declaration that all human beings are created equal with certain unalienable rights including Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness was a very big idea. There was certainly loads of evidence that the nature of such a declaration was blasphemous. The very authors of such words were living and acting in conflict with these ideas for slavery and suppression were in full effect.

It’s curious, when we are courageous enough to declare a bold and inspired vision for ourselves, our families, our communities we are often faced with anything and everything unlike that vision. All the junk comes to the surface to be healed, transformed and released. And sometimes we may even find ourselves going backward before we go forward.

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, 239 years ago and we are still working on bringing that vision to fruition. In 1852 Frederick Douglass a social reformer, abolitionist, preacher, writer and statesman addressed the women of the Rochester Anti-Slavery Sewing Society in what is said to be one of the greatest anti-slavery orations ever given, “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” Frederick Douglass confronts the living gap between the vision and principles of the Declaration of Independence and the then gross practices and hypocrisy of American culture.

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, 239 years ago and we are still working on bringing that vision to fruition.

In 2015 we are more aware then our ancestors of 1776 and 1852 for consciousness expands it does not contract. While we are more aware we must continue to push up against our limiting beliefs of what’s possible. It is not enough to rest on an intellectual understanding of Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness.

We must ask ourselves, What does Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness mean to me? What vision(s) do I hold for myself where I may be wavering for lack of patience or confidence? What old state of consciousness is rearing its ugly head as an invitation in disguise begging for my dismissal?

It is not enough to rest on an intellectual understanding of Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness.

I hope you will join us for our series Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness this month. We join together in community to create experiences that accelerate our individual and collective consciousness. Our 10a Sunday Celebration Services will explore this visionary idea and our Wednesday evening 7p Midweek Grace Services will dive deeper on the Sunday message.

Humanity is evolving. Humanity is waking up. It is an exciting time to pay attention to how, when, where and why the God of our being is calling us.