Dear Spiritual Companions,

I read some words this morning during my quiet time that touched me deeply, “Surrender to life and the Path will be given to you.”  Those are powerful words, but the catch is found in the first word – Surrender.  That is a counter cultural approach to life.  As a child of the 60′s I was raised on counter cultural.  As a Christian we knew Jesus was, but is this what we are called to be?  The Institutional Church and Institutional Religions struggle with this.  I believe the reason surrender is so hard for us is because we have so much.  We have the power and if we give that up what will happen.  I am talking personally, spiritually, emotionally and as a Nation.  We know where we are going.  It is the best we can hope for at this time so why give it up for some other idea or lifestyle?  It may not be as good and may entail giving up a lot.

To surrender in any way is to believe things are not only going to be alright, but they are alright even if we are not in charge.  That is asking a lot isn’t it?  BUT as the last half of the statement says, “The Path will be given to you.”  What happens if the present path we are on is really a delusion?  What happens if we don’t have any power, at least Real Power?  What if what we are fighting so hard to hang onto has no lasting value?  Counter Cultural Folk are the ones who call our worlds into question.  They are walking the talk and so they know what we see as so valuable is a lie.

Those who claim to have the power are the most threatened by those individuals.  Take our ego for example.  No way does our ego want anyone to tell us what we have spent our lives building will end one day. Without our identity we have nothing, which by the way is what happens when we die.  To surrender to the fact we are going to die opens us to another Path, the one that exists after death.  It is the Path to God by whatever Name you call It.   Why do the Counter Cultural Folk have no problem giving their lives for a cause greater than themselves?  Because they know which causes matter and which don’t.  The Path leads to words like these, “there is no greater Love then when a person is willing to lie down their life for another.”  When Gandhi was shot and killed the last thing he did was reach out his hand palm up to his assassin.  Why did he do that?  Because it was a sign of forgiveness toward his killer.  As Gandhi surrendered his life, he forgave the person who killed him.

Maybe forgiveness is the greatest surrender.  Instead of trying to get even or destroy our enemy we are called to forgive them?  Knocks the heck out of War and being number one at all cost doesn’t it.  Leads us on the Path that says, If we hurt another we hurt ourselves and if we care for another we care for ourselves.  In spite of what our ego claims, it isn’t all about us.  Maybe we are encouraged to surrender such self defeating ideas.  The Path jumps up and says, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”  We are called to surrender the notion we are conscious beings.  Now the Path becomes one of becoming Conscious.

What do you think or truly believe?

Peace,

Gary