Consider this poem, deepening and widening our summer topic regarding the power of rest. It was written by Rev. Noel McInnis, who said, “… I received this advice from a mountain stream when I asked it, “If you were literate, what would you tell me?”:
FLOW
Be,
as water is,
without friction.
Flow around the edges
of those within your path.
Surround within your ever-moving depths
those who come to rest there—
enfold them, while never for a moment holding on.
Accept whatever distance
others are moved within your flow.
Be with them gently
as far as they allow your strength to take them,
and fill with your own being
the remaining space when they are left behind.
When dropping down life’s rapids,
froth and bubble into fragments if you must,
knowing that the one of you now many
will just as many times be one again.
And when you’ve gone as far as you can go,
quietly await your next beginning.
My friend, Brendalyn Batchelor (the Unity minister in Santa Fe), and I were shocked when we heard that all hell had been breaking loose in the world while we were lightheartedly enjoying a summer vacation together. What to do about this accelerated conflict in our world? It’s scary. It’s threatening. It’s real. Denying it won’t get us anywhere–our brains won’t buy into the denial anyway–nor will ignoring the situation help bring about any change. What can we do?
What are you doing about it? There’s an old saying that’s true: If you want to know how someone will handle the big, important things, look at how they handle small things; it’ll be the same. Whether we’re dealing with world conflict or a situation at home or at our workplace with one person or event, knowing how to effectively handle conflict is a valuable skill. Our teaching gives the same advice for all conflict, major or minor, personal or world-wide:
First, move into peace yourself. Center yourself in prayer or your mindfulness technique to embody the peace you desire to manifest. 
Doing this removes any unhelpful energy you might be contributing to the situation (fear, anger, judgment) and prepares you to be a conduit for the energy of resolution.
Next, be grateful for this conflict-free peace you have right now. Know that this peace is available also to everyone and everything involved in the situation that you have concern about. Peace in the situation might not exist at present, but it is available to it, and Spirit can resolve the conflict without stripping anyone or anything of their appropriate power.
Now, claim and accept peace for the situation. Know that in your oneness with all life, you have the ability to accept peace for any other part of life. Let yourself be a conduit for peaceful resolution of the situation, releasing all judgment and concern. This doesn’t mean you are to muster up peace to send to others; you simply accept for them, letting peace flow through you without effort.
Once you have done this, remain mindfully peaceful. (Probably the hardest part!) If there is any other action that is yours to take regarding the situation, you are in a receptive state to receive guidance. If you don’t receive a divine nudge to do something in particular, know that your Being an Instrument of Peace is powerful beyond our knowledge, and perfect for you. If everyone were doing this simple thing, think what a wonderful world we would have!
Words of the 12th century Sufi mystic, poet and spiritual master Ibn Arabi.
The inner space inside what we call the heart
Has many different living scenes and stories,
A pasture for sleek gazelles,
A monastery for Christian monks
A temple with Shiva dancing
A Kaaba for pilgrims
The tablets of Moses are there, the Quran, the Vedas, the Sutras
and the Gospels.
Love is the religion in me and whichever way Love’s camel goes that
way becomes my faith
the source of beauty and a light of sacredness over all things.
Life, Spirituality | Nancy | 
August 8, 2014 10:01 pm | 
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