It is widely known that the optimist sees a glass containing water to the halfway point as half full, and that the pessimist sees the same glass as half empty.
From the Hebrew scriptures we read and understand that the Psalmist views any glass in the light of the absolute and unchanging Truth, as evidenced by Psalm 23: 5 that reads “…my cup overflows.”
A colleague of mine of views his own impending demise through the same lens of the absolute and unchanging Truth. He told me when I expressed concern and offered spiritual support, “Birdie, I see nothing but God here, this is a spiritual piece of cake.” He went on to tell me how he appreciated the tender care his daughter was providing him and of the love of his family.
You’ll notice something, though – at no point did my friend state that his impending demise was a physical piece of cake. I’m sure he has painful times - the full gambit and range of emotions as well.
As I share today’s reflection, please don’t take away from it that I endorse stoicism, or covering up suffering with sunshiny thoughts in order to avoid unpleasant or painful feelings. Those are important experiences and we are to feel them fully, perhaps talk them over with a safe person if need be. To know such things is to posses the full experience of life.
However, like the psalmist and my wonderful friend, we can observe something, or many things, each and every day that are scared, and in a positive light.
Even some things we might consider mundane, when viewed through the lens of spiritual Truth, can be quite scared.
A friend pointed out to me this past week that when people greet each other saying, “Hello, how are you?” that they really don’t want to know all the details of how you are doing. By and large - this is true, with the possible exception of a doctor’s visit, or with a close friend or family member. My friend remarked how said that was, that his demonstrated that people don’t care about each other. That people lie and just say “I’m fine.”
I told him I didn’t see it that way. In the light of the absolute and unchanging Truth, this exchange is a high, sacred, and holy ritual proclaiming what is spiritually unchanging about us.
We can have all sorts of physical and emotional problems in life, but spiritually – we are fine. God, or however you view the Divine, is all love, life, wisdom, healing, faith, and wholeness. Those attributes are unchanging. Because we are offspring of the Divine we possess a spark of all love, life, wisdom, healing, faith, and wholeness within.
This everyday greeting of “Hi, how are you? And most of all the reply – typically, “I’m fine,” is high, sacred, and holy ritual – we are simply affirming our spiritual Truth….yes, we are absolutely fine.
I see it as a kind of American version of a respectful greeting ritual that can be found in India, Nepal, and among Hindus – as well as at the end of many yoga classes worldwide.
In this greeting, one places their hands in a prayer position over their heart, bows slightly and states “Namaste.” Namaste literally means “I bow to you.” But it also has other meanings and translations I found online:
I honor the place in you where the entire universe dwells.
I bow to the place in you that is love, light, and joy.
When you and I bow to our true nature, we are one.
My soul recognizes your soul.
We are the same, we are one.
I honor the place in you that is the same as it is in me.
My friends, I invite you to consider, the next time you perform the ritual of the respectful greeting that is “Hi, how are you?” or replying, “I’m fine, and you?”
Perhaps this is an American version of saying Namaste and bowing to each other.
Consider that spiritually, what we are speaking in that everyday exchange is a high, sacred, and holy ritual proclaiming what is spiritually unchanging about us.
Our cups overflow, indeed!
I thank you for reading, and may you be blessed this day.
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