March 22, 1995

• Communicate by becoming the other

• Appreciate the beauty of nature

God wraps the soul of love around each of you. You are united together in a very special manner. There is special significance in the recognition that you have met for so long as a group, for you have shared much with one another about your own lives and the lives of others who come in contact with each of you. There is, therefore, a common bond which is quite unique. Each of you lives lives that are different from the others, and yet the common bond presents a strength and a perspective which contribute in their own way to your individual lives.

Much of your conversation this evening related to communication, and it is this aspect of the human condition that we wish to focus on most especially. You communicate with your spouses, with children, extended family members, associates through work, and outside activities beyond the scope of the family. You also communicate with yourself. Some of this communication is through your conscience, as you may label it. Your experience in communication therefore must be varied. You cannot communicate with a neighbor as you communicate to yourself, and yet the skills that you develop in the communication to a neighbor are equally important as any other communication that takes place.

When you communicate, it is essential to place yourself in another perspective. You do not talk to another; you talk with another. We find it far too often the case that when you talk to another, there is a sense of place, either talking down or up or across, but there is always a sense of difference between who you are and how you view yourself and the individual to whom you speak. This communication to be effective must allow for you to become the other. There is no way that this can succeed without your being willing to give up a bit of yourself in the process. Communication with another

relinquishing your own position,

really means relinquishing a bit of who you are at that moment.

When you communicate with yourself, when you ask yourself specific questions about life, about what is important, morality, whatever, you must allow yourself the luxury of listening, listening to what insight comes. It is much the same as when you are gathered in this group. You release yourself from the group, allowing the void to be filled by God's presence, expressed in whatever way is appropriate. By insisting on being who you are, you block out the opportunity of real communication.

A loving relationship means letting yourself be reduced in importance and allowing the beauty of another to come forth. This loving relationship is not restricted merely to spouse or other family members. If you are to develop strong relationships with all others, you must place yourself in a position to listen, not to what is necessarily being said, but to what is being implied. Communication really means listening between the lines as one would read between the lines. Seldom do you express in complete honesty your total feelings about a particular issue to another. You give highlights of those feelings, but it is up to the listener to look through what is being said. Your relationships to other people, therefore, must be guided by your capacity to listen, your capacity to diminish yourself.

We are not suggesting that life is to be lived by passive participation, for in reducing the importance of self you are listening and reaching out actively. It is not passive in any sense. Acts of kindness are offered to another in ways that elevate another, in ways that help another, encourage another, strengthen another. The "other" is what is important in this equation. Acts of kindness and compassion are ways of serving another. You cannot serve another unless you are willing to accentuate the value of another and decentralize your own importance.

Self-confidence is not a question here. You do not lose in self-confidence in the act of serving another. You do not become weaker by extending a hand in love or a listening ear. You are actually strengthened by these activities. Your ability to communicate with all others, therefore, is directly related to your ability to confirm the value of another. If you want to communicate with yourself, if you are in the process of "soul searching" as you call it, you must elevate the value of your inner self. You must respect yourself. You must affirm the strength of yourself. In your communication and relationships with others, affirming the value, the importance, the sacredness of another human being is recognizing the true spiritual strength of that other person. You are to confirm the strength of all, the validity of all, the spiritual presence of all.

It does no good to build walls around yourself and from these ramparts issue edicts, opinions that are fully formed without the opportunity for input from others. The breaking down of those walls is a way of strengthening your own spiritual presence and the spiritual presence of another. You must reaffirm the spiritual value of all that is created, even those who act against society, against the rules that society forms that outline decency and morality. Even those individuals merit affirmation, not for what they do, but for who they are. They are the same spiritual entity that you are. You are all a part of the same unity. We have said this on so many occasions, but it is important to again remember.

Often human society lusts for punishment, for retribution, for getting even, for assuring that someone else pays their due, but this is not in keeping with God's design for what human life is to be directed toward. Be willing to affirm the value, therefore, of those whose actions may repulse you. Recognize that all human beings share common needs and fears and objectives, and lock onto that recognition. In so doing, you become more aware of this union of all of humanity, accepting the differences but recognizing the unity.

The springtime is always a period of anticipation, joyous anticipation, for there are signs of growth and renewal, refreshment. Allow that renewal to be a part of your lives, a renewed sense of peace, a renewed recognition of the potential for the future, an acceptance of the transitions that life brings, recognizing that winter always comes but spring always follows. The arrival of spring is a sign of the cyclical nature of life, and these cycles provide you strength and nourishment, for in the spring the seeds are sown to provide a rich harvest.

Life has with it the seeds that provide richness to a spiritual harvest, spiritual strengthening, a spiritual light, a spiritual warmth. The spring is not just the end of winter, but a sign of the bounty to come. Take in the beauty of nature. Take time to observe the minute changes that occur daily on a particular tree or a particular plant. Focus on that tree, focus on that plant, watch it develop, be observant of the detailed changes that take place, and then imagine what takes place in your own life as you become deeper and bloom and flourish. It is a joyous time of year. It is also a joyous time of the soul.

Your lives we see to be blooming. We see great strength. We see reason for much optimism and joy, yes, real joy. All of you are blessed in ways beyond your recognition. Thank God for the changes that take place in that tree or plant, and be equally thankful for the changes that are taking place in your soul. Recognize the changes that are present in your relationships with others. Seek out opportunities to communicate meaningfully, affirming the life of others as you reaffirm the beauty of trees and plants.

Your lives are full of beauty and joy, but you have not been singled out. All humans are blessed with a joy, but that joy must be seen, must be nurtured, encouraged to grow. Even those who are depressed and sick can be nurtured, can be encouraged, can be led to a recognition of their own growth, and that recognition provides the greatest joy of all.

We bless you with God's joy. We bless you with the radiant warmth of God’s light. We bless you with the strength of blooming as you witness it around your lives. God is with you and nourishes each of your lives. Rejoice in that nourishment as we rejoice in your growth!

Amen.