Race does not exist with spirit.
May 19, 2008
God bathes your soul’s light and loving presence. You do reflect that light; you do reflect that presence. All human beings are illuminated through God’s light as it is reflected by others. In a way, you are aware of that light, but in a very real sense, it is because of human intention that God’s light is spread about. It is because of human intention that God’s love is given life. The light is always there, and each of you always will be in a position to reflect, to absorb, to be warmed, to be comforted, to be affirmed, to be strengthened.
There is a kind of difference, in your terms, between soul and spirit. Each of you has a soul. It is your soul that accompanies you on your human journey. God’s presence is as Spirit Center, as we often refer to it, but in addition to the Spirit Center, there is the light that is reflected. And the light that you reflect, the light that others around you reflect and that illuminates your own lives, is the light of spirit. Your soul has light, and when the light from your own soul emanates outward, it becomes part of spirit.
Words are always confusing, for words can always be misunderstood. For so many religions, the terms spirit and soul are used interchangeably. That is of course okay, for the benefit is actually in the recognition of God’s presence, and your response as a result of that recognition. If you feel more comfortable thinking of that reflection as a manifestation of your own spirit, that of course is fine. But the reflection that we see is a combination of what you receive and place around you and before you, and the light that comes from your own individual soul. It is the individuality of that light that we use to identify you. That light, that individuality of radiation, is unique to all that exists.
A stone is warmed by sunlight and chilled in the darkness, but still sends out a light, for what is light but energy? What is human life but energy? What is the soul that is within each of you but energy? What is the spirit that surrounds you, that gives meaning to love, but energy? All is energy. Some forms of that energy are visible. Some forms are only seen by us. There are human beings who claim to see the aura of another. For some, that claim is truthful, but what is seen is only a part of the aura. The aura that we see extends far beyond you.
When you pray for someone on the other side of the world, your aura extends to the other side of the world. When you pray for your neighbor, your aura finds the neighbor, and the neighbor’s own light is enhanced by the energy that you have sent forth. For us, therefore, the aura is far greater and more complex, more far-reaching, in your terms, than the aura that may be seen by some.
Certain energies are indeed visible, but the vast majority of the spirit energy of which you are a part cannot be seen. Not everyone’s sensitivity to visual energy is the same. You know examples where this is the case. There are many who find it difficult to recognize certain colors that you may see and identify with great ease. Just as there are those who are color-blind, there are those who are capable of receiving visually the energy waves of a more expanded spectrum. But what human beings can see is merely a small part of the aura that belongs to every human being.
Your colors change as your mood changes. Your energy is different as your mood changes. You understand that when you are angry, that energy goes out, and that energy mixes with others. That energy extends far beyond what you can see with your eyes. It is negative energy, and that negative energy is visible to us. We know when you are filled with worry, anger, despair—whatever negative energy you identify. We see that. We don’t look for a smile on your face or a tear that drops down the cheek. Those are just physical manifestations of more profound energies. We know when you experience despair because of the color, the energy that you radiate.
It is not important to us whether an individual is male or female, whether an individual is black or white. Race does not exist with spirit. Race does not exist as a component of the soul contained within the body. What you perceive with your own eyes is precisely what is unimportant.
You see a mountain and you may be awed by its presence. We see the energy that creates the mountain. We see the energy that is reflected by the mountain. We see the impact of that energy on your own energies. Some individuals are inspired by mountains; some are terrified. The mountain is the same. It is only experienced in an individual manner. There is no change to the mountain whatsoever. Since the mountain itself does not change, it is not what is important. It is what the impact of the mountain has on each of you.
If you experience life by appreciating its beauty, the large and the intimate, then you are exchanging energies with the world around you. If you proceed along your path of life essentially oblivious to what surrounds you, then your energies, your auras, will reflect less. You are always asked to be aware of and to pray for those around you and for those within your awareness, but you are also asked to be aware of and to be willing to exchange energies with all that surrounds you. You feel that poignantly when your world is filled with color and beauty. You feel it much less intensely when you are surrounded by what is gray, dark and depressing or threatening. It is God’s intention that you take in all that you experience, what is beautiful and what is not, and allow that to become part of your own energy, your own spirit. Allow your soul to direct your lives so that spirit is enhanced and reflection is assured.
The question of aura, therefore, is actually a much deeper issue. It is not really important that you see the aura, but rather that you know that your energy is essential in its interaction with the energy around you, and that you have within your capacity the opportunity to expand what is good, to expand what is light, to expand what gives life.
On many occasions you have opportunities to interact with those who experience disappointments. It is not your place to ask another whether they are disappointed. It is for you to be open to what is shared and to respond with light, a light that is loving and accepting. Every individual carries what you often refer to as “baggage” in their lives. The simple greeting of “how are you” belies what is really being asked, what is really being offered. You don’t ask frequently “how are you” and expect an answer in great detail about some affliction or some matter of importance. When you greet another with “how are you,” you are providing an environment that encourages another to share as he or she wishes. You are really saying you are being open to listening. That is all you can do between people, to always say, “I’m open, I’m listening, I wish to help, I’m receptive.” That’s the environment you create, and if another decides in that environment to step into the opportunity and to share what’s on his or her mind, that’s fine. How often is it that individuals wish to share what is on their mind and in their heart, and you do not wish to listen because you are preoccupied with concerns of your own? The challenge of human relationships which is applied to a much broader field as well is the challenge of being open, of being receptive.
When you gather to learn from your guides, you are open, you are willing to listen to what wisdom your guides share with you. It is that sense of openness which should in turn guide your own relationships with others. It is that same approach that applies in dealing with relationships on a much larger scale—between groups of people, between regions, between religions, between nations. It is openness that is critical. You cannot respond with love if you don’t hear what is being asked. Sometimes individuals do not ask. They demand, they state an opinion, or they carry themselves in a way that says much about them. By being open to these various cues you are providing yourself with an opportunity to respond. This is important as you interact with all human beings.
Be open with your heart. Be open with your eyes. Be open with your ears. Be open with your arms. Be receptive, be loving, be ready, but never be closed, for when another expresses a need it may not be expressed intentionally. It may be a glance, it may be a gesture, something subtle. Being loving means being open to these subtle energies that are sent out in all directions. This is the way you respond to all with whom you gather in your daily activities. Some individuals insist on prying, almost meddling, into the affairs of another in the hopes of trying to be helpful. But that never works.
If you pray for peace, however that is manifest, be open to the cries for peace and respond through prayer. That prayer may lead to action. It may lead to further listening. It may lead to merely being there, but your prayers will always give you direction in your response to others.
You are loved by God and you must be open to recognize that love. It does no good for us to say you are loved when you keep your heart, your ears, your eyes, and your arms closed to that. The loving energy that is God is always present, but for you to benefit by that presence you must be open. When you pray for another, regardless of how that prayer is voiced, you are really praying for openness. If you pray that another is open, that individual will be open, for your energy, your aura immediately goes to the one for whom you pray and the impact is immediate. Even when you are not directly aware of any good having come from that prayer, it has made an impact. It has made a difference. It has strengthened and affirmed another. You are not imploring God into action. You are merely opening another to the presence of God that is already there. Energy, prayers, openness all belong to the human experience.
When you are frustrated or fearful or angry, accept those moments. You are not expected to live without experiencing that. Allow yourselves to be discouraged or fearful and then take that discouragement, take that fear and use it as a motivation to be open to God’s light and the heavenly energy that you all seek, and you will always be fulfilled.
You are blessed as you are fulfilled. You are blessed in your tears and in your laughter. Life is good because life is always accompanied by light. You are blessed in your efforts, and we are blessed in your acknowledgment. We pray for you in the same way that you pray for others. We magnify the light through our reflection of God, and you magnify the same light. We share this blessed giving together.
Amen.