Physically Apart – Together in Heart
Although COVID-19 has limited our physical gatherings and much of our day-to-day activities, it has not separated us in either Spirit or Heart. We have been able to connect through the wonders of technology, including video calls and live streaming church services. Additionally, we have been encouraged to go outside, to walk our dogs, to take walks with people with whom we live. And here is what I’ve noticed on those walks.
There is a peaceful quiet in the neighborhood that feels simultaneously good and somehow foreign. I don’t remember when I’ve felt such a powerful stillness in the city. I suspect it was some lifetime ago, as a child playing in a neighbors yard. It is quiet, the birds are singing profusely, and neighbors are stopping what they are doing to say hello. And not just hello. There is a smile, a look of knowing of one another’s need to feel connected that leaks through that smile and touches my heart. In this time apart, we are truly connected by the heart.
Did you know that when two humans interact with one another, their heartbeats begin to synchronize? It seems that close physical proximity draws our heart energy into a matching rhythm. But this coherence of heart does not have to remain limited to physical proximity.
When we take time apart – not from one another – but from daily tasks, media reports, and worry, by going within to that very same heart space, we connect. We connect with our spiritual being, the divine spark that dwells within each of us. We connect through a network of Spirit that exceeds the Cloud, hosted by the Allness that we sometimes refer to as God, Allah, Spirit, or the One.
In the Allness, there is an infinite connection; each of us is like a strand of Light reaching outward into the world of form and returning back again. In this turning back again, we find rest, wholeness, and a thing called dominion.
In the Book of Genesis, God grants humankind dominion the earth and all the things that creep upon it. The most basic interpretation of this passage reveals a gift, one that allows humanity to rise to the top of the food chain. But there is so much more to this message.
Dominion means the ability to control or govern. Metaphysically, the plants, animals, and things that creep represent thoughts, words, and actions. Thoughts and ideas that are fruitful and in coherence with the Allness produce experiences of abundance, creativity, and well-being. Thoughts out of alignment with the wholeness of God may, when given much attention, create experiences that lack wholeness and well being.
Created in the image and likeness of the power that created the universe, we, too, are creative. Our thoughts, words, and actions create our experiences, the quality of our relationships, and ultimately, our world.
Certainly, fleeting thoughts like “what would happen if a dinosaur entered the room right now?” are not likely to manifest. Why? Because we don’t give those kinds of thoughts, much attention. They pass through our minds, we smile or frown, and then we think something else.
It’s the thoughts we give a great deal of attention to, the ones we allow to occupy our minds and hearts, that produce more of the same. Our thoughts are contagious. They grow and multiply – and they tend to manifest in our bodies, our experiences, and our world. So, why not choose those thoughts carefully, from a higher consciousness?
What if Love and all the ways it harmonizes, draws together, and replicates itself, were our most prominent thought? What if kindness and compassion and the assurance of abundance occupied the most significant space in our minds and hearts?
The thought would become contagious. It would expand and open those channels of Light that connect us one heart to another. The resulting energy would become so strong that nothing could interrupt the flow of Love and Light from one heart to the other. Nothing out of alignment with this integral connection with God would have any power or ability to manifest or replicate. We would be choosing to exercise dominion over all that manifests in the world. We would know that, at times, we may be physically apart, but always, we are together in the heart and mind of God.
© 2020. Eileen Patra.
Eileen Patra is an ordained Unity minister and the author of The Mystical Ark: A Vessel of Blessings. She is currently serving as co-minister of the Spiritual Life Center in Troy, Michigan, and working on her second book, Living as the Ark.
Carpenters and builders use a phrase, “Get a level on that,” which means placing a tool called a level on the surface of cabinets, shelving, and flooring to be sure they are not tipped too far in one 
HOPE is a doorway to the miraculous. HOPE is our ability to expect a positive outcome when there seems to be little evidence of it. HOPE is the first glimmer of Faith that causes us to take action. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment HOPED that she would be healed. After 12 years of hemorrhaging, she saw a glimmer of HOPE in Him and His growing reputation as a miraculous healer. Jesus told her that her Faith had made her well. Faith is HOPE in action. It is HOPE that causes the quickening of Faith, Strength and Will. When we look out into the world and wonder how we can stop the hemorrhaging, it is this miraculous ability to have HOPE that stirs the greater power of the Christ in us to take positive action in order to manifest the peace, harmony and wholeness we wish to see and experience. Through HOPE we know that our prayer intentions are more than just a plea to a chaotic universe. Through HOPE we establish ourselves in the power and presence of the invisible Source of all peace and harmony. We align our minds and hearts with the All-ness of God and our Faith returns us to the wholeness from which we come. Today is the day to have HOPE and move in the direction of this miraculous stimulus for healing
DEW, the moisture that appears on the grass and plants in the early morning hours is a mystery to me; a miracle in a sense. I know I can look up the process and find details about condensation and heat and humidity and such, but still the appearance of DEW in the morning has a magical quality. Where there was no moisture before, it suddenly appears. DEW provides much needed moisture to the grass, the plants and the insect world, appearing when all was dry just moments before. In life, there are miracles like the appearance of DEW all around us every day; the phone call from a friend when we were feeling lonely; the traffic that keeps us from the 10-car collision down the road; the smile of a baby in the grocery store line that reminds us of the joy and amazement of life just when we needed it. Like DEW, these things appear miraculously and satisfy our thirst for connection, safety and harmony. Where there was darkness moments ago, there is suddenly Light and what was dry and thirsting is quenched.
PAINT is a magical, miraculous substance capable of changing the color of an object. A vast variety of pigments and tints can be added to this liquid substance to create a coating of the desired color and hue. Easily changed or even removed in its liquid state, PAINT becomes fixed when it dries. Metaphysically, PAINT represents the thoughts and energy we project into our world and our experiences. We can PAINT our thoughts or experiences in the color or hue of our choosing. We can choose a color that vibrates with joy and harmony. Or, we can choose a color that constricts or vibrates with fear or anger. Thoughts and energies held for long periods of time become fixed and require one or more coats of a new color, or new thoughts. If I have been holding thoughts of fear or anger for a long period of time, it may require numerous affirmative thoughts to change the picture I have allowed to become fixed in my mind. Today, I paint a miracle. I paint the world with shades of Love, Healing, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Faith and Joy and they become fixed in my mind and in my life.
FEAR is not usually considered a miracle. Yet, FEAR has two very different sides or characteristics. There is the FEAR generated by the ego and fueled by outer conditions, past experiences and the collective stream of FEAR consciousness. This FEAR is destructive, immobilizing and is a very long way from what one might consider a miracle. But there is another side to FEAR. FEAR in its intended expression is the voice of inner guidance, intuition. It is a higher awareness calling out and keeping us from walking into the path of an approaching train or speeding vehicle. This FEAR moves us gently out of harm’s way and reminds us to seek inner guidance. It reminds us that we are never alone and that peace and harmony are just one thought, one dimension away. This FEAR reminds us to close our eyes to appearances, close our ears to resounding gongs and clanging symbols, and seek the shelter of Divine Love where wisdom speaks with clarity, harmony and oneness.
MOTIVATION is the inner impulse that moves us forward toward an intended goal or desire. In its most spiritual expression it is the awakened power of Zeal or Enthusiasm directed from a Higher consciousness or awareness. When I am aware of a higher activity at work in my life and in the world I can direct this inner impulse toward a greater good. Many are stirred or “called” to manifest peace and harmony in the world. Few remember that to manifest peace, one must BE peace. MOTIVATION is a miraculous aspect of the human consciousness. It moves us from a state of inertia to a state of activity. Directed by the Christ Mind or Higher Consciousness, filtered through the Powers of Love and Understanding, SPIRITUAL MOTIVATION moves us from a state of desire to a state of Being that which we desire.
Eileen Patra 