Rev Charli Tupper

When I speak of discerning your purpose, I am not speaking of what we do with our lives as much as the energy through which our lives come into form.  My understanding is there is only one of us, and that one is here to express the fullness of God in physical form.  In order to do this, we must be willing to release our ideas of separation: separation from God and each other.

Love at this level is when we stop berating and thinking harshly toward ourselves and others.  This love is a gift.  It is not something we can earn, or make.  It is innate within us and as we release that which is unlike it, this love becomes manifest through us.Jesus taught that we are to love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

It’s a paradox that as we love ourselves we open to love other greater, when love other we open to love ourselves deeper, and this love that flows through us is the Divine.  Divine Love is the energy that takes us deep and wide, and of which there is no end.  Love at this level is more than being in love or being in a state of acceptance of what is happening.  Love at this level is an energy that expresses through us regardless of the circumstances.  This is the compassion and kindness the Dalai refers to when he says my religion is kindness.

There it is.  The work we are called to do: release that which is unlike love that comes up into our minds.  This may seem like an impossible task when we are talking about circumstances or events that we believe have harmed us, or someone we care deeply for.  In all spiritual traditions, however, there is a call for forgiveness, for healing, and for love.  This forgiveness and love does not condone someone’s behavior that is harmful to others.  This forgiveness and love does not put its head in the sand and pretend something didn’t affect us deeply.  This is a love that has a voice and takes action.  This voice and action come in the form of standing for what I believe, not against someone else.

It is much about intention.  When we set an intention it is more than just a good idea. Intention can be measured in the sense of whether or not we followed through.  Intentions are powerful spiritual tools, because when we don’t follow through, it is apparent.  We may feel uneasy in our belly’s or our critical mind will kick in and tell us where we fell short, or our focus turns toward someone else and what they are doing that we don’t like.  This is a time to be gentle and bring ourselves back on track with our intention, and take action.  This action may be doing a spiritual practice of loving-kindness or Metta meditation.  This action may be engaging in a process that allows you to forgive.  This practice always brings us back to the remembrance that we are all one.  This practice brings us back into the understanding that I am responsible for my thoughts and actions, and as I align my thoughts and actions with Divine Love, my purpose of expressing the fullness of God awakens a little more within each of us.