I am totally convinced that it is a whole lot easier to love other people than it is to love ourselves! Ever notice how often we just cut ourselves down, find every little thing wrong, and never give ourselves credit for who we are?  Even when someone compliments us, what is the usual tendency? For example: “What a great looking sweater!” We reply, “Oh, this old thing? You’ve got to be kidding! I was thinking of giving it to Good Will!” Talk about a slap in the face of the person giving the compliment!

There is plenty of scripture to support the importance of loving ourselves. Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us: “You are the light of the world.” He goes on (v. 16) to say, “Let your light shine that others can see your good works glorify your father which is in heaven.” This means, metaphysically, that when we live, move, and have our being from that elevated level of  spiritual consciousness, we cannot hide our oneness with Spirit, because by our very nature, we radiate the Christ light from within. When we allow the Truth of who we are to underwrite everything we do, everyone around us  notices our divine nature, and wants to know more!

Luke 17:20-22 has Jesus responding to a challenge by the Pharisees, who demanded to know when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus said, “The coming of the Kingdom of God isn’t something you can see. The Kingdom of God is within you.” From a metaphysical perspective, this is saying that our human self (the Pharisees) keep looking for answers “out there,” when in Truth, our Higher Self lets us know that the Kingdom of God — our oneness, our Christ Consciousness — is within, readily available and accessible. We are God expressing at the point of us!

If we could even begin to grasp the incredible Truth of who we really are, there would be no way we could ever put ourselves down again! Our job — our challenge — our ADVENTURE — as Truth students and Truth practitioners, is to look beyond the outer appearance  . . .  to really look deep into the depths of the Truth of who we are, and claim our Divinity. Because if we aren’t loving who we are, it’s really tough to be sending love out to others.

Let’s count at least three ways! Love yourself enough to use these spiritual adventures for the week (and beyond) to help you connect with your Christ Self:

Love yourself enough to set aside Personal Quiet Time.

Setting time aside daily for personal prayer and meditation will connect you with the inner core of who you really are, allow you to rejuvenate, and let your light really shine!

Love yourself enough to speak kindly to yourself (Glamour Grammar)

Each morning, pick a different letter of the alphabet and create a powerful, positive word that begins with that letter. Then add the words I AM in front of it to create an affirmation. Next, create a sentence that begin with: Because I am … [and fill in your word ...], I … [and identify an action you are able to do because of this attribute]. (Examples: A: Awesome! I AM awesome! Because I AM awesome, I am able to do everything that is mine to do with ease and grace. C:  Creative. I AM creative. Because I am creative, I find  lots of ways to express my talents that bring me satisfaction as well as income.)

Love yourself enough to take a daily dose of Love Potion 3:16.

Love Potion 3:16 reflects the message of John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

From a metaphysical perspective, John 3:16 says: God, as Absolute Good, is Divine Love personified in, as, and through each of us, as the Christ Principle. (Only Begotten Son). When we come into that awareness (believeth) of our Oneness, we move beyond the illusion of separation and duality — and see through the world of appearance — (shall not perish) and remain eternally one with our Christ Self (have eternal life).

We like to refer to this passage as Love Potion 3:16, because it reminds us how important it is to come into that awareness of ourselves as Divine, as worthy — To move beyond the illusion of separation, and stay connected with our Christ Nature! So we need to take a healthy dose of that awareness every day, and live from that place of Oneness.

(Here is a spiritualized version of that old classic, Love Potion #9, entitled Love Potion 3:16, written by Rev. Cher Holton)

This week, Rev. Cher will continue the LOVE theme for February by sharing the value of loving ourselves. Learn why that negative self-talk we all fall into could be considered blasphemy, and hear the metaphysical interpretation of several scriptures that all share the theme of loving ourselves. You will leave not only with a deeper understanding of the Truth of who you really are, but you will have a few practical techniques to use to help you enrich your spiritual journey and attract abundance and love into your experiences.

There is nothing – No Thing – ‘out there’ that can separate us from our good or the good we can do. There is nothing – No Thing – that can dampen our love for the Truth except our love for error.

Let’s put the concept of NOTHING – NO THING – in perspective. It is critical for understanding how well-connected we are to Spirit. The powerful concepts of Omnipresence, Omni-potence, Omniscience and Omni-activity have two incredible things in common.

• They all start with the syllable “OM.” Om stands for the Christ as us, the I AM Presence embodied as us. It signifies our indivisible connection with the God of our understanding.
• These three ‘omni’s’ also have the “ni” in common. Ni is short for nihil which signifies nothing. So you see, there is nothing – No Thing – under heaven or earth that can separate you from the all knowing, everywhere present, all powerful, everywhere active nature of God expressing in, through, and as you!

When you come to know that eternal truth, your life will be transformed forever! You will walk more confidently … sleep more peacefully … and live more fully. There is nothing – ‘NO THING’ – that can separate you from the life you want.

Not your past. Not your childhood experiences. Not your bad experiences. Not your most ingrained habits. Not your lost opportunities. Not the old tapes running through your head. Nothing – No Thing – can separate you from your good … except your disbelief in Truth principles and your doubts of your worthiness.

In this moment, re-affirm your worthiness by acknowledging your Oneness. You are God expressing at the point of you … so you have the very nature of the Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omni-activity of God expressing in, as, and through you. Let your light shine!

There’s new interest these days in the Placebo Effect. Traditional medicine has always recognized the power of Placebos as a healing agent. And the pharmaceutical industry uses placebos as the foundation of its multi-billion dollar drug industry. But the rise of alternative medicine and integrative medicine is changing the way the medical community is practicing medicine. And there’s one thing the medical community has always known about Placebos –  Placebos are real, and powerful, and transformational – and, well, they work!!

We have been told that if a Placebo arrests a disease or illness, it must be that the disease was “all in the mind” to begin with. We are led to believe the disease wasn’t real. We are told there’s no way we can be healed without expensive medical interventions. But there’s one thing to understand about the power of believing. It’s an inside-out process. We know that thoughts underwrite our reality. The power of the universe is localized in our consciousness.

• We believe in the power of affirmative prayer.
• We believe in the power of positive affirmations.
• We believe in the power of visualizing health, wealth, and happiness.
• We believe in affirming the highest and best. We Unitics believe in the power of mind over molecules.

Prayer, faith, positive affirmations, visualization, healing touch, meditation, and denying the power of outer appearances are all powerful Placebos. And they work because they are the out-picturing of our consciousness!

By the way, the word ‘placebo’ can be traced back to the 14^th C when it was used in vesper services. It derives from the Latin translation which was a mistranslation of Psalm 116:9, “Placebo domino in regione vivorum,” which means, “I will please the Lord in the land of the living.”

Metaphysically, ‘please’ means ‘to apply,’ and ‘Lord’ means ‘Mind’ and ‘the land of the living’ means ‘for the sake of the body.’ So, metaphysically interpreted, Psalm 116:9 reads: “I will apply  mind power for the sake of the body.

So, you see, we don’t have to please a God ‘out there.’ We are not separated from God at all. We are God expressing at the point of us. We are the architects of placebo power!

Rudolph, ‘the most famous reindeer of all,’ was born over a hundred years after his eight flying companions. The red-nosed wonder was the creation of Bob May, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward. In August of 1939 May wrote a Christmas story to cheer up his daughter, but when he shared the story at his Christmas party, everyone asked him to use it to bring traffic to store. You know the story. It’s about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa was worried that he wouldn’t be able to deliver gifts, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh team by the light of his red nose. He was admired and respected by all of the reindeer.

There were a few differences between the original story and the popular Christmas song. In the original Rudolph story written by May, Rudolph was not singled out by Santa from the rest of the herd because of his shiny red nose. Also, Rudolph did not stay with the other reindeer at the North Pole. He lived in an ordinary reindeer household with loving reindeer parents. Rudolph was discovered quite by accident. When Santa was in the middle of making his rounds, he stopped by Rudolph’s parent’s house and noticed a glow emanating from Rudolph’s room. It was then that Santa asked Rudolph to lead his sleigh team.

The eight named reindeer of Santa Claus first appeared in American literature in 1823. They were featured in the famous poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Prior to Moore’s rendition legend had Santa’s sleigh pulled by only one anonymous reindeer.

Montgomery Ward sold 21/2 million copies of the Rudolph story in 1939. It was reissued in 1946 and sold over 31/2 million copies. In 1949 Johnny Marks, May’s brother-in-law, wrote a song called ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ Originally, Rudolph was sung by cowboy Gene Autry. His song has sold more than 12 million copies, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”

Let’s look at the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story from a metaphysical perspective. Some of you may be thinking – a metaphysical perspective? Come on, it’s just a children’s Christmas story for Heaven’s sake. Isn’t a metaphysical treatment much ado about nothing?

We have found that simple stories like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or Frosty the Snowman, or Cinderella, or the Little Train That Could  can have profound meanings. Stories like these capture the human imagination. They resonate with ‘something’ deep within us. That’s what makes them so powerful and well-loved all over the world. On a subconscious level and on a superconscious level they connect with our Spirit. So, here is our  metaphysical interp of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:

The 8 reindeer in addition to Rudolph each have characteristics that make the nocturnal flight possible:

• Dasher: represents energy
• Dancer: represents stability
• Prancer (Dancer’s twin): represents strength
• Vixen: represents life
• Comet: represents speed and endurance
• Cupid: represents love
• Donner: represents thunder and power
• Blitzen: represents lightning and enthusiasm

These reindeer represent qualities within us: energy, stability, strength, love, and so on. They have similar qualities as Jesus’ disciples and the spiritual powers they represent with the 12 spiritual powers in Unity.

The Rudolph of us is that part of us that doesn’t fully comprehend that we have a spark of divinity within us, that we are divine beings having a human experience.

Santa is the Jesus of us which encourages us to let our light shine, to use our unique gifts to bring peace and healing to the world.

The room where Santa finds Rudolph represents our ‘going into the Silence’. It is there that our inner light, the truth of us, shines. It is there that we become one with the Christ of us.

The sleigh stands for our positive, giving state of consciousness which is our vehicle for unlimited prosperity and abundance.

Santa gave Rudolph a choice. He invited Rudolph to lead his sleigh. Rudolph could have refused, and we would have had quite a different story. The song might have been – Rudolph the Red-Faced Reindeer –because he would have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.

Rudolph could have kept his light hidden under a bushel. Instead he listened to that Still Small Voice that says: “Will you guide my sleigh tonight?” “Will you let your light shine?” That’s the message we want to share with you … Let your light shine!

Share your gifts with the world. Answer the call to express your Divinity.

So, what if Jesus the Christ and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer could really sit down and talk. What advice do you think Rudolph would hear? This is important, because whatever Jesus said to Rudolph would be the same message our Christ Consciousness would say to the Rudolph within each of us. See how the message resonates with you.

1.  First of all, we believe Jesus would say something like this: “You know, Rudolph, sometimes we don’t even recognize our greatest, most valuable gifts. Sometimes, they even look like real problems, embarrassments. But if we hold the faith, believe me, those problems will transform into the greatest gifts that the world needs.” So look deep within yourself, and acknowledge the issues that create the biggest problems for you. It may be a physical characteristic, an emotional issue, a quirky style preference, something that is yours to own, and you can’t understand why you got “stuck” with it. Begin to visualize that thing being a great gift, with a powerful purpose to the world. Embrace it, love it, and just see how your attitude about it transforms.
2. Secondly, Jesus might say, “And here’s a real keeper for you, Rudolph. Quite often in this world, your special gifts may be misunderstood. That happened with me, you know! The more I developed my Christ consciousness — the more I became one with God — the more I was misunderstood by those who chose not to “get it.” And it got me into a lot of trouble – actually led to my death. But it was worth it. So don’t worry, buddy, if people make fun of your nose, and judge you based on appearance, because you are a little different from others. Make it okay, and be kind to them. Love them, and see the Christ light in them. They really don’t know what they are doing.” So we invite you to realize that others may misunderstand you as you being using your gifts. As you strengthen your Spirituality, and become one with the Godness of who you really are, you may run into people who want to judge you, or make fun of who you are. Make it okay, and behold the Christ nature within them.
3. Finally, Jesus would sum it all up by saying, “Here’s the deal, Rudolph! Regardless of what anyone tells you, no matter what … let your light shine!”

And this is the message we want to drive home. Each of you has a unique and amazing gift to give the world. You may not realize it’s great. You may not even know exactly what it is. But just know that you are constantly being guided by your Christ within, and as you go into the sacred Silence, you will be led to actions. Your only job is to let your shine … sparkle … the very best way you can.

As we continue through this Holy Advent season, become aware of your Rudolph nature. You have a light that is meant to shine! And recognize that you are unique and beautiful. There is so much emphasis on giving gifts during this season. In the midst of it all, realize that the greatest gift you can give is the gift of yourself … because it truly is one of a kind. The uniqueness of you is more memorable and more precious than any material gift you could ever purchase. You are a light that can shine through the fog of confusion that encircles this world, and bring the warmth and joy of God’s love to everyone whose life you touch. So — Let Your Light Shine!

It always amuses us when we hear people say, “You’re an old Scrooge!” to someone who is being real negative about the holiday spirit. People who use that phrase are just proving they don’t know the whole story! In reality, if you read the entire story, to call someone a Scrooge would mean he/she is a person who truly embraces the ultimate meaning of Christmas! That’s what Scrooge did, after his ghostly visits!

So, from a spiritual perspective, let’s do a little imagining: what would Jesus say to old Ebenezer, if the two of them could have a conversation?

You know, we think He’d focus on the change Ebenezer made,  rather than bring up his poor choices of the past. The discussion might say something like this:

“Way to go, Ebenezer! You finally got it! You remembered the Truth of who you really are! You are letting your light shine! I am so proud of you, because I know it was tough to make the change. But you did it! If only people could release the ghosts of their past, present, and future, they would be amazed at the joy that would surge through their very being, and they would astound themselves at what they could accomplish! Thank you, Ebenezer, for letting your light shine!”

So what is Jesus saying to that “Ebenezer Scrooge” quality within each of us? Just as Ebenezer Scrooge had to come face to face with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, so must we make a decision to acknowledge the ghosts we are allowing to hold us back from all we are meant to be. We invite you to take a few moments to reflect on any ghosts you would like to release as you prepare to end this year, and move into a new one. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Ghosts of the Past: Like Marley’s chains, ghosts of our past can tie us down, imprison us, and keep us from moving ahead. For example: blaming others in our past for problems we are experiencing now, like the way our parents raised us; nursing a hurt by a friend or family member; regretting a missed opportunity; feeling anger about a job unfairly lost; experiencing regrets for things left undone or unsaid (or maybe for things that were done or said); holding grudges tightly in our consciousness and our heart. The list could go on and on. What is it you keep reliving from your past? Every time you relive it, it imprints the negative emotions and impact on your very soul. These are ghosts of the past. Let them go!

Ghosts of the Present: These are the things affecting us right now: Negative beliefs about ourselves ~ like “I’m not good enough;” “I can’t do that;” “I’m too …” syndrome (too old, too young, too poor, too dumb, too tired, too out of shape); resentment about health-related issues that hold us back; relationship issues we are dealing with now; lack consciousness ~ the lack of confidence in our ability; the lack of faith in the principles we KNOW work. When we give power to these error thoughts, we hold ourselves back from the splendor of what we can experience! These are all ghosts of the presents! Let them go!

Ghosts of Future: These are the fears and worries about what might happen. You may know that familiar quote: “Most of the things I worry about never happened.” And yet, we waste so much energy worrying about these things. Jesus told us, “Give no thought for tomorrow, what you will eat, or drink, or what clothing you will wear. … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  (Matt. 6:31-34)

What are the worries, fears, or erroneous beliefs about the future that are playing havoc with your present, keeping you from enjoying this moment today? They are ghosts of the future. Let them go!

It is so important to release, clear out, and make room for our greater good … for our life abundant. Here’s a vivid example: Breathe in all the air you can. Now hold that breath, and breathe in more air. Having trouble? Even though there is plenty of air all around you, you can’t take in any more until you exhale! That’s a perfect metaphor for our Spiritual journey. So – what in your life are you ready to release — forever — as you move toward your spiritual evolvement? You can have a transformation every bit as powerful as Ebenezer Scrooge experienced, when you recognize the ghosts of your past, present, and future … and let them go! That’s how you walk the spiritual path on practical feet!

You hear about taking retreats for your spiritual enrichment and personal self care all the time. But what about taking a :Retreat Forward?” “Retreat forward” into your greatness. We’re not kidding!  We’re encouraging you to retreat forward into the person you are meant to be.

This  may sound a little like an oxymoron — “Retreating Forward.” How can we retreat forward you might ask? But think about it. What is means is to take a retreat from your busyness, from all the worries and activities of daily life, so you are able to catapult forward toward your greatness. It means making time to create that daily practice of Silence — retreating into the sacred domain of the Divine — so you can emerge at a whole new level of awareness, launching yourself forward toward a life lived from the Truth of who you really are!

You have the power to dramatically change your life;

• To turn your life completely around if necessary;
• To be the kind of person you’re meant to be
• To engineer a future that is happy, healthy, and fulfilling;

Each and every one of us has the wherewithal to achieve incredible, phenomenal, stupendous, and lasting success in whatever we do.

Sounds good doesn’t it? It’s probably something you’d expect a Unity minister to say. It’s certainly something you’ve heard motivational speakers promote thousands of times. What’s amazing is, it’s true! It’s always been true. The thing is, we’ve forgotten how powerful we are because we’ve forgotten who we are.

In Genesis 1:26 and 28 scripture says God says, “Let us give humans dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the cattle and wild animals, and over every creeping thing upon the earth. 28. And God blessed humans and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and have dominion over all that moves on the face of the earth.”

Here’s a Spiritual perspective of that passage:

• the earth always represents our physical body or the consciousness of our physicality.
• fish represent ideas;
• birds stand for our higher thoughts;
• cattle  equates to compliant, herd consciousness (camels weren’t mentioned because they hadn’t gotten over the evolutionary hump yet — sorry, we couldn’t help it!);
• wild animals are our untamed or undisciplined instincts;
• creeping things symbolize our limited or destructive perspectives

So, we have complete dominion over our ideas, higher thoughts, compliant attitudes, undisciplined instincts, and even our destructive inclinations. We have control over the earth – our physical body — the consciousness of our physicality! Take a moment to absorb the power of this awareness!

In Daniel  4:3 we are promised that our dominion is to “endure from generation to generation.” Romans 6:14 affirms that our error thoughts will have no dominion over us.

To “Retreat  Forward” means going into the Silence – which means connecting with our Christ Nature – which means becoming one with the Truth of us – which means claiming our power through prayer and meditation, affirmations and visualizations. It means we’ve got star dust in our DNA.

If we don’t retreat forward it’s difficult to have dominion because we’re coming from  coma consciousness instead of Christ Consciousness. Coma consciousness is the worship of outer appearances. It’s giving dominion to material things. It’s denying our divinity or taking it for granted. It’s looking for hamburger when we have steak at home (the hamburger being worldly appetites, the steak being Spirit).

And dessert! What about dessert? How many of you eat dessert with every meal? How many of you eat a couple of desserts? How many of you have ever eaten dessert first? How many of you have used dessert as your meal? My favorite desserts are home made cherry pie and corn bread in milk. And all of the above apply! Here’s a dessert story for you:

 After a three year battle with cancer an 84 year old woman was told she had stage four cancer. This courageous woman called her minister and told him she wasn’t giving up, she was just giving out. She was a faithful truth student and was ready for her next assignment. She explained how she wanted to make her transition.

She told him what songs she wanted sung, what scriptures she wanted read, and what pictures she wanted displayed of her family, accomplishments, and interests.

Then she said a very strange thing, “Pastor, I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.”

“What?” he countered. “A fork?”

“Yes,” she chorused. “Let me explain. Whenever I went to potluck dinners at church I always kept my fork when they bused the tables because I knew that the best was yet to come. The best I’m talking about is dessert, things like apple pie, chocolate cake, and ice-cream. So, when my relatives and friends see me lying in state with a fork in my hand I want you to tell them I’m doing that because the best is yet to come.”

We believe that when you:

• Choose goodwill over ill will, the best is yet to come.
• Forgive others and even yourself, no matter what they’ve done or you’ve done, the best is yet to come.
• Do not confuse your self-worth with your net worth, the best is yet to come.
• Are willing to give up a lackluster career, an unfulfilling relationship, or possessive wealth, the best is yet to come.
• Do the right thing, the best is yet to come.
• Move from won’t power to will power, the best is yet to come.
• Retreat forward into your greatness, the best is yet to come.

So, keep the faith and keep your forks because when you truly embrace your Divinity, when you behold the Christ in others – and yourself, when you thoughtfully and enthusiastically retreat into your greatness, the best is yet to come. Retreat Forward as you walk the spiritual path on practical feet!

If the Law of Attraction is, in fact, a law, then it is true all the time. This gets some people scratching their heads and asking themselves, “Why on earth did I attract THIS to me?” The problem is, many people misinterpret the Law of Attraction to mean that through our thoughts, we attract anything we want (houses, a new BMW, our soul mate, a huge HD TV, the perfect toaster, a great parking place, etc.).

We lovingly say, “It’s time to Get Over It!” We can become overly weary or fearful about what we are attracting into our lives just because of simple thoughts we have. It also leads to what we call “metaphysical malpractice!” ~ where we feel guilty because we are — or are not — experiencing something in our lives.

Here’s a down-to-earth way of explaining the Law of Attraction from a spiritual perspective. Fasten your seat belts, because it’s not what people expect! Mentally, we do not attract things. Depending on our “thought atmosphere” (negative or positive thoughts or intentions), we build a thought climate which leads to positive choices and actions, or negative choices and actions ~ either of which lead to certain outcomes.

What’s happening is more about perception and less about attraction. What we believe, we tend to see. It is really about how we are “sorting” and seeing all the data that is coming at us. For example, imagine you decide to buy a new Volkswagen Beetle automobile. What happens? As you drive around town you begin to see Volkswagen Beetles wherever you go.

It’s not that you are attracting them to you. It’s not that there is a God “out there” arranging more of these vehicles for you to see. It is simply that Volkswagen Beetles are on your mind because you intend to purchase one. This results in your sorting all the incoming data differently than you did prior to making the decision to buy the Beetle. All the Volkswagen Beetles on the road are suddenly more visible to you because you decided to buy one. They are on your Beetle Radar!

Here’s the big a-ha! It’s not that Volkswagen Beetles are attracted to you; YOU are attracted to them by your choices and perceptions.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying, “I attracted this to me” just do a little spiritual shift, and say, “I attracted myself to this!” It makes a big difference!

(Based on an excerpt from Get Over It! The Truth About What You Know That Just Ain’t So! by Paul Hasselbeck and Bil Holton)

You can’t drive anywhere these days without running into 10 inch ‘billboards’ called bumper stickers. A growing number of people are advertising their personal, political, and religious preferences on their bumpers.

In researching this blogcast we came across a story of a Unity motorist who was waiting at a stoplight when he noticed a car with the “Honk If You Love Jesus” sticker on the rear bumper. He thought to himself, “Well, I love the Jesus quality in all of us. Why not give my horn a few beeps.” So he did.

 The woman who was driving the car in front of him rolled down her window and cursed at him, shouting “Are you blind? Can’t you see the light is red!”

So much for honking your horn if you love Jesus. And so much for advertising something you’re not living up to.

Bumper stickers were invented shortly after the end of World War II by Forest P. Gill, a silk screen printer from Kansas City. Gill combined two existing products: fluorescent ink and pressure sensitive adhesive. The result was a bright, self-sticking paper sign that could be attached to a car bumper. At first bumper stickers were used in political campaigns, but people saw their potential and quickly expanded their use. Conservatives came up with ones like: “America, Love It or Leave It” and “Support Your Local Fire Dept.” The National Rifle Association members put “Preserve the Right to Bear Arms” on their cars.  This led to one of the first humorous bumper stickers by animal rights activists, which said “Preserve the Right to Arm Bears.” A couple of stickers we took an immediate liking to are: “Caution, Driver Under the Influence of Children” and “Midwives help people out!”

During the era of persecution by the Romans 2,000 years ago, the fish was used among Christians as a secret symbol. If two strangers met and were unsure whether the other was a Christian, one would draw an arc in the dirt. If the other were a Christian, he or she would complete the symbol with a reverse arc forming the outline of a fish.

Today this fish symbol is commonly seen in the form of a bumper sticker, or casting, mounted on the back of cars. This has inspired believers in evolution to create a fish with the word “DARWIN” in the middle, and little legs underneath.

This has been met with a Christian rejoiner: the Darwin fish with feet encountering a much larger open-mouthed Christian fish about to eat it. The caption reads: “Survival of the Fittest.” Fundamental Christians are suggesting their belief in the Bible will outlast the belief in evolution. Apparently tired of all this bickering, someone has come out with a bumper sticker that shows a Christian fish kissing a Darwin fish. (We’re smiling too).

Fundamental religious groups have created a sticker based on a famous line from one of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies. The bumper sticker reads “I’ll be back—God.” A more liberal approach to the same topic is the sticker that says “God IS coming back soon—and SHE’s …” you fill in the blank.

Even existentialists have their own bumper sticker. It reads: “What If the Hokey Pokey Really IS What It’s All About?”

Another conservative Christian bumper sticker says, “Born Again.” According to fundamentalists, the first birth is our physical birth and the second birth is a spiritual birth that supposedly takes place when people accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This commitment supposedly frees the believer from the original sin of Adam and Eve. A liberal religious response to the “Born Again” slogan is one we particularly like. It says “Born OK the First Time” which suggests that we are born good, and not sinners. It supports our belief in Original Blessing and not original sin.

Two more we particularly like are, “God Is Too Big to Fit Inside One Religion”  and “My Karma Ran Over Your Dogma.”

It is amazing how eye opening, educational, and controversial sound bytes on a ten inch strip of paper can be! They’re extremely effective communication tools. However, the most powerful and effective bumper sticker is, and always will be, the one you wear on your sleeve, on the tip of your tongue, and from the bottom of your heart. It’s a bumper sticker you wear 24 – 7 – 365. It doesn’t come with fluorescent ink or pressure sensitive adhesive. It comes with skin, and a personality, and a spiritual perspective. These bumper stickers are one of a kind. They come in different shapes, and sizes, and colors, and temperaments.

These bumper stickers either adhere to truth principles or stick to false surfaces. These bumper stickers are you and me. They are the image we project to the world through our words, choices, and actions.

Questions to ask ourselves are:

• Are we good role models for truth?
• Are we good advertisements for the Christ Presence within us?
• Are we marques bytes for spiritual growth, for equality, for world peace, for environmental stewardship?

If someone asked you to sum up your theology on a bumper sticker, what would your sticker say?

We have several. As a matter of fact, seven stickers pretty much sum up our  theology:

• The first would say: Let Your Christ Light Sparkle.
• Another one would say: Faith It Till You Make It.
• Another: I Don’t Do Dogma. (Another version — We do DOGMA backwards: AM GOD)
• Another: Walk the Spiritual Path on Practical Feet.
• Another: We Are the Christ Expressing at the Point of Us.
• Another: Meditation Is Medication.
• And finally: Be the Best Christ You Can Be.

A 12-pound hawksbill turtle crawled up to die on a North Carolina beach. An autopsy showed that half of its weight was plastic. Its stomach and intestines contained multi-colored beads, part of a comb, two golf tees, a toy wheel, rope, balloon, part of a plastic bottle, a plastic toothpaste cap, the top of a plastic medical syringe, baggies, and a plastic flower.* Its contents were carb-free, but had no nutritional value. (As referenced by Paul Varo Martinson in World Religions: The Problem of Imaging Christ, Imaging Christ: Politics, Art, Spirituality, ed. Francis A. Eigo, Villanova, PA: Villanova University Press, 1991, 111).

Apart from the environmental and ecological travesties associated with the turtle’s poor food choices, this unfortunate incident speaks to the message of this post: Unless we are open to personal and spiritual transformation and to the transformational languaging which goes along with it, we risk having our spirit choked and clogged with the plastic half-truths of conventional thinking and embedded theology which can clutter half, or all, of our thinking.

We encourage you to ‘get over’ carrying around plastic thoughts and attitudes like the plastic trash in the turtle’s stomach before they send you crawling up on beaches of convention instead of soaring up mountains toward enlightenment.

This blogcast is based on a chapter from a really neat book entitled ‘Get Over It’ (It’s our book so we’re naturally high on it!). This article is designed to help you move from plastic to platinum in your thinking — from blind acceptance of conventional thinking to the unlimited openness and joy of transformational thinking.

The phrases we’re inviting you to ‘get over’ in this blogcast usually come as a pair. They are: “Birds of a feather stick together” and “opposites attract.”

We’re going to give you a bird’s eye view of these assumptions which we believe are flying out of formation. These two phrases, we think you’ll agree, have been winging it for some time. (Forgive us … we couldn’t resist the puns! But there is a serious message nesting here.)

The “birds of a feather stick together” proverb has been around a long time … since at least the mid 16th century. It first appeared in 1545 in William Turner’s version of his papist satire The Rescuing of Romish Fox:

“Byrdes of one kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.”

No such origin can be found for “opposites attract,” although its origin may be closer than we think. It is actually a social psychology concept called “common belief factor.” It springs from the word “heterocentrism.”  “Hetero” is the Greek word for “different. “Centre” is Greek for “centered on” or “drawn toward.”  To use a similar analogy, a “heliocentric” plant, like a sunflower, is one that grows toward or is drawn to the sun. So, something which is “heterocentric” involves two or more UNLIKE things that are drawn towards each other.

Do opposites attract? Or do birds of a feather flock together? What does the latest research literature have to say about that? In one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken on these questions, researchers at the University of Iowa found [those of you who are looking for the perfect soulmate or business partner may want to listen carefully]:

• that people tend to hang around people who are similar in attitudes, interests, philosophy, religion, and values.
• However, it is the complementary nature of our personalities that appears to be more important in maintaining enduring and happy relationships. Those similarities include character traits like: assertiveness, introversion and extroversion, compassion, even-temperedness, sense of humor, and so on. (The findings appear in the February issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 88, No., 2, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Other than that, nothing is definitive. The concepts of ‘birds of a feather flocking together’ or ‘opposites attracting’ seem to boil down to one thing: the power of choice.

There is no automatic, incontrovertible, mindless magnetism that pulls people together. If that sounds like fowl language, we invite you to consider the fact that in order for these two sayings to be absolute sayings they would have to be true in all circumstances.

People who are the same don’t always hang out with each other. Opposites aren’t always attracted to each other. We choose with whom we flock, herd, swim, swarm, or hibernate.

We (the authors f this blog) like to hang around with open-minded people and other truth seekers. We also like to flock with dancers, people who love the performing arts, open-minded people, high energy people, bloggers, philosophers and metaphysicians, possibility-thinkers, healers, and frozen custard lovers, good conversationalists, movie goers, people who love to travel, people who have a good sense of humor, and banana pudding lovers, to name a few!

So who do you prefer to flock with — and what impact do they have on your life? Choose wisely, because the right people will help you walk the spiritual path on practical feet!