That Which Unites Us

On either side of the wall are God’s children and no man-made barrier can obliterate that fact. Whether it be East or West, men and women search for meaning, hope for fulfillment, yearn for faith in something beyond themselves, and cry desperately for love and community to support them in this pilgrim journey.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I had initially intended to write something yesterday using the quote above. I just had a weird day so it took me until today to get back on track.

I also had the thought, is the quote touching on too political a point with what is unfolding in our country right now? The very mention of a wall flares emotions. This quote is sourced from a trip Dr. King made to Berlin shortly after the construction of the Berlin Wall. And the point is not about the efficacy of the wall for its stated purpose. It is a reminder to us all that what is important is the humanity that exists on both sides of any wall. There is no other. We perceive “other-ness” because we compartmentalize our lives to make them manageable.

We have traded deeper understanding for the perception of ease.

Here is what I believe the deepest understanding is… we are all one. One people. One planet. One family. One.

A fundamental premise upon which the entire New Thought philosophy is founded is the divinity of humankind. We are all the very presence of the divine (as is EVERYTHING). How we utilize this is a great gift we have as individual expressions of the unified wholeness. Some use the choice for constructive purposes, and others for destructive.

I am of the firm belief that as we come into his realization more deeply in our lives, we become more accepting of what we perceive as “other.” I have frequently said that when we know who we are, and recognize that everyone else is that too, there can be no phobias or “isms.” To know that we are God is the great equalizer.

So wherever you stand on the side of the wall debate in this country, remember that there is only God, and God exists fully on both sides of the wall.

So in practice today, remember that EVERY face you encounter is the face of something greater. We all make up the whole. Let’s honor, with love in our hearts, that fact and recognize blessings in all our interactions.