Uncle Remus

August 30, 2015 – Finding Our Laffin’ Place

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08/30/15 Rev. David McArthur
Finding Our Laffin’ Place

I have made the connection to my heart; I have made it into my heart. I saw that the blame thing was gone (as much fun as it can be) and I made the connection to the compassion in my heart for the other person. But there was still something uncomfortable in my heart. I knew it was time for the graduate course.

Symbols are often more effective than just words alone. Today Br’er Rabbit is snoozin’ in the woods. Awaking slowly he realizes he’s not in the woods any more, but a deep dark cave and there’s a fire cracklin’! There’s Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear and he’s tied up and they’re talkin’ ’bout eatin’ him for dinner! Now Br’er Rabbit symbolizes the part of ourselves that can shift our awareness. The cave symbolizes our subconscious. Something captures us in there. We’re fearful and it controls us. Br’er Rabbit shifts his attention to a place where he is free. He opens his mouth and laughs out loud.

Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear are stunned. “We tole you we gonna roast you on this here fire! You otta be skeered!” Rabbit laughs even louder. “Why you laffin’!?” “Oh, I been to my secret place.” Now what happens when you say you’ve got a secret? Yup, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear just have to see this secret place. They mostly untie Br’er Rabbit, but leave a long rope to keep hold of. He leads them out of the cave into the woods all the way to an old tree with a big hole in it. Laughing loudly he cries, “There it is! My laffin’ place!” Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear say they don’t feel like laffin’. Rabbit has them stick their heads way deep inside. “Do you hear?” They heard the buzzing of thousands of bumbly bees! With the bees swarming after them they bolt from the tree and drop the rope. The bumble bees are small but cause the release, symbolically, of what controls us. They go to places of beauty between the upper and lower. The rope is dropped and we are free.

It’s a part of life to have fear and discomfort in our subconscious. But we can be free, no longer caught by that stuff, by focusing our attention on the divine. From the Bhagavad-Gita, “Therefore, having been born in this transient and forlorn world, give all your love to me. Fill your mind with me; love me… always…”

It is a connection with the divine. Jesus said, “Our father that is in heaven” (“heaven” symbolizes the exulted state of consciousness greater than we know on Earth) “hallowed be thy name.” (Name” is the nature of something; “hallowed” is the divine, the pure love.) “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” We experience that connection all the way down to where we are and what we’re doing.

What helps me make that journey going down the road tied to the rope is gratitude. I am grateful for all the loving goodness of God always waiting for me. I am grateful for the all-loving goodness of God! I am grateful for the all-loving goodness of God! I am grateful for the all-loving goodness of God!

It puts us in touch with who we truly are—that oneness. Lao Tzu said that when you realize where you come from, you become tolerant…kind as a grandmother, and you can deal with whatever life brings you. Tolerant. Free.

Have fun at your “laffin’ place”!
 

 

July 26, 2015 – Goodness Is Now

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07/26/15 Rev. David McArthur
Goodness Is Now
 
In the midst of that “stuff” we get into, there is a beautiful moment of wisdom we can get. It is the now moment. One of our favorite and best teachers about this is Uncle Remus: Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin have made a fine fire for the evening and are talking about a great dinner they don’t have when they hear a scary noise in the forest. It’s Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear comin’! They’ll likely roast them up and eat ’em both right there at their own fire! Hiding his fright, Rabbit invites them over for a delicious fish dinner! But Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear don’t see any dinner at all. Rabbit explains they have to go down to the pond to catch the fish. (Bre’r Rabbit here is the Christ self and shows us there is always an answer!)

With the bright moon’s reflection on the water, Rabbit tells everyone the moon has fallen into the pond and scared all the fish away. “Unless we get that moon out of the pond, we ain’t gonna get any fishes!” (The moon in the pond is the lower reality. We get so involved with the stuff in our lower reality!) While Rabbit runs back for a fishin’ net, Bre’r Terrapin tells Fox and Bear about a secret pot of gold in the pond. “Don’t tell Bre’r Rabbit.” Rabbit brings the net and Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear jump in the pond with it. They spread it out in the muddy water but no moon, no gold. When they get sufficiently tangled in the net, Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin take off into the forest skipping and laughing.

In this moment the wisdom is no matter what is taking place. In this moment God is, but only at one time—in the now moment. In Buddhist mindful meditation, we learn to be in the present moment. When someone in traffic makes a sudden move, we’re in the present moment, but this isn’t the now moment, the connection with the pure love that is God-expression within us.

I was walking down the beach one wonderful day. A dad was showing his baby the ocean for her very first time. As the waves washed over her toes she squealed with delight, with a joy so pure it brought everyone into their hearts. It was a goodness that was an expression of God, of love, of love of life and discovery for that little being. In that moment there was a beautiful burst of love added to the universe. I guarantee no one was thinking of their taxes or of filling their tanks with gas. We were all there in this heart-awakened moment—here—now.

One way is just to appreciate the wisdom and presence in these people about you here, now. God’s goodness fills this moment! Right now! God’s goodness fills this moment! God’s goodness fills this moment! In this moment this goodness, this wisdom is present in each of our worlds. And we can laugh and skip like Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin when they took off into the woods!

July 26, 2015 – Goodness Is Now

by

07/26/15 Rev. David McArthur
Goodness Is Now

In the midst of that “stuff” we get into, there is a beautiful moment of wisdom we can get. It is the now moment. One of our favorite and best teachers about this is Uncle Remus: Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin have made a fine fire for the evening and are talking about a great dinner they don’t have when they hear a scary noise in the forest. It’s Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear comin’! They’ll likely roast them up and eat ’em both right there at their own fire! Hiding his fright, Rabbit invites them over for a delicious fish dinner! But Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear don’t see any dinner at all. Rabbit explains they have to go down to the pond to catch the fish. (Bre’r Rabbit here is the Christ self and shows us there is always an answer!)

With the bright moon’s reflection on the water, Rabbit tells everyone the moon has fallen into the pond and scared all the fish away. “Unless we get that moon out of the pond, we ain’t gonna get any fishes!” (The moon in the pond is the lower reality. We get so involved with the stuff in our lower reality!) While Rabbit runs back for a fishin’ net, Bre’r Terrapin tells Fox and Bear about a secret pot of gold in the pond. “Don’t tell Bre’r Rabbit.” Rabbit brings the net and Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear jump in the pond with it. They spread it out in the muddy water but no moon, no gold. When they get sufficiently tangled in the net, Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin take off into the forest skipping and laughing.

In this moment the wisdom is no matter what is taking place. In this moment God is, but only at one time—in the now moment. In Buddhist mindful meditation, we learn to be in the present moment. When someone in traffic makes a sudden move, we’re in the present moment, but this isn’t the now moment, the connection with the pure love that is God-expression within us.

I was walking down the beach one wonderful day. A dad was showing his baby the ocean for her very first time. As the waves washed over her toes she squealed with delight, with a joy so pure it brought everyone into their hearts. It was a goodness that was an expression of God, of love, of love of life and discovery for that little being. In that moment there was a beautiful burst of love added to the universe. I guarantee no one was thinking of their taxes or of filling their tanks with gas. We were all there in this heart-awakened moment—here—now.

One way is just to appreciate the wisdom and presence in these people about you here, now. God’s goodness fills this moment! Right now! God’s goodness fills this moment! God’s goodness fills this moment! In this moment this goodness, this wisdom is present in each of our worlds. And we can laugh and skip like Bre’r Rabbit and Bre’r Terrapin when they took off into the woods!

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August 4, 2013 – Care Awakens Bre’r Rabbit Wisdom

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8/4/13 Rev. David McArthur
Care Awakens Bre’r Rabbit Wisdom
                                           
I have been very frustrated trying to make peace, harmony and plenty in the Earth happen. Then I was given the way in which it can be done. The way is care. The mind sees so many problems which we don’t think we can do anything about. But care is not in our minds, but a feeling in our hearts, and when we respond to it, there is a flow of greater wisdom into our lives.

Uncle Remus tells of one hot ole summer when all the water holes dried up ‘cept for a spring in the woods. King Lion took it over for hisself and kept all the others away. Br’er Rabbit got an idea [care]. He ran to the hole panting, out of breath, and hollered that the lion better run for cover to save hisself from the coming “hurry-cane” [care]. Br’er Rabbit said he was going to tie himself to a tree till the hurry-cane blew over, and offered to tie up Lion first. Br’er Rabbit tied him very tightly. Then all the others came to the spring and drank [care]! When we feel we don’t have enough, the problem is we have King Lions (our fears)! There’s no care in fear. Through care, Br’er Rabbit got an idea, an answer. There is a way we can get to that place of answers. Care is a movement of the power of love within us. Get a new kind of wisdom and tie up that King Lion of fear.

Harriet Tubman, born a slave, was told there were things she couldn’t change. Her father would point to the North Star and tell her it was a place where there was no slavery. She fled one night, following the North Star. Night after night she followed it until she crossed into where she was free. Then, because she cared, she risked her new freedom and her life to go back 15 times to lead others to freedom. Did she end all slavery? No. But she freed over 300 people! Care causes us to act. It’s a core way we experience and grow in our oneness.

Care is a powerful ability to access the wisdom within ourselves. There are things that our minds tell us we can’t do anything about. But in your heart let yourself feel the care about those things. Acknowledge “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” The time has come for humankind to wake up. Our care will move us to that deep place of wisdom because we all have that beautiful Br’er Rabbit wisdom!

August 4, 2013 – Care Awakens Bre’r Rabbit Wisdom

by

8/4/13 Rev. David McArthur
Care Awakens Bre’r Rabbit Wisdom

                                           
I have been very frustrated trying to make peace, harmony and plenty in the Earth happen. Then I was given the way in which it can be done. The way is care. The mind sees so many problems which we don’t think we can do anything about. But care is not in our minds, but a feeling in our hearts, and when we respond to it, there is a flow of greater wisdom into our lives.

Uncle Remus tells of one hot ole summer when all the water holes dried up ‘cept for a spring in the woods. King Lion took it over for hisself and kept all the others away. Br’er Rabbit got an idea [care]. He ran to the hole panting, out of breath, and hollered that the lion better run for cover to save hisself from the coming “hurry-cane” [care]. Br’er Rabbit said he was going to tie himself to a tree till the hurry-cane blew over, and offered to tie up Lion first. Br’er Rabbit tied him very tightly. Then all the others came to the spring and drank [care]! When we feel we don’t have enough, the problem is we have King Lions (our fears)! There’s no care in fear. Through care, Br’er Rabbit got an idea, an answer. There is a way we can get to that place of answers. Care is a movement of the power of love within us. Get a new kind of wisdom and tie up that King Lion of fear.

Harriet Tubman, born a slave, was told there were things she couldn’t change. Her father would point to the North Star and tell her it was a place where there was no slavery. She fled one night, following the North Star. Night after night she followed it until she crossed into where she was free. Then, because she cared, she risked her new freedom and her life to go back 15 times to lead others to freedom. Did she end all slavery? No. But she freed over 300 people! Care causes us to act. It’s a core way we experience and grow in our oneness.

Care is a powerful ability to access the wisdom within ourselves. There are things that our minds tell us we can’t do anything about. But in your heart let yourself feel the care about those things. Acknowledge “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” “I do care and my heart knows the answer.” The time has come for humankind to wake up. Our care will move us to that deep place of wisdom because we all have that beautiful Br’er Rabbit wisdom!

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