In the tapestry of life, we’re all connected. Each one of us is a gift to those around us helping each other be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together.  –Anita Moorjani

Later years have brought deeper lines to my face which are not a welcome sight. However, I have also developed inside lines which connect me to other people and to nature like golden threads of wholeness. I welcome those. I’ve noticed that when I am open and present, my awareness of beauty and wholeness increases. I experience the Presence that animates all life and connects us to the Source. This life force, which I also know as Love or God, is the connecting cord between our divinity and our humanity, and the golden thread that connects us to one another. The wisdom that comes with age and experience, when we are open to it, illumines the rich tapestry of our world and our collective humanity. Such beauty and complexity are inherent in our shared experience of life and love – like a weaving of vibrant colors and textures which we help to create!

We participate in the weaving whenever we share our stories and walk beside another human being. When we are willing to open our hearts and minds enough to create a space for listening, loving, and learning, we become weavers. When we are authentic and vulnerable, sharing our stories and our lives, we awaken to our wholeness and holiness. We come to recognize a larger Presence within and around us. A growing awareness of oneness and wholeness widens our perspective of the world with all its brokenness, challenging us to face our own cracks, fears, and pain. What if the outer world is but a reflection of the collective pain and conflict within humanity? What if we could weave beauty, grace, and peace into the human experience through our thoughts, words, and actions each day? Could we weave a new story for humanity?

“For wholeness to emerge, the only thing that must be healed is the sense of separation” (Rev. Dr. Christian Sorenson; Science of Mind Daily Guides). As 2021 gets underway, the sense of separation is deep and strong. We are facing what appear to be mountains of difficulty as calls for unity echo in the valleys. How do we reconcile deep divisions and violations within and against humanity? Where do we begin weaving a banner of unity with so many broken threads? The threads of our own beliefs must first be mended, and that comes with personal reflection and reckoning.  We know that many people are not in a place of mending, and it would be easier to focus on them than on our own fraying threads. It is very hard for me to comprehend the hatred and intolerance I see in this country, and yet I am not free of it myself. How easy to hate the haters! The truth about hate is that it is rooted in fear, and woven deep into the consciousness of those who carry its banner. It is learned and passed down from one generation to the next. It is held in deep-seated beliefs and views of the world that are hard to change; and yet we see younger generations forging new pathways through that rocky terrain. There is a shift happening in our country and our world that looks perilous and painful; but perhaps it is the necessary breakthrough on the path to wholeness. Sometimes it takes a storm to reveal what is weak and worn – in ourselves and in our country. We are certainly in the thick of a storm right now, and unity seems like a far-off dream. Where is that Presence of wholeness and holiness when our world is shaken and shattered?

If we can come to believe that everything exists in the absolute wholeness of God or Love, and that that Presence is only Love and always present everywhere, then we will begin to grow into that awareness and an openness to Its power, wisdom, and grace. Our threads will be mended and strengthened. “Grace is unity, oneness within ourselves, oneness with God” (Thomas Merton).  I have found that spending time in silence, holding the thought of oneness with Life and Love, brings it into my experience and relationships. It starts within as a recognition of and connection with the divine, and then manifests in my living, loving, and listening. I find myself actively participating in a weaving of love in the smallest, simplest ways. And yet, within that simplicity I find a deep sense of wholeness and peace. I feel supported on the ground of my being, no matter what is going on in the outside world.

The human story is full of drama and mystery, crisis and victory. If we are willing to read, listen and learn from the stories that have been shared throughout history, we will gain a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. We will see more clearly the interconnectedness of life and its rich, diverse, and radiant patterns. The threads of fear will be loosened as the brighter, stronger threads of Love are pulled through us. Perhaps we will increase our capacity to weave love into everything we do and all that we are. Herein lies our hope and our healing. “Destiny itself is like a wonderful wide tapestry in which every thread is guided by an unspeakably tender hand, placed beside another thread and held and carried by a hundred others” (Rainer Maria Rilke).