Convergence of History

 

I have always believed that the most important factor contributing to who we are is the way in which we conduct our individual lives. Certainly, our genetic makeup, how we were raised and events along our journey all contribute to who we have become. Nonetheless, we have the ability and responsibility to make meaningful decisions about who we are today.

Having made this basic affirmation, I share the widespread fascination with our genealogy.  When I was young, I was told about the Webster line of our heritage, and that I am related to Noah Webster, the editor of the original Webster’s Dictionary. Somehow, that has not influenced my ability to spell.  Honestly, I am very thankful for the spell check feature on my computer.

In 2011, my spiritual journey led me to Quakerism.  Even as a child, I knew that my maternal grandfather was a Quaker and remember seeing him sit and read his bible in the evening.  For some reason which I will never know, my mother did not follow in this tradition.  Instead, she embraced my father’s religion, Episcopalian.

At my first Quaker meeting, I had a deep sense of ‘coming home’.  As I have learned about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), I have realized that I have always held a deep sense of their primary testimonies, simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality.  Furthermore, I have been gratified by the role of Quakers in the abolition movement, underground railroad, women’s rights issues, peace movement and racial and social justice concerns.

My oldest son is quite interested in researching family heritage.  A few years ago, he informed me that our Quaker lineage through my mother’s line can be traced all the way back to the1600’s. It is very possible that my ancestors actually knew George Fox, the founder of the Quaker movement.

I find this fascinating but am not sure what to make of it.  Is it possible to inherit a religious persuasion?  I can’t imagine how.  I am more inclined to think that certain personality traits are genetic, and these may predispose us to be drawn towards particular social or spiritual perspectives.

In complete contrast to this is my paternal lineage.  Dad was born and spent the majority of his youth in Georgia.  Although there was never any talk of it, I always suspected that there had to be some rather unpleasant history there. 

I knew that my paternal grandfather had been a member of the KKK because Dad shared that when he was a young boy, my grandmother took him to a KKK march.  As he watched the procession, he recognized his father’s shoes protruding out from under his sheet and began to shout, “There’s Daddy!  There’s Daddy! I can see his shoes.”, His mother quickly tried to silence him because, although everyone knew who was in the march, the sheets and hoods were supposed to conceal their identity.

About ten years ago, I took a DNA test.  In light of my southern roots, I anticipated the possibility that I had at least a few African American genes floating around somewhere.     To my surprise, the only non-European genes were from the middle east and India.  I was thankful to discover that I wasn’t a total cracker.

More recently, I learned that there are documents indicating that my paternal ancestors were slave owners.  I will admit, I am mortified by this revelation.  I recognize that I am not personally responsible for their actions, but I am deeply grieved by them, nonetheless.

As I reflect on my heritage, it is quite interesting to consider the possibility that during the Civil War, my paternal ancestors were probably fighting to defend their presumed right to own slaves while my maternal ancestors may have been involved in aiding escaped slaves as they arrived in the north. If I had been raised in the south instead of in Maryland, would I be inclined to embrace my southern heritage?  Would I be waving a Confederate battle flag and protesting the removal of Confederate statues?  Instead, I wear a wristband which I designed that reads, “Black Lives Matter to Me.”

Each one of us really is a convergence of history.  We are a genetic soup of dominate and recessive characteristics that culminate into what we identify as ‘me’.  If we take the time to reflect on our origins and who we wish to be, it becomes possible to influence the direction of our lives and perhaps those who will follow after us.  My core belief is displayed at the bottom of each of my emails, “What humanity will be tomorrow depends on who we choose to be today.”

 

Death: The End Of Opportunity

 

Is there anything that you would like to accomplish but cannot seem to find the time to do it?  Is there any relationship that you need to reconcile? Our own death means the end of hopes, dreams, desires and possibilities.  The death of loved ones shuts the door on all of our unfulfilled intentions towards them.

As I age, I am increasingly mindful of this reality as it relates to the death of my parents. Looking back, I now realize that I was so busy dealing with my visual disability, raising a family and just trying to survive that I don’t believe I ever asked them about how my condition affected them personally.  They spent a great deal of money trying to provide me with training and an education in order to support myself, but I’m not certain that I ever took time to thank them.

When my mother passed away in February, 2005, my youngest sister and I began clearing a few things out of the attic and discovered three financial ledgers that had been kept by our maternal grandfather.  We began going through one volume that covered the time of the depression in the 1930’s.  Numerous questions arose but at that point, Mom was no longer there to provide any answers.

When my father died five years later, we completely emptied the attic.  A box of items belonging to my maternal grandmother was among the things we found.  In the box was a leather folding picture frame of a young sailor. I showed it to my youngest sister and said, “I wonder who this is”.

“I’ll bet that’s Oscar” she exclaimed.

“Oscar” I queried.  “Who in the heck is Oscar?”

She proceeded to tell me that he was a young man Mom was engaged to before she married Dad.  Well, as the saying goes, you could have knocked me over with a feather.  I had never heard about this guy before.  Apparently, that was a conversation reserved for girl talk between Mom and my two sisters.

And so, it has gone.  Time and again, I think of questions I would love to ask each of my parents, but those opportunities are gone forever.  I can only hope that my children and grandchildren are wiser than I have been and take time to ask their questions before I am no longer around to respond.

Due to the pandemic in the spring of 2020, I was required to suspend my massage practice for about seven weeks. One of the things I did to occupy my time was to write a brief memoire highlighting key events in my life.  I wanted to provide my sons and their families with a basic record of my journey.  So far, it has not sparked any inquiries from them.  Hopefully, it will help to fill in some of the gaps in the future.

I have been accused of being a workaholic.  If there is any truth in that, it is due to an abiding desire to fill my life with meaningful activities.  Frequently, when I am not engaged in physically doing something, I am reading, and it is generally a book that will increase my knowledge about a wide range of interests.

There is one opportunity that I have determined will not escape my full attention: I try never to end a visit, telephone call or email without telling my family members that I love them.  There may be numerous unanswered questions after I am gone, but whether or not I loved them will not be one of them.

Thank You, Dad

 

My father was a difficult person to know.  I was a young adult before I began to understand the source of his underlying anger and sullen personality. Born in December, 1918, he was an only child and spent his youth in a small farmhouse in rural Georgia with his epileptic father, domineering grandmother and, for a while, his mother.

As far as I can determine, when he was about eight years old, his mother was working as a waitress in a small local restaurant and ran off with a traveling salesman from Baltimore.  At thirteen, he overheard his grandmother say to his father, “You don’t even know if he is yours.”  According to his own words, he thought to himself, “Well, I know who my mother is” and determined to run away from home and join her in Baltimore.

At the height of the Depression in 1931, he snuck off to a nearby town where he sent a telegram to his mother and asked her to wire him $10 so he could take a bus to Baltimore.  Somehow, she managed to obtain the money, but upon his arrival she asked him, “Where did you think I was going to get that kind of money?”  It doesn’t seem like much to us today, but at that time it amounted to a week’s pay for most people if they were fortunate enough to have a job.

Dad did not share a great deal about his life in Baltimore.  I do know that my grandmother had remarried, and Dad had a strained relationship with his stepfather, Brook. Nevertheless, when WWII broke out, Dad’s plan to enlist in the Army Air Corp was threatened when he received a draft notice for enlistment in the regular Army, but Brook intervened by speaking to an acquaintance who was the director of the local draft board, enabling Dad to enter the military as an officer.

During the war, he served as a radar tech on B-29’s, first flying as a crew member from India in raids against Japan and later from the island of Tinian in the Pacific.  This was the base where the flights were launched that carried the atomic bombs to Japan.  I never thought to ask him about his feelings about those events, nor did he volunteer anything on his own.

It is impossible to say how much Dad’s personality was shaped by his childhood or influenced by his combat experience. I never saw him physically violent, but his temper was easily aroused with the slightest provocation.  I do not remember him having any friends or even hobbies.  In hindsight, I think he may have suffered from chronic depression.

He did not seem to enjoy interacting with people.  On several occasions, he mentioned how much he disliked Smalltalk. When he attended church with us, he would immediately go to the car after the service and generally fume over how long it took my very sociable mother to leave church.  Mom predeceased Dad by five years, during which time he could have been involved in an active senior program in his town, but he simply had no interest in associating with others.

He was extremely critical of what he perceived as weaknesses in others or any behavior of which he disapproved or did not understand.  The few times I heard him speak about his father, it was with distain about my grandfather’s tendency to sit in a chair with a shawl rapped around his shoulders due to his poor health.  He freely made disparaging remarks about anyone he disapproved of, including family members.

I have to give Dad a lot of credit for overcoming his personal challenges. Despite his gloomy disposition, he was generally courteous in public and was a hard worker.  He had a long career at the Social Security Administration near Baltimore, Maryland. For several years, he also had a parttime chiropractic practice in our home.

He may not have been the most pleasant person to be around at times, but he was completely devoted to our mother and to his role as provider.  My brother, sisters and I grew up in a very secure home.  Bills were always paid; food was always on the table and there was never any concern about addictions or violence.  In many ways, we were an ideal middle class family.

I am thankful for the way Dad handled my visual disability.  I have never been able to figure out whether his approach was due to wisdom or denial.  My limitation was simply never an excuse for failing to do my household chores or schoolwork. Consequently, I have always had high expectations for myself even as my vision has declined. Through the years, I have often amazed others and even myself by some of the things I have been able to accomplish.

Perhaps Dad’s greatest gift to me occurred unwittingly.  When I was about ten years old, our family went on a rare day trip to Ocean City, Maryland.  It was my first time in the ocean, so Dad instructed me about how to deal with the breakers.  He said that I should never turn my back on them or try to run.  If I did, they would just overpower me and take me under for a sandy and salty tumble. Instead, I should face them, and as they approached, simply dive through them.  It really worked!  What I discovered was that the force of the water would flow around, over and beyond me.

He intended this as a practical lesson, but I have expanded it into my strategy for   life.  I have learned that problems and challenges are only compounded when ignored or evaded.  For me, the proper response is to face the issue, develop a plan of action and press forward.  More often than not, that approach minimizes the impact and the time spent on dealing with it.

If he had presented this instruction as a philosophical maxim, I doubt I would have understood at my young age.  However, it obviously had a huge impact on me at multiple levels.  For that, I will be forever grateful.

After the death of our mother, Dad was more miserable than ever.  Periodically, when I would talk to him on the telephone, he would say, “I must have done something evil in my life.  I am still here.”  When I learned of his death in February, 2010, I was thankful on his behalf because he had been released from his apparent mental torment.  May he truly rest in peace.

What Do Blind People See?

 

Vision runs the gamut from super vision to total absence of sight.  To be classified as ‘legally blind’, a person’s visual acuity must be 20/200 or less in their best eye with the aid of conventional eyewear or their field of vision must be less than 20 degrees in their best eye with the aid of conventional eyewear.  More information about this is available at the American Foundation for the Blind at https://www.afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/eye-conditions/low-vision-and-legal-blindness-terms-and-descriptions?gclid=CjwKCAjwz_WGBhA1EiwAUAxIcc_zUTzmjI5_IbkCjL8SWUiGJXmbB1d4R1z93SYuWl-MgXMso3FRYhoCAGQQAvD_BwE#LowVision_vs._LegalBlindness.

We know that normal visual acuity is 20/20, but what does that mean?  It refers to the fact that a person with normal vision can see things as clearly at 20 feet as other normally sighted individuals can see from the same distance. Many outstanding athletes have superior vision that may be as good as 20/10.  In other words, they can see things at 20 feet that others cannot see unless they are 10 feet away.

If someone’s vision is 20/200, they will need to be 20 feet away from something in order to be able to see it as well as a normally sighted person can see from 200 feet.  This is the minimal condition for legal blindness, but this limited definition does not take into account the numerous visual obstructions and distortions that are produced by various eye disorders. Approximately 15 percent of those effected are totally blind.  The remaining 85 percent see something even if it is nothing more than the ability to perceive light.

I have been dealing with macular degeneration since childhood.  Initially, I could simply not read what my teachers wrote on the blackboard.  Eventually I needed large-print books or magnifying glasses to read text.  Over the years my condition has gradually grown worse.  In the beginning, I was aware of a small blind spot in the center of my sight that prevented me from seeing details.    Progressively, that region has increased and obstructed greater portions of my field of vision.

At present, my world is a distortion of light and dark smudges in various shapes and sizes periodically overshadowed by bright defused clouds of light stemming from lamps, sunlight and other sources of illumination.  In familiar surroundings, I can generally interpret these images and navigate adequately.  In unfamiliar environments, it is just a senseless array of confusion.

While my physical sight is extremely limited, I see my mental challenges quite clearly.  Simply moving around my own home requires a great deal of concentration.  Imagine trying to drive along a winding mountain road in the dead of night with a heavy fog all around. Consider the relief you would experience upon reaching your destination. Similarly, when I crawl into bed at night, I am grateful to be able to close my eyes and simply rest.

When I misjudge a doorway, step or table, I often rediscover the laws of gravity and physics, It really is true that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Those events often generate feelings of anger, frustration and, quite frankly, humiliation.  No, I shouldn’t feel humiliated, but when my forehead or nose strikes the edge of an open door, I do, nonetheless.

I find that I have a strong need to feel useful.  Thankfully, I have been able to manage a moderately successful massage practice for the past eighteen years.  The hardest part is maintaining my schedule. The actual massage procedure comes easily to me because I depend so heavily on my sense of touch. 

I do what I can to help out around the house.  My loving wife offers guidance, expresses gratitude for my efforts and silently endures my blunders.  Thankfully, a significant amount of housework does not require much visual detail.  I can easily empty the trash, fold laundry, load and unload the dishwasher and feed our pets. I even manage to do a little cooking.

Like most people with disabilities, those with visual limitations see a wide range of social challenges.  I know a woman who is totally blind.  She sums up her experience at social events as “park her, feed her and leave her.”  I don’t get the impression that it really is a complaint on her part, merely an observation of reoccurring events.  I told her it sounds like a legal firm, but I know exactly what she means. 

Personally, I feel very comfortable with this approach.  Upon entering a social gathering, the first thing I want to do is find a place to sit down.  It takes me out of the flow around me and offers a sense of stability.  I like to eat, so I’m always thankful for a plate of food as long as it is easy finger food and doesn’t include dip, toppings, or anything else that is messy.

Furthermore, I don’t expect anyone to feel obligated to entertain me.  We are there for social interaction.  It would be selfish for me to expect my wife or anyone else to babysit me.  I am generally quite content to listen to the conversations I overhear. Depending on the size and setting of the event, I occasionally am able to join in.

Engaging in dialog in a restaurant or large gathering is challenging.  Sighted people have numerous visual cues to aid in the interaction.  Facial expressions, body language, hand gestures and the ability to watch the movement of lips as people talk all supplement what is being said even when the voices may not be fully heard.  Without those cues, much of the interaction is easily missed.

In small groups, I try to engage in conversations.  I am aware that I occasionally commit social gaffes, but my friends are quite understanding about that.  In larger settings, I prefer to remain quiet and avoid misdirecting the dialog.

Communication is often awkward for those who are blind, but it is also challenging for those with limited experience interacting with people who have disabilities.  Is it appropriate to say, “It’s good to see you?”  Of course, it is, and I will probably say the same.  For a sighted person, the expression may be literal.  For me, it is figurative.

In restaurants, food servers are notorious for taking orders from everyone in the dining party and then gesturing toward one who is disabled and asking the rest of the group, “What does he/she want?”  In those situations, my wife often says, “Honey, she is ready for your order.”  In one restaurant we frequented, she told the server my name so that she could direct her questions to me personally.

I see myself as an educator.  For those who don’t know how to engage with people who are blind, I try to kindly inform them so they will be able to do better in the future.  Frequently in medical offices, I ask aides to allow me to take them by the elbow so they can lead me to a treatment room.    In subsequent visits, I often find that they take the initiative to offer their elbow without me having to ask.

 

I think that most people want to be helpful but aren’t sure what to do or how to act.  My task is to supply that information in a way that will encourage their natural tendency.  Being angry or belligerent will only make them want to run in the opposite direction the next time they encounter someone with a disability.

Perhaps the most important thing that blind people are ideally suited to see is a lesson that has been taught by most spiritual leaders over several millennia:  who individuals are is far more important than how they appear.   Certainly, we are capable of being superficial in other ways, but jewelry, apparel, facial features and body shape are less likely to influence our initial perceptions about those we encounter or distract us from personal development.  Thankfully, physical limitations do not restrict one’s effort to nurture a meaningful inner life.  Conversely, fashion and beauty are multi billion dollar industries that too often mask severely damaged souls.  This is one area where blindness might actually be a blessing.

What do blind people see?  Physically, that varies widely based on the nature and severity of the visual disorder.  In life, we see how demanding things can be in order to attain even a moderate level of success.  Within ourselves, we see whether we possess the courage and determination to prevail. Mentally, creatively, socially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually our perceptions are 20/20 and, for some, perhaps 20/10.

Don't Help To Re-elect Our Current President

 

I am a seventy-year-old white guy who reached adulthood in the late 60’s and early 70’s when there was a general feeling among the youth of our nation that, like today,  we were on the brink of a new age of social awakening.  In 1979, as a Pentecostal pastor, I founded a church in southern Maryland that had a congregation that was predominately black and ministered there until 2001.  Now, I am a Quaker and recently designed a wristband with black and white hands shaking, the words, “Black Lives Matter to Me: and a red heart with a peace sign in the middle to proclaim a commitment to racial justice and harmony in a spirit of peace and love. I am only presenting this to say that as much as I am able, I understand and welcome the peaceful aspects of the BLM movement.

I am, however, deeply concerned that those who are caught up in aggressive/violent protests do not recognize that they are playing right into the hands of our current president.  Fearmongering is his primary tactic. It is what propelled him into the White House and is already evident in his political advertising this year. Engaging in acts of destruction is spreading fear among many citizens who might otherwise support a progressive agenda and allowing him to present himself as the only means of restoring law and order.

Consider the accomplishments of those who ‘fought’ for racial equality in the latter half of the 20^th century.  Their foundational commitment was to non- violent civil disobedience.  Their possession of the moral high ground was radiantly clear as they suffered injustice while maintaining a spirit of patience and love.  Their efforts led to passage of landmark civil rights legislation and prepared a path straight to the White House for our first African American president.

Your outrage over systemic racism and police brutality is completely justified.  However, we live in a democracy ruled by laws enacted by elected representatives.  Protests may provide a voice for the disenfranchised, but the election of politicians who share those concerns is the way to bring about meaningful and lasting change.

De you feel a need to do something.  If you must protest, take the wind out of Trump’s sails and do it peacefully.  If you want to be even more effective, channel that energy into voter registration efforts and create a voting block that is focused and powerful.  Coordinate transportation resources for election day that will ensure that everyone has a way to get to and from their voting location. If you live in a state that supports it, help your family members, friends and neighbors utilize early voting or mail-in ballots.

It has been said that in a democracy people get the government that they deserve.  In 2016, voter indifference allowed racism to usher Donald J. Trump into the highest elected office in our nation. I pray that we do not repeat this mistake.  Let us make every effort to ensure that this year we elect individuals who will faithfully work towards a time when there is truly freedom and justice for all.

We must embrace the final message from our recently departed national treasure, Rep. John R. Lewis.

“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.

You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others.

Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.

When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So, I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.”

Christmas

To celebrate or not to celebrate, that is the question.  As a nontheist, is it better to abstain from participation in all forms of religious observances?  Or, is it possible to embrace the sentiment of the Christmas season without endorsing the supernatural beliefs associated with it?

I fear that it is possible to become so enamored with and restrained by our intellect that we deny ourselves the immense joy of merely experiencing life.  I don’t want to wind up like Ebenezer Scrooge, sitting alone on Christmas eve eating a bit of stale bread and a small wedge of cheese while railing against the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.  Surely there is some way to join in the festivities and warmth of fellowship with family and friends with the full knowledge that it is all about community, not deity.

The Christmas story embodies some of the most profound hopes and aspirations of the human heart.  It reverently affirms the sacred potential implicit in the birth of an innocent child whose destiny  is one of personal sacrifice to bring about reconciliation and world peace.  The significance of this was acknowledged by the learned and wealthy wise men and the lowly shepherds, alike.  How different our world would be if each newborn was greeted with such anticipation and nurtured to embrace that noble mission.

So, with this perspective in mind, bring on the religious services, the choirs and flickering candles.  Send the cards bearing the messages of love, joy, hope and peace.  String the lights; ring the bells; erect the trees; and hang the decorations.   Find meaningful ways to gather together and share the essence of the Christmas story.  Drink hardily from the joy expressed in the wide-eyed anticipation of the children.

Finally, I would like to say Merry Christmas, Jesus; Merry Christmas, Tiny Tim; Merry Christmas, Ebenezer; Merry Christmas to all of my theist and nontheist family and Friends/friends; and may the universe bless us, everyone. 

What About God? - Part III of III

There is a cosmic mystery that is absolutely perplexing in which we play some sort of role.  It is generally referred to as synchronicity.  For those who may not be familiar with the term, it refers to related events that occur without a causal connection.

An example might be helpful.  Let’s suppose I am thinking about a friend who I have not been in contact with for many years, and he suddenly calls.  The two events are my thoughts and his call.  They are related, but neither caused the other to happen as far as we know.  This would be considered a synchronistic occurrence.

Some might suggest that this is no more than a random coincidence.  However, what explanation do we offer when these types of events occur frequently and with high levels of improbability?  How do we dismiss a phenomenon that is so ubiquitous that it has been recognized in every culture throughout the ages?

Numerous books have been written on the subject of synchronicity.  Some consider this the intervention of God.  Others view this as some form of cosmic consciousness.  Although I recognize the validity of this aspect of reality and experience it on a regular basis, I have no idea what the source is. 

I am not troubled by our current inability to empirically validate the authenticity of this phenomenon.  Long before science identified the existence of viruses and bacteria, people recognized that there was a connection between cleanliness and disease.  We still don’t know precisely how gravity works.  Nevertheless, we acknowledge its existence and can now precisely measure its influences.

At present, the evidence of synchronicity is purely anecdotal.  I would have to write extensively in order to convey all of these types of experiences I have had personally.  Instead, I will share just one that illustrates why I acknowledge something that I cannot explain.

In August of 2002 I was licensed as a massage therapist and set up practice in a small shopping strip in February of the following year.  By May 2004, I had developed a clientele that was sufficient to pay my bills but did not generate any significant profits.  At that time, I was reading a book that promoted the idea that our thoughts can influence events.  Skeptically one afternoon I sat in my living room and briefly and silently directed my desire for more income towards the universe.

Within thirty minutes I received a phone call from the executive director of a non-profit organization called Alternative Medicine Integration (AMI).  They were part of a pilot program in Florida that administered funds for alternative medical services to Medicaid recipients who had chronic back pain.  The director informed me that he was seeking massage therapists in my area and was calling to see if I would be interested in becoming a provider.

As he explained the program, I learned that they would refer clients to me to receive treatments twice each month.  Furthermore, the compensation they were offering was twice the amount that I normally charged.  They were seeking practitioners with at least 3 years of experience; however, even though I had been licensed for less than two years, I was invited to participate anyway and eagerly accepted.

The details are so specific that the synchronistic nature of this event is undeniable.  Similar experiences both prior and since have convinced me that there is some organizational force at work in the universe that we do not currently understand.  It is not something I can summon at will, but neither am I surprised when it occurs.

Synchronicity certainly offers the impression that someone is observing and responding to our needs.  Undoubtedly it lies behind the extensive belief in the importance of prayer and innumerable forms of religious observances.  However, these providential events occur despite any particular belief or ritual.  If this is God, She is acting with complete indifference to our theology.

Any positive fulfillment of an appeal to higher power tends to affirm the validity of one’s cosmic perspective.  One person prays to the Virgin Mary.  Another makes an offering before a Buddhist statue.  A third merely issues a silent appeal to the universe at large.  As events reveal an apparent response, there is an assurance that they have followed the proper path.

Often, needs are met, and issues are resolved in extremely detailed and specific manners.  But, is this actually evidence of God? Is it possible that there is an organizational field that can be accessed which is capable of directing events in our lives without any cognitive awareness?

It is challenging to conceive of an organizational force that is not directed by some form of intelligence.  Here, ancient Vedic teachings may be of some help.  Beginning thousands of years ago, yogis taught that the human body is a microcosm of the universe.  Considering that simple observation offers significant insights.

We make many decisions with the use of our intellect.  Nonetheless, our very existence requires no thought at all.  The cells, tissues, organs and systems in our bodies function in a harmonious rhythm completely independent of our cognitive direction.  In fact, if we had to rely on remembering to breathe and maintain the rhythm of our heart, most of us would be dead within an hour.  Furthermore, we wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else.

What is true of the human body applies to all life forms.  From the simplest cell to the most complex ecosystem, completely natural processes function throughout our global biosphere without any cognitive direction.  Indeed, our entire planet demonstrates this self-directed inherent order and balance.

Is synchronicity simply one more expression of this natural tendency to achieve homeostasis?  Perhaps these synchronistic events are not intended to meet our individual needs.  What if we are merely being positioned to fulfill our role as an integral aspect of the greater fabric of existence.? 

Considering the role of synchronicity in our lives and the world at large is fascinating, but contemplating the implications on a cosmic scale leads to unanswerable speculation.  Is it possible that this organizational force is the underlying factor driving the progressive complexification presented in chapter 4? Is it responsible for forming matter, generating life on the earth, spawning complex organisms, and stimulating the development of human consciousness?  If so, the universe is probably filled with various life forms, some of which may exhibit intelligence equal to or exceeding our own.

If someday we encounter extraterrestrials, it will be interesting to find out what insights they may be able to provide regarding our unresolved cosmic questions.  What will they think of the violence associated with so many of our philosophical differences.  Is it possible that they will delay any contact with our species until we reach a higher level of social development? Will their culture have a religious history?  What will they be able to tell us about their understanding of God?

Does God exist?  If we can avoid rendering our planet uninhabitable, in a thousand or perhaps ten thousand years we may have a more definite answer to that question.  For now, what is certain is that we must grant to others the same right we wish for ourselves, that we are free to believe what satisfies our mind and comforts our heart.

If we fulfill the essential teachings of religion, we will love one another and live in peace.  If we embrace the synergy at work in the universe, we will acknowledge our interconnection and interdependence and seek to develop mutually supportive social relationships.  The results are potentially identical, a global community that is founded on mutuality.

Our existence may be due to the actions of a deity or merely a natural event.  If God exists, it is rather certain that He is far different than those conceptions formulated thousands of years ago.  As we grow in our knowledge about the universe, our challenge is to remain open to whatever insights may await us as we discover what it means to be at home among the stars.

Reflections:

-         If you were God, how would you make the world better for mankind?

-         If we all worked together, how could we bring about those changes without divine intervention?