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April Newsletter — Apr 8, 2009
More often than not, history takes us by surprise. In 1865, chemist Friedrich August Kekulé discovered the structure of the benzene molecule – the foundation for fields like molecular biology and pharmacology – when he dozed by the fireplace and saw in his mind’s eye atoms “turning like snakes” with one snake grabbing its own tail. In 1946, Mother Teresa was riding a train from Calcutta to Darjeeling when she received an interior inspiration to help the poor while living amongst them. In 1935, Mr. Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, both admitted alcoholics, met for what they intended to be a few minutes in the Gate Lodge of the Seiberling estate in Akron, Ohio. Their meeting lasted for hours and became the basis for Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), a movement which has changed millions of lives for the better.
So we never know where a day or even a moment may lead us, or how our small efforts may take off! Whether you’re at the edge of despair like the founders of A.A. were or at the edge of discovery like Kekulé and Mother Teresa, please do not underestimate the power of your practice of grateful living to transform the world:
http://www.gratefulness.org/a/global_ethic.htm
One of the strongest observations in this Global Ethic is: “We cannot be grateful and hold on for long to the attitude of being a victim. This greatly diminishes the anger that can lead to war.” If you would like to realize profound beauty and richness even in the midst of terribly confusing or devastating circumstances, this second excerpt from Felicia Norton and Charles Smith’s new book offers wisdom:
http://www.gratefulness.org/readings/cure_nortonsmith.htm
Sometimes words on a page are not enough; you find yourself needing to talk with people, express your thoughts and feelings in art, and engage in sacred ritual to move into a new way of approaching life. If that’s the case, we hope you can either meet up with Br. David during his Australia tour:
http://www.gratefulness.org/a/Aus_tour_2009.htm
or come to the unspoiled woodlands and expansive Catskill views of LifeBridge Sanctuary, just north of New York City, for an “Art of Gratefulness” retreat the weekend after Memorial Day:
http://www.gratefulness.org/a/Art_May09_Retreat.htm
It is in these meetings together that some of the most profound changes arise in us. Gathering together is the opposite of being cut asunder and, for many, the beginning of healing:
http://www.gratefulness.org/qbox/item.cfm?qbox_id=224
Of course, in this response Br. David describes not only reunion with others but also an essential reunion with the divine ground of our being. If you would like to meditate on this aspect of healing the wounds of separation, then George Herbert’s poem will be a marvelous companion:
http://www.gratefulness.org/poetry/call_herbert.htm
Our inner meditations and communal gatherings are all the more significant during this week when both Passover and the Easter vigil are celebrated. Even if you are at a physical distance from loved ones at this time, you can be united with them in thought and prayer and can convey your love through our free ecards:
http://www.gratefulness.org/ecards/show.cfm?ec=SE
You may already know that you are in the company of 10,000 people, on average, who visit Gratefulness.org daily from around the world to renew their spirits. Each is, in his or her own way, finding the keys to a more peaceful, verdant, and compassionate present. That present contains the seeds of a future in which human beings as a species recognize the extraordinary gift of every single moment, every single life. Let’s keep each other in mind during these days ahead and remember that we are part of a transformative movement no less powerful than those about which we read in history texts and which set our hearts on fire.
With kindest regards,
Patricia and Margaret
on behalf of our ANG*L Webteam
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