Behind the crises of COVID 19, racial tensions, and profound divisive politics, is there a message the Universe is seeking to tell us? Perhaps so. A song you may have heard, titled "God is Trying to Tell You Something," was prominent in the musical and movie The Color Purple. God, the Universe, The Force, or whatever you want to call this universal intelligence, is always sending us messages to guide us on the path of life. If we choose to listen, we reap the benefits. If we decide not to heed what we hear… well, we're on our own. This guidance does not necessarily come in the form of words but often in an inner knowing and feeling that reminds us there is more in us waiting to be expressed. However, the messages are not always what we want to hear. They may even be uncomfortable for us to follow. After all, the egocentric self has its ideas as to what we should be doing with our lives.
I recall a time on my journey when I got the idea of going to ministerial school. I had been studying the principles of Unity to get my life together. I was coming out of going through my "dark night of the soul" and envisioning my future, when the thought of being a minister popped into my awareness. There was no way I could imagine going down that path. If I were to list a thousand possible things to do with my life, being a minster would not have even been on the list. But once this idea dropped in my awareness, it would not go away. Every day for one year, it would rise in my consciousness, and I would say, “No, no, no!” Then, when a friend and I were chaperoning a group of kids at an amusement park, unbelievably I saw a picture in my mind of me being a minister. An electrical current went through my body, and I realized in that instant that I had to follow through. Subsequently, a series of unforeseen and unplanned events took place that opened the pathway for me to become an ordained minister.
As I look back to that point in time, I came face to face with a message from the Universe, aka the awesome word of God. As I noted, it may not come in the form of words, but it's a knowing that you cannot deny. When a legitimate message from the Universe occurs, it begins to take over lives and we are changed forever. But frequently, we resist it because it is uncomfortable and not in alignment with our plan or what we think we are capable of achieving. It's similar to when Moses was called to lead his people out of Egyptian bondage but felt he wasn't competent because he was not a good speaker. The Universe was telling him to do something that he was uncomfortable doing. Then Moses encountered the burning bush to assure him this was his to do. However, it was unsettling to Moses' ego-self.
Often the message the Universe is trying to us - individually and collectively - challenges us in a way we do not (and would not) challenge ourselves. Within today’s headlines is a reminder there is more in us yearning to express our potential. But we have to face - and go through - the discomfort for the higher expression to happen. Mark Cuban, the owner of Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team, noted that the protests that arose as a result of the killing of George Floyd were forcing us to deal with the discomfort of talking about race. But it’s necessary if we are to be a better expression of humanity. At times the message from the Universe shows up as a disturbing element in our soul. But when we listen and follow through, we come out the other end of the discomfort as better people in a better world.
Peace and Blessings,
James