05/17/15 Rev. David McArthur
The In Breath of God
We talked before about spiritually filling ourselves up and we can then give from the overflow. One way is the in breath of God. How do we let this beautiful Spirit fill us? Well, what touches us most is feeling the presence of God; the Presence as love fills us. It comes back to a simple experience, that God is Love.
From First John, “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God… because God is love.” Not “God loves”, but “God is love.” In the Hindu writings, Krishna says, “Give all your love to me. Fill your mind with me; love me; serve me; worship me always. Seeking me in your heart, you will at last be united with me.” And Jesus said to love god with all your heart, your soul, your mind. That’s the work, the in breath.
Now how do we actually let that love be there and fill us? Love is an uplifting feeling but it’s so hard to get to when we are empty. It’s the last thing we think of, when we’ve tried everything else. When I want to feel good there is something that always makes me feel better—CHOCOLATE! You may not have known that chocolate is a doorway to God. Just touch the memory. The smell! The flavor! The feel! Just experience it. There never was anyone who said chocolate is awful. Who’d have thought that it’s so simple. That’s step one—feeling good. Get out of the “awful” feeling. Then you can touch some of those experiences where you actually feel love.
Recently on retreat, I found when I wanted to go from feeling good to the experience of love, I would go to the experience of my mother. I had a wonderful mother. Or you might recall your childhood best friend, or a grandchild. Feel their presence in your life. Then let them go, but continue to feel the love. Just breathe love. Breathe God. Breathe that connection with all of life—that love—the true nature of who we each really are!
One evening at the retreat the sunset was so beautiful, just reaching the point where it was breaking into all the colors. I went to the meditation room where I could see it across Monterey Bay. A nun there smiled and spoke, “My brother recently passed and I came up here to be with him, and I can feel your love for him.” And I could feel her love for him and I also felt his love for her. My heart opened. But then it was no longer about her or him. I could just be there in the love, breathing that love.
But your mind wants to come back in. It is so infinitely creative with all kinds of distractions. So just bring it back and affirm, “Love fills me now. I am love.” I went back to my opened heart. Love fills me now. I am love. That’s how we fill ourselves to overflowing: Love fills me now. I am love.