Letter: November 2009

Let us imagine looking out at the seemingly endless expanse of the ocean where there is water as far as you can see. Further, imagine there are no shores beyond, even that there is no beyond, and the ocean goes on forever. Once you have done this, think of removing a drop of water from this vast body of water and inspecting it. The drop has all of the characteristics of the ocean, the same salinity, the same minerals, even the same microbes. For a moment, a brief moment, the drop of water is the same temperature as the surface larger body. It is the ocean in microscopic size. As the drop of water remains separate it will change, the life within it will grow differently from that in the larger body. Because of climatic conditions, and due to its size, changes will occur in the composition of the drop that will not take place in the larger body. The longer the drop remains separated from the larger body, assuming it does not evaporate, it will continue to change. Then let us visualize returning the changed drop to the ocean, slowly, gently and carefully. What had appeared as the edges of the drop when it was outside of the ocean are no longer is present. The drop no longer has size or shape but it has a composition different from the larger body. Simply, the shapeless drop is still unique, it still is, and will always be. Gradually, over an enormous and incomprehensible amount of time the shapeless drop spreads out over the entire sea, and it is the ocean that becomes changed by this process.

We are drops of that infinite ocean from which we were drawn. Having existed forever and will continue to do so. When we had no size or shape we were simply the ocean. However, once given the opportunity to seemingly evolve outside of the whole, through our experiences, through the influence of conditions upon us, we changed and truly became individuals. We will continue to evolve into our unique selves until we are ready to surrender our shape and spread our individuality out across the whole from which we were drawn. We will not cease to exist, we will not lose our consciousness but we will change the whole as the drop changes the entire ocean. However, there is something infinitely more exciting in store for us than this. As we expand across the face of the whole, the uniqueness of the others who surrendered their shape and size will penetrate us as well. We will begin to respond to their uniqueness in such a way that will further transform us. This will go on and on, as we are changed we will change the whole, as the whole is changed we will be changed again.

As long as we wish to see ourselves separate from the whole we will continue to do so. For as long as we fear we will lose ourselves if we lose our size and shape we will retain both. For as long as we fear the ocean of oneness will diminish our uniqueness instead of us transforming it, we will retain those borders that reassure us we are.  However, as long as we keep those borders, we call our ego, around us they will keep of our lives the unique experiences of all of the rest of creation. For as long as we value our personality above our individuality, we keep trap our uniqueness within surrendering for a time the opportunity to become transformed by the uniqueness around us. Because of our borders our individuality remains limited, but when we allow ourselves to be penetrated by the individuality of others we are transformed on an unimaginable scale. We become more than just the sum of the parts of the whole as we surrender those things that separate us from it.

As we go out into this day let us each make a concerted effort to blend our uniqueness in to the world around us. Let us further open our hearts to those we encounter and be thankful that this enlarges rather than diminishes each of us. When we remove those borders in our lives that separate us from our brothers and sisters, we are enlarged immeasurably. Thus we will eventually find ourselves sizeless, and shapeless, spread out across the heart of God.

May God bless you endlessly and may you become reassured you are forever…..

2 Responses to “Letter: November 2009”

1. Clemento says:

   November 3, 2009 at 11:53 pm

   Hmm… I read blogs on a similar topic, but i never visited your blog. I added it to favorites and i’ll be your constant reader.
2. Harvey Green says:

   November 4, 2009 at 7:46 am

   Thank you for your kindness… Harvey