Coming together to celebrate ourselves and our unique spirits
If you have studied theology and are somewhat familiar with the major religions of the world; or if you were raised Christian/Muslim/Jew in a family that practiced their faith; or if you are familiar with the New Testament for whatever your own reasons may be; then you are undoubtedly aware of the “I AM” passages that are a centerpiece of the relationship you have with the god of your understanding. “I am the way…I am the light…” and so forth.
If you are one of the above “followers,” then you are no doubt discouraged about the myriad headline-grabbing, tumultuous happenings of organized religion.
Serious concerns such as diminishing attendance; younger generations eschewing their parents’ “old school” (Old Testament?) teachings for more relevant and open-minded congregations that teach of God’s love for all living things, including all humans, inclusively, without judgement; the decades-old and exhausting debates around women’s rights and homosexuality in the church—conversations that always seem to include the intensely judgmental and impossible admonition to “hate the sin but love the sinner.” (Is the holier-than-thou, superior attitude of that phrase completely lost on those who use it?)
And of course, the familiar headline-making child sexual abuse scandals that run rampant in, among others, the Catholic church.But the “I AM” that I want to share with you here comes from a different perspective, a different direction. A kinder, gentler direction, if you will.
The philosopher Rumi said, “I belong to no religion. My religion is love. Every heart is my temple.” The Dalai Lama said, “My religion is kindness.”For the healers, alternative wellness professionals, non-denominational spirituality followers; those who hug the trees and howl at the moon; people who believe in the energy that is shared by all creatures great and small, especially from Mama Earth herself; and those with the ability to use that energy for healing and peace—for the hurting individual and global well-being alike; and on and on, “I AM” is considered to be the most powerful phrase in the universe. Consider the following:
“I am about love, and the healing power of love. I am in the path of abundant goodness that is heading my way. I am sending my thoughts of care and wellness to friends, strangers and loved ones. I am sitting with gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I am envisioning and co-creating my reality as I go. I am responsible for my own choices. I am available to those in need. I am in love with my dog!”
These words, free of religious dogma, are just the beginning of a life ready to be well lived, and the goodness inherent in all human beings, goodness ready to be shared. Without judgement, without condition, and without the prerequisite to “believe as I do.”
Many of my own loved ones attend church regularly. They are sure to choose a church that chooses them, and their loved ones. Homophobic? They’re outta there. Don’t allow women to hold high office? Buh-bye. Preach about a punitive god? Movin’ on.
Interestingly, all the major religions of the world have, at their core, the same shared values. “Treat your neighbor as you wish to be treated,” for example. And they all share their own particular version of the “I AM” belief.
For those staunchly committed to their beliefs, with no room for new information, no permission to question the pulpit, and too much fear to allow themselves to peek, with genuine interest, into someone else’s spiritual window, this must sound like New Age woo-woo, or some sort of hippy paganism, or atheism.
Or, as fundamentalist worshippers believe, these are the words of those who are headed for the fiery pits of hell, while they, of course, are headed to the pearly gates for the after-life rewards that they, and not the hippies, so richly deserve. To which I say, Good luck, St. Peter.
Side note: Paganism, you’ll recall, pre-dates Christian holidays with parallel holidays of their own, celebrating Nature, the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the spirit that dwells within each of us. This was accomplished and celebrated with peace-loving freedom, without judgement or exclusivity.
And although gravely misunderstood in modern society, most Pagans will tell you that their spirituality is all about love, diversity and acceptance. No wars were started by Pagans.
And so, “I AM” perhaps more than any other phrase, refers to the connection we all share with our Higher Power. The “God within,” if you will. I suggest to you that it therefore also refers to the connection with each other, with the energy of the universe, with all living things, without exception.
I AM means we all are. I AM means that I am you and you are me, and we are all Spirit. Except for the diverse vessels we inhabit, we are one, with many more similarities than differences.
We are the universe expressing itself as human. Or as tree. Or as dog, cloud, apple, wind and rain. We are the brothers and sisters from the same Source. We are walking on the ground that our ancestors walked on, and all breathing the same air. All of us, including the hippies, unwed mothers, so-called immigrants (aren’t we all?) and gays.
The topic of I AM seems timely right now, in our little scenic city, on the morn before our LGBTQ Pride festivities. Because if anyone knows of the pain of not being part of the accepted, celebrated and honored fellowships of the world, it’s gay folks.
To brush up on your gay history (and if you’ve missed The Pulse “Pride” articles over the years), here it is in a nutshell:
New York City and San Francisco are the LGBTQ civil rights grandfathers. It was a brave and fed-up drag queen at the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar, who threw the first fateful punch on the night of Judy Garland’s death in June of 1969. Judy was an icon.
Community grief was palpable. And the police had organized yet another raid on gay bars in the city. Enough was enough. Police stormed in, batons swinging, and were met with an angry, grieving bunch of queens. Thus began the “Stonewall riots” and the modern gay rights movement.
Fast-forward a few years and San Francisco saw the election of Harvey Milk, a visionary civil and human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.
His commitment to authenticity gave never-before-experienced hope to LGBTQ people everywhere at a time when the community was still encountering widespread hostility and discrimination.
His career was cut short when he was assassinated a year after taking office by fellow Supervisor (and noted homophobe) Dan White, who also killed S.F. Mayor George Moscone that same day.
White was acquitted of murder charges and given a mild sentence for manslaughter, in what became known as the “twinkie defense”—eating too much junk food that day.
It’s interesting to note that in ancient tribal civilizations, gay men and lesbians were considered healers, shamans and sages. What has evolved since those ancient cultures is the painful experience of the gay community knowing full well what it’s like to be wounded on many levels, and to receive messages that foster a lack of self-esteem.
The LGBTQ community understands the inherent wrongness of being treated as second-class. Gay drums beat differently—more creatively?—out of necessity, and that, perhaps, has always been a saving grace.
And thanks to a long history of struggle, we can now look at marriage and the growing voice of the transgender community as examples of positive global change.
We mustn’t forget the undulating sea of pink hats, where gay/queer/bi/trans and allied women hold prominent seats at the table, a round-table of ideas mixed with the fortitude to get greater numbers of progressive-thinking women to run for politics than ever before in history.
This despite, or because of, having to deal with a sociopathic administration intent on undoing our nation-wide progress. Two steps forward…
Here’s what queer history teaches us: We have tremendous power if we choose to use it. Literally and figuratively, we heal one another through community.
So those so-called “New Age” spiritualities (which are actually ancient), and the tree-hugging, loving and progressive theologies are indeed on the rise, and many of the conservative, non-accepting religions are indeed scrambling to keep their flock, finding themselves falling on the wrong side of history with a loud Biblical thunk.
What’s our take-away from all this?
Perhaps you can let these ideas provide a springboard for your own spiritual evolution. Let ponderings happen, let conversations commence. Let your own open mind and heart encourage open minds and open hearts to flourish. Let belongingness be the bell that sounds, the ringing in our ears each time we encounter a stranger or loved one alike. Be the change.
And above all, I encourage you to know, deep in the center of your being, that no matter what atrocities or rejections, abandonments or abuse you have encountered, “I AM” applies to you, too. I am, we are…and everyone belongs at the table.
Until next time, I want to leave you with these further thoughts to ponder:
“I’ve been a monk for 65 years, and what I have found is that there is no religion, no philosophy, no ideology higher than brotherhood and sisterhood.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“Family is not about blood. It’s about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.”
“Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be.”
Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com