Sedona SCENE – Sedona SOUL
Sedona.biz is pleased to be offering insights and inspiration from Barbara Mayer on a regular basis. This posting, Barbara’s introduction, is her invitation to interact on her thought provoking writings. Sedona.biz is a blog site and therefore comments are welcome. Editor
With Barbara Mayer
InterFaith /InterSpiritual /InterCommunity dialogue
Sedona, AZ (July 7, 2011) – Welcome to this first in a series of comments and conversation about religion, spirituality and the personal search for truth here in Sedona and the Verde Valley.
Sedona is the destination for people not only from the United States, but from around the world as well. And while people come here for many reasons, one of the most popular is the search for deeper understanding of one’s self — as well as this Earth Mother which is so powerful and exquisite here, and also to investigate healing — which means a return to wholeness — both on a group or personal level.
As a former Catholic nun and now ordained InterFaith/InterSpiritual minister, Reiki Master, spiritual teacher, author and poet, it will be my joy to share lively discussion not only on these topics, but also how they impact all of us who live here or who visit this beautiful and inspiring place. Yet I am very aware that true spirituality is inclusive spirituality, not lived apart from the reality of where we live, how we live, and how we react to the needs and issues of this world and our own local communities.
That means this column will also consider many aspects of living a spiritually vibrant existence in all things which impact the Sedona SCENE and the Sedona SOUL – including Sedona’s culture, government, economy, ecology, community identity and quality of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
One promise I make is that each religion, belief system, healing modality, mental and integral spirituality and personal insight regarding God, Adonai, Allah, Brahma, Shiva, Great Spirit, Universe — and any other name for the Divine Mystery — will be equally honored and respected. If there’s one thing which the chaos, stress and possible division in today’s world is asking us to realize is that no matter any of our differences, we are one in the Great Source of All Creation – no matter what we call it, curse it, or even deny it. We are one in our very essence, and it is that oneness which this column will champion, cherish and celebrate.
With your input and suggestions, this new column of Sedona Biz.com can become part wisdom circle, part prayer rug, church or temple pew, healing session or personal meditation space. It may also become a conversation in the Safeway or Bashas’ parking lots. But it will certainly be open to all aspects of the Sedona SCENE and the Sedona SOUL.
Until next time, take a moment to acknowledge the great Essence which lies at the very root of what you are, and let that reality brighten your day.
Shalom, Namaste, and God bless!
Be good to yourself!
Barbara
InterFaith/InterSpiritual Minister Barbara Mayer is the author of Beyond Religion —
The Personal Search For Truth and Living The Gift, a spiritual allegory. She resides in Sedona.
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2 Comments
Barbara, can you help me to discern from people the factual “personal truth” they are seeking and the pseudo search for real truth which seems to me not to be a search for “personal truth” at all, but validation of their ideaology and/or beliefs whether they are valid or not. In other words, they will discuss the “truth” as long as the apparent truth does not conflict with their habitually conditioned beliefs.
I bring this up because I find it difficult to sustain a conversation with people who will not contemplate a different point of view from theirs and will bolt at the slightest indication some other reality, different from theirs, exists.
Any suggestions? The last “seeker of truth” I conversed with bucked like a bronco at the rodeo trying to throw off the rider when I asked him simple questions about his ideaology. I asked because I truly wanted to learn his point of view since it was different from mine and it seemed we wanted the same outcome. I was astounded at the reaction and it was I who was thrown for a loop.
Any help would be very welcomed.
Thank you,
Bert
Excellent beginning on dialogue, Barbara! I look forward to further columns. We are all ‘one’ in more ways than we realize….
How we got to be so diverse is now being well-documented through the National Geographic Genotypic Project led by Spencer Wells, a population geneticist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence in Washington, D.C. The project has mapped through genetic studies that we ALL share common ancestors who embarked on very different journeys 60,000-150,000 years ago. Regardless of race, nationality or religion, all of us can trace our ancient origin back to the cradle of humanity, East Africa. Further, the project has allowed geneticists to trace migratory routes taken by our African ancestors as they colonized all corners of the world and evolved into a diverse people with skins of all hues speaking more than 6,000 languages.
Read more: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/.