Aligning with Grace

The world needs your kindness... And it needs mine as well... It needs ALL of our kind acts, if we are to survive as a nation and as a planet... I have been reflecting on this a lot of late, wanting so desperately to withdraw further from the world, and I've already done a good job of that. Yet, I cannot ignore so much of what I read that brings to mind the urgency of needing to change our directions - as peoples, as nations, as religious traditions, as leaders, and as the trampled and abused earth that we live on.  I am forced to weigh the impact of my actions, of my thoughts, of my words... The Dalai Lama has often written that kindness is his religion. He has taught that we do not need complicated philosophies or religions to abide by - we just simply need more kindness. We just need to exercise more kindness overall... The story of the Good Samaritan especially comes to mind here. A man of a different tradition and nation - chooses to make a difference - h...

Buddhists teach, that the only constant is change... Gandhi once extolled, that we must be the change we want to see in the world... The season of Lent invites us to do inner work and reflection and make changes within and ultimately without... It seems that everything that comes into my inbox lately addresses this theme of change - Lenten reflections, Facebook posts, emails... I receive a picture of a beautiful bird, an eagle perhaps, with a huge wingspan accompanied by the caption: "Change your mind. Change the world..." A Lenten reflection I subscribe to, posed this question yesterday: "What would make you drop everything and change directions?" It is never too late for change... Rumi reminds us that, "You transform all who are touched by you..." Truly, the only constant is change... And today, from my Lenten reflections, "Journey to the Cross," I receive the following insights... "We are creating the future today. It is hard to imagine w...