BREATH
by Barbara Zeman
BREATH
by Barbara Zeman
Posted June 9, 2020 at 2:00pm
George Floyd remembered...
The breath indicates to me that we are alive. We breathe air into our lungs and it circulates through the body. When we take our last breath the body shuts down and all systems within stop. The breath of life ... the RUAH ... animates our presence in this body we call home here in earth. Nothing is more more important to the life of a human being that the breath.
The first breath that a baby takes brings with it the promise that there will be a last breath. No one knows how long we will live. No one knows, really, what makes the breath so critical. But, for someone to be deprived of breath even for a moment causes trauma that resonates throughout the entire body, touching every pore.
What was done to George Floyd touched the nation and the world deeply because it was a profound act of deprivation done to reign in and subjugate a person with no respect for the life it was taking ... without consideration for the rights of anther or regard for the most personal element of our human nature. No one . no one has the right to squeeze the life out of another.
And so I ask, myself ... Why? What reason did someone have for squeezing the life out of an innocent human being? What could have possibly motivated another person to disregard all signs of decency and brutally murder? And then I ask the question that requires no answer ... Did the murderer not know that the life was being sucked out of the victim?
The space between the breaths always anticipates the possibility of it being our last ... the cry of the dying always spills over into the time and space in which it is occurring ... always causes an equal and opposite reaction.
This action, the action of a police officer of privilege taking the life of an innocent person of perceived lesser value, sparked a fire storm that will rage throughout time and space for how long, no one can tell. Symbolically, the breath that was deprived was the breath of everyone. The atonement for that act cannot be measured in rational 'eye for an eye' justice because it was the most obvious ... most clear cut murder a world has even seen. The shock waves began even before it ended and were felt by those tried, without success, to stop the annihilation.
For the first time in the history of the world, the world actually watched a cold blooded murder as it happened ... without recourse... and it took our breath away. It will take far longer than the time it took to perform the deed for the ripples to settle ... for the waves of grief to be quelled ... for the world to assimilate this death blow. This senseless act unleashed the fears of a nation hidden just below the surface and gave permission for the rage of the unheard to bubble up and fill the cauldrons of destruction. It has given new meaning to the word 'helplessness'. How do I respond to my own fears, my own rage, my own anger, my own very real feeling of not knowing what to do ... how to be ... what to think or say except I too feel as though ... I can't breathe.
Luke 23:34 "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
Palm Sunday
When all the palms turn to ashes,
When all the crowds disburse,
When the Way becomes a solo road,
Go within till this storm passes.
When Truth strips all false bare,
When certainty is a thing long gone,
When comfort eludes even the strong,
Love stands alone. Does no one care?
The crown of thorns is others' fear,
The sleepless nights praying for this to pass,
The cross of not knowing brings us to our knees
To reassess that we hold dear.
Go within... be not afraid.
Wave the palms, but know what follows.
Sing hosanna not in a void.
Listen to the heart the Divine has made.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sing a new song. Become the Holy presence that only you can be. Stand tall. Be blessed. Live in the Light. Faith, trust and resilience takes us into the void where nothing is as it was and will never be the same… always forming a new.
Often, Lent like winter seems to last forever. But, transformation doesn’t happen over night. It takes prayer, presence, practice, concerted effort and dedicated single pointed focus to realize who the aliveness is within.
Resurrection happens over and over again, proceeded by death. Each time the Christ light becomes more engrained within, the Spirit grows and stretches just a little more and we bend a little deeper, until we shed the old skin for the last time and walk into a brilliant light. Each time we must die to the old. Let go of that which no longer fits. Change and rebound.
Courage speaks to the heart of the matter. Without it, the Spirit stays stuck in the wilderness. Shed what keeps you stuck. Break free of the dark times, the pain and sorrow and live free in joy.
Live Holy.
Stay Present.
Practice being you.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Fear has no place within the realm of the Divine. Faith, Hope and Love take us on a journey of heart that brings joy, but is not easy to follow. We must travel through the trials of this world looking only to the moment at hand. Each step builds upon the last and has not apparent footing in the next. Who can say what the new bud will look like when it is grown? Cautious steps, slow and steady, bring change, clear sight, long awaited joy. When the scales fall from our eyes we come to realize what it means to trust, to break through barriers, to think and live outside the box.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The Third Sunday in Lent
Find Joy in all things. Harden not your heart to the miracles that show up in every day life. Opt for the greater good when troubles abound. Witness what Christ would do when meeting the stranger and be that witness. Offer a cup of kindness, for you know not to whom you speak. Now, as in every age, The Divine lives within us and the light of joy it brings, grows stronger with each step we take on the road home. The longing inside of us for more … the innate yearning to know our true purpose is satisfied only when we live our lives knowing that the presence of G-D permeates every living being.
Compassion bubbles up from the softened soil that the Spirit tills around the seed planted in our hearts. Welcome the mystery. Step into the void. Proclaim the truth and it will set you free.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The Second Sunday in Lent
High on a hill the Divine revealed Holiness. The presence of ancestors lives within. Beacons of light draw us to a truth far deeper than that which the earth can reveal. Grace opens our eyes to what each needs to know. Each in their own time must leave the comfort of the nest and strike out alone.
Self realization happens without fear. Joy abounds for those who have eyes to see and a willingness to bless and be blessed.
In our brokenness holiness shows up when we least expect it. It speaks to us when we live without reservation … when we let go of judgement … when we share our talent. Love grows if we let go of the fear of being present to those we encounter every day.
Those who have been marginalized … brushed aside … treated with disdain know that empathy brings a relief which shines through tears.
We come from stardust and to stardust we return. We are all connected, all children of G-D.
Be not afraid.
Holiness is already within.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The First Sunday in Lent
Trust that life springs forth, new and fresh in every age. Energy is eternal.
The tree of good and evil live in the law of the flesh. Spirit transcends the law when it realizes the truth. One does not live by bread alone, rather, by embodying the Ten Words of truth hidden deep within … commands for everlasting life.
Jesus prayed and fasted for 40 days. He said, “This too you can do and more.” The Way, The Truth and The Life is within and without. Walk through your fears, from darkness to light, and the path becomes clear. Those 10 words planted in our hearts by God spark the light, gently urging us to believe and follow.
Temptation permeates this earthly plain in every age the same. Will lower energy win out or will Oneness carry the day? During dark times when nothing seems to thrive, to bring joy, know that ‘this too shall pass.’ Take time to breathe in Love. Be not tempted by worldly gains or losses. Truth is: we are only dancing on this earth for a short while.
Truly, one does not live on bread alone. The moment we realize the Divine within, healing begins. Just when our Spirits feel broken beyond repair, God appears and leads the way. We are not abandoned.
even in the darkness, something more lights the way.
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
LENT 2020
by Barbara Zeman
The seeds of Spring are sown long before they make themselves known. In the unknowable darkness they take root waiting for the light. Preparing to become aware, they feed on the energy of that which has gone before, arrival hanging in the balance. Light stretches each fiber of being, pressing against the hardened darkness, causing life to burst forth, just when all seems lost. Light permeates. All becomes electrified, energized and awareness opens doors into the unknown. Spring claims its space. Faith abounds in the hope that life will overpower death and love will find its way into existence.
When all seems lost, as fears close in, something miraculous happens. The will to surrender gives way to an overwhelming spark, igniting the breath of life. But not without death, not without darkness, not without pain.
Ash Wednesday dawns and we remember from where our bodies came. But our bodies, are not our Spirit, Spirit comes forth from the Divine and must return back home to be renewed. Moment to moment the Divine calls in the silence, “Come back to me with all your heart. Don’t let fear keep us apart, Long have I waited for your coming home to Me and living deeply your new life.”
You are not alone.
You are light and loved.
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