February 10, 2013 – Love Your Enemy–They Showed Us How


2/10/13 Rev. David McArthur
Love Your Enemy—They Showed Us How

The greatest commandment, Love God, is the universal experience found in all spiritual teachings. From Jesus to Krishna, it is the same beautiful teaching.
A most powerful teaching brings this ideal down to our world, and frees us. Yet it is also most difficult: Love Your Enemies. When you are having a difficult time, there is always someone there, denying you what you desire. As Unity students, we know that is not really the case, but still we say, “I know that I should love them, but if I do then I have to roll over and let them continue what doesn’t work.” At times we even go past the outer manifestation to the inner part of ourselves that blocks our good—“I’m too fat, I’m not good enough, etc.” How do we deal with what stops the good in our lives?

Then there’s “turn the other cheek”. We really misunderstand that. If you are experiencing abuse and turn the other cheek, that’s not loving yourself nor the person in front of you. From the sayings of Mohammad, “O messenger of God, how does one help the oppressor?” and Mohammad answers, “By hindering him from doing wrong.” We have an amazing example of “turn the other cheek” in the civil rights movement. The people of Selma chose to love themselves enough to say “no more”, and they loved those who had been part of their oppression enough to say, “no more”. From the Quran, “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better and behold… [your enemy] shall be as if he were a loyal friend.”

When you really love your enemy, there is love for yourself. There is wisdom and intelligence there. It is within the nature of love when we say, “no more”. When that happens there is the most clear, powerful wisdom and you know what to do. You are divinely guided to love yourself and to love that other person. Affirm, “I am love. I am divinely guided.” You are there for one reason only—to free yourself and all involved.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and you can give the greatest gift—you can show up as who you really are! Bless you!

February 10, 2013 – Love Your Enemy–They Showed Us How

2/10/13 Rev. David McArthur
Love Your Enemy—They Showed Us How

The greatest commandment, Love God, is the universal experience found in all spiritual teachings. From Jesus to Krishna, it is the same beautiful teaching.

A most powerful teaching brings this ideal down to our world, and frees us. Yet it is also most difficult: Love Your Enemies. When you are having a difficult time, there is always someone there, denying you what you desire. As Unity students, we know that is not really the case, but still we say, “I know that I should love them, but if I do then I have to roll over and let them continue what doesn’t work.” At times we even go past the outer manifestation to the inner part of ourselves that blocks our good—“I’m too fat, I’m not good enough, etc.” How do we deal with what stops the good in our lives?

Then there’s “turn the other cheek”. We really misunderstand that. If you are experiencing abuse and turn the other cheek, that’s not loving yourself nor the person in front of you. From the sayings of Mohammad, “O messenger of God, how does one help the oppressor?” and Mohammad answers, “By hindering him from doing wrong.” We have an amazing example of “turn the other cheek” in the civil rights movement. The people of Selma chose to love themselves enough to say “no more”, and they loved those who had been part of their oppression enough to say, “no more”. From the Quran, “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better and behold… [your enemy] shall be as if he were a loyal friend.”

When you really love your enemy, there is love for yourself. There is wisdom and intelligence there. It is within the nature of love when we say, “no more”. When that happens there is the most clear, powerful wisdom and you know what to do. You are divinely guided to love yourself and to love that other person. Affirm, “I am love. I am divinely guided.” You are there for one reason only—to free yourself and all involved.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and you can give the greatest gift—you can show up as who you really are! Bless you!

Play

August 26, 2012 – Love is the Most Powerful Prayer

8/26/12 Rev. David McArthur

Love is the Most Powerful Prayer

Whatever is within our awareness is part of our consciousness. This is not always comfortable now that we know we are one with the power that makes us. Remember the good old days when we could blame our problems on someone else? Now it’s, “What is this that shows up in my world?”
Byron and Marsha Smith were shocked when Byron’s MRI came back showing inoperable cancer. He was given a month or two to live. The following day was spent sharing their special memories of their love together. Then friends and relatives remembered them in prayer, including Marsha’s father who told them when he prayed he clearly got the feeling everything would be all right. By going from fear to love Byron and Marsha opened another possibility, a whole other level of power and energy which healed Byron—he was subsequently found to be cancer-free! With darkness gone, full potential was embraced.
Eastern philosophy says this world is transient illusion. The Bhagavad Gita says that for those who love Krishna, he will dwell in their hearts and destroy darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge. But isn’t there something missing, something more?
Jesus went further, saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” He also said, “…as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” When you see someone else with a problem, it is part of your consciousness. So ask, “What is mine to do?” If Krishna is in the heart, who have you loved when you love your neighbor? It is the ultimate experience of understanding and love.
Whatever is going on now in your world where there is a limit—physical pain, poor relationships, financial difficulty—if you choose to love, the barriers will be removed. No matter who or what it is, just send your love. That is the greatest teaching. Then what is there is filled with light. You are divine light. That’s what you are. Call it Krishna, Jesus, or God, it is love. Affirm, “I am divine love. I am transforming my world.” We have work ahead, and it’s going to be fun!

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June 24, 2012 – The Heart Path to the Christ


6/24/12 Rev. David McArthur

There are those who, in great pain, have prayed to Jesus for help and have gotten it. Others have prayed to Krishna and have touched incredible love. Some do not attribute this beautiful, powerful experience to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, and yet their experience is very real. There are those, too, who find deep in their being a voice that says, “Do not put your faith in another. Get about helping yourself!”

Those who call on Jesus call on someone who stepped into the consciousness of the Christ, of that infinite wisdom, an incarnation of God. Is Krishna an incarnation of God? Of course he is! We are all talking about beings of consciousness that have traveled before us and are available to us according to how our soul calls. There are those too that have to do it themselves, but we are all doing the same thing. It’s an awareness of the higher self (Atman) and an awareness of connection with the all, the cosmic soul (Brahman). And it’s ok to get help upon the way.

It’s about learning to love a little more. In her book Love Without End, Glenda Green spoke of her conversations with Jesus. To Jesus, the heart is sacred. He said that it integrates your own unique character with that which is beyond your own comprehension. She goes on to tell us that Jesus said that the highest intelligence is love itself. “Love alone holds the ultimate secrets and solution of existence.” Repeat, “Love alone holds the ultimate secrets and solution of existence.” If you have an experience with Jesus or Krishna, it is love. If you look inside yourself for answers, it is love you have found.

If you want to do it through Jesus, thank God! If you want to do it through Krishna or Hindu chants or through lighting the candles of a menorah, thank God! You are the love of the divine, here, now! Live it! Experience it! Enjoy it!

June 24, 2012 – The Heart Path to the Christ

6/24/12 Rev. David McArthur

The Heart Path to the Christ

There are those who, in great pain, have prayed to Jesus for help and have gotten it. Others have prayed to Krishna and have touched incredible love. Some do not attribute this beautiful, powerful experience to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, and yet their experience is very real. There are those, too, who find deep in their being a voice that says, “Do not put your faith in another. Get about helping yourself!”

Those who call on Jesus call on someone who stepped into the consciousness of the Christ, of that infinite wisdom, an incarnation of God. Is Krishna an incarnation of God? Of course he is! We are all talking about beings of consciousness that have traveled before us and are available to us according to how our soul calls. There are those too that have to do it themselves, but we are all doing the same thing. It’s an awareness of the higher self (Atman) and an awareness of connection with the all, the cosmic soul (Brahman). And it’s ok to get help upon the way.

It’s about learning to love a little more. In her book Love Without End, Glenda Green spoke of her conversations with Jesus. To Jesus, the heart is sacred. He said that it integrates your own unique character with that which is beyond your own comprehension. She goes on to tell us that Jesus said that the highest intelligence is love itself. “Love alone holds the ultimate secrets and solution of existence.” Repeat, “Love alone holds the ultimate secrets and solution of existence.” If you have an experience with Jesus or Krishna, it is love. If you look inside yourself for answers, it is love you have found.

If you want to do it through Jesus, thank God! If you want to do it through Krishna or Hindu chants or through lighting the candles of a menorah, thank God! You are the love of the divine, here, now! Live it! Experience it! Enjoy it!

Play