Vinny Allegrinis Meditation for Action for Justice Sunday 5/17/2009 at The Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist.
For todays meditation or contemplation, were going to do something a little bit different: Im going to lead a short, guided meditation.
I invite you to get comfortable, close your eyes, take a deep breath and exhale. Continue to breathe and focus your attention on your breath as you inhale and exhale and inhale and exhale.
See in your minds eye a little ball of golden sunlight. Watch this inner sunshine as it begins to grow larger and larger, until it now covers the entire inner vision of your mind. That golden light is your spirit, your passion, your intelligence, your love, and your vibrant life force. For some of us, its how we choose to think about god or our connection to the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. For others, it is something different. But, for all of us, it is who we are as human beings together right now. And it is wonderful. Feel this golden inner sunlight radiate through our being.
In 1925 Helen Keller addressed the International Convention of Lions clubs I am only one; But still I am one; I cannot do everything; But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything; I must not refuse to do the something that I can do; Even though the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
Keep your eyes closed and return your focus of your attention on your breath as you inhale and exhale and inhale and exhale. Dont criticize yourself if your mind wanders off. Instead complement yourself each time you notice this, and begin again with love and returning your focus to being fully here, right now.
On November 27, 1978, Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were murdered in San Francisco. The gay community took to the streets in protest, in outrage and in mourning. Holly Near, the social activist, singer-songwriter, and my Facebook friend, wrote what would become our Hymn 170 We Are A Gentle, Angry People, Singing, singing for our lives Its a great song.
But sometimes, being angry people can get in our way. As Unitarian Universalists, our faith calls us to social activism. We are a quirky bunch of strongly opinionated people with a broad range of theologies, but we have a great history of working together for the greater good.
Keep your eyes closed and take another deep breath, and as you release it, feel yourself letting go of whatever fears and worries that you might have been holding on to. The opposite of love is not hate, but fear, and this fear can deaden us. Take another deep breath, and as you release it, feel yourself letting go of whatever anger or hatred that you might have been holding on to. Even the most justifiable anger can be like a cancer on your spirit. Your anger can easily do more harm to you than it ever does to whatever or whomever you are angry at.
Take yet another deep breath, and feel yourself just being, just being here, just being here together with us, right now. Breathe in, open your eyes, feel your rejuvenated energy to be here together right now, to take action for justice, to do good BETTER as Community.
http://MarkandVinny.com
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10 We Are a Gentle, Angry Peopleby FlyByNightPublishing1,220 views
I miss this church. I finally found a great congregation and I wind up having to move in June. I'll definitely visit if I'm in the area again. CCNY is my new spiritual home.
PsychoGemini 2 years ago
"The opposite of love is not hate, but fear, and this fear can deaden us."
So true
UUofQueens 2 years ago 2