“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Each of us faces, from time to time, the loss of something precious to us. In this world of materiality and sense consciousness, it is so very natural to invest value in things that can be lost or broken. If we have invested our well-being or peace of mind in temporary things, we will surely be ripped off by failures that are sure to happen in this time-bound dimension.
There is a better way. It is an evolved spiritual idea, that calls us to recognize a greater dimension of life and Being that is not subject to failure and disappointment. Jesus called it the Kingdom of Heaven. He likened it to a precious pearl of great value; an imminent reality, closer even than our breath. It is a cloud of knowing - a milieu of loving awareness capable of satisfying our deepest yearnings for a fulfilled life. It is accessible to each of us, according to our willingness to know its Presence in us....as us.
This is why we pray, contemplate, or meditate. So that when stuff breaks or wears out, as it surely will, these events might serve to awaken us to a deeper peace and wholeness than earthly imposters would deceive us. Being driven to our knees by life is not such a bad idea. Often times when I'm at my most exasperated self, I finally let go and surrender my willful resistance to life. In those precipitous moments, I am a candidate for greater insight. Even, and perhaps most profoundly, in the experience of loss, I am confronted with the reality of what remains. And what remains when I am stripped of some external accouterment of human life, is the transcendent, ever-present sense of pure being. This is much subtler than our mind can comprehend but paradoxically it could be no more obvious. It is the I awareness of existence itself. It is the I am that I am. It is the most undeniable reliable assurance of our true existence, and it is evidenced by formless, pure awareness.
You and I can take refuge in this sacred place of awareness. Even when life is breaking down all around us, we can nonetheless be safe and comforted here. And by resting in this place of knowing, we can refresh our perceptions, and find innovative and creative ways to deal with life that can ease and bless our days on earth.
Let us rest in the felt sense of our true self with profound gratitude, no matter what we have or don’t have in external terms because what we are, the essence of us, cannot be lost or diminished. We are one with the Infinite Life and Love of Spirit, here and now.
Happy Thanksgiving
Rev. Larry
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