I remember looking up at the stars as a child of about seven and having a spiritual epiphany. Of course, I did not know that is what it was, but it was. I just had this sudden awareness that I was part of all that vast beauty and of everything else around me. As a little girl who always felt awkward and out of place, this was a startling and joyous realization. I did belong. I could just feel it.
This new awareness led to a lot of philosophical wondering. Again, I did not know that is what it was, but is was. I wanted to know how big my part in the world was. How much control did I have over what happened? Could I will things to happen with my thoughts? Was everything in my mind, or was my mind a part of everything? Was there any separation at all between myself and the people around me or were we wholly and completely connected? Were the animals as connected to me as the people? What about insects? Were the trees and the flowers and the hills as connected?
I tried to will things to happen with my thoughts and with no immediate positive results I gave up on that idea. I tried to telepathically communicate with animals, insects, and plant life with no luck. I was still curious, but with no seeming way to find answers to my questions, I quickly stopped focusing on them. I was self-conscious of what others would think of me, so I never spoke to anyone about these thoughts. I was afraid they would think I was conceited (that was a word I had learned early and thought meant to think well of yourself or to think you were important or special that that it was bad). I considered myself a Christian, but I was very young it never even occurred to me that answers to my questions may have been found within the Bible or church.
Throughout my childhood the inner knowing that we are all connected stayed with me. At times it gave me comfort, but at others I think it made the separation I felt from others even more painful. I knew in my heart it was false and in my soul I knew that is was not in alignment with my truth, but it was my outer reality. I had one or two close friends at a time and always suspected I was more emotionally invested in the friendships than they, as if they could take me or leave me and be fine either way.
When I was a teenager the feeling of outer separation paired with the inner knowing of connectedness prompted me to turn to my religion for answers. I felt like the answers I found were all contradictory. God would punish us, maybe even kill us and send us to a fiery torture for all eternity if we were bad and didn’t believe in Him and behave as we were told, but also loved us all unconditionally. We were all perfect, but it seemed that rich men were the only ones favored with rights and power. We were all God’s children and created in his image, but Jesus was the One Son and he alone was gifted with God’s perfection.
I began exploring other religions and found one that resonated with me greatly, Unitarian Universalism. There are seven UU Principles. (https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles) Every person has inherent worth and dignity. Human relations should be just, equitable, and compassionate. We should accept each other and encourage spiritual growth. We have a right and responsibility to freely search for truth and meaning. We have a right and responsibility to participate in the democratic process and share our voice. There is a goal of world peace and justice for all. And there is acknowledgment and respect for the interconnected web of existence. The interconnected web of existence. This was right for me. It did not answer my questions, but it validated my beliefs and let me know there were other people who shared theses same values with me, even if I didn’t know where to find them yet.
I was in my mid-twenties when I joined an online UU church and my late twenties before I got to attend a live service. For several years I felt at home with that congregation and the principles still hold true for me. I did eventually feel that the climate had become to political and my search for a more spiritual place to spend my Sunday mornings led me to the Center for Spiritual Living, a New Thought/Science of Mind congregation where they place value on love, healing, oneness, abundance, spiritual growth, service and diversity. (https://cslkc.org/our-roots)
All of my life I have believed that we are all one. I do not doubt this truth. I have found that it runs through the core of almost all religions, including Christianity, I just do not always understand their way of expressing it. I believe that was hurts one of us hurts us all. What is good for one, is good for all. There is no true separation. What is done to one, is done to all. This is the message I ultimately want to spread through my work. This connection is what makes Reiki and other healing modalities work. It is at the core of everything I believe and every action I take. I want to share this belief and I invite all others who believe the same to share it, as well. Let us not focus labels that create false separation, but share our sense of oneness with compassion and understanding for all.