Motley Mystic Manifesto
Are you a Motley Mystic, too?
Many of us, I believe, are a motley collection of beliefs, philosophies, dogmas and guidelines we live our lives by. Whether you were raised in a religious home or not, we all seek wisdom from others - whether it’s Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Martin Luther King Jr., Rumi or any other sage throughout the ages. What speaks to us through these avatars is the Truth that resonates deep within our being. We recognize the Love - the message of unity over separation - that comes through in their lives, words and deeds.
I have met many people who, like me, are former Christians who still follow Jesus but we understand Jesus is not the blonde-haired, blue-eyed white guy we saw in paintings in our churches or the mushy-gushy hippie carpenter we heard about in Bible stories. He was a dark-skinned Mediterranean man of his times who was probably also a motley mystic. He seemed to speak in the language of Eastern religions, while appearing to be an observant Jew who was not afraid to point out the foibles and power abuses by those who led his sect.
Below is a manifesto for motley mystics. I hope perhaps you will resonate with this manifesto and join us as a free or paying member of the motley mystic community!
— Candace
A Motley Mystic is someone who:
Understands that truth is too big to be encapsulated by one form of spirituality, dogma, religious institution or theology. Truth is bigger than any container we can think up for it – including Motley Mysticism.
Understands that everyone is searching for meaning – for what they believe is their ultimate function in life. We are all at different points in our journey and just because one person’s spiritual moment in time looks different from someone else’s, it doesn’t mean either of them is “wrong,” or “lost,” or in need of “saving.” It’s merely where they are on the path at this moment. There’s no need to argue about it. Give each other a friendly wave and bless each other on your journeys.
Understands that “wholeness” is just another word for “abundance.” The spiritual life isn’t about collecting more things or more power, it’s about subtracting all the things we’ve collected over the years that keep us from becoming the open channel of the Universe’s Love that we were created to be. The Motley Mystic’s creed is simple: “E pluribus – Oh Yeah,” which means “Out of many, wholeness.”
Understands that this world is not here to cater to our every whim. It’s here to teach us how to let go of anything and everything that blocks us from being the Love, joy and compassion that is needed in this world. We will be guided to do the work that needs to be done and our needs will be met. Remember, abundance is the same as wholeness, and whatever resources we need to create wholeness within and without will come to us as we need them. Our job is to use them and release them, knowing wholeness is a limitless stream.
Understands that this bodily world is an illusion we have collectively created with others through the ego that believes only in separation. It has ample evidence to show us that we are separate and disparate beings, but the Motley Mystic can see through the illusion – to the reality that we are each imbued with a True, Divine Self that has never left the mind (or garden) of its Creator. Our task here is to seek all the lessons that help us release our fear and return to Love.
Understands that only Love is real. Love is the Truth, with a capital T. The Love that is real is not a namby-pamby, romantic kind of weak, cloying, sappy love. Real Love marches for justice, faces down the oppressor until they are redeemed, raises up the lowly, brings in the marginalized and cares for anyone – or anything – in need. That may sound like a political statement, but it isn’t. Love isn’t political. It is the Reality in which we swim, but we have so polluted the waters of Love with our Fear, we have lost all knowledge of its true, revolutionary power. Motley Mystics use their power to communicate that Love to everyone who has ears to hear, using their disparate beliefs and ways of identifying True Love to effectively communicate across humanity’s spectrum.
Understands that, “Your being is teaching,” as Michael Singer says. Through their actions, words and deeds, Motley Mystics invite others to experience the myriad ways that the Universe broadcasts its message of limitless Love. Without judgment, without rancor, the Motley Mystic strives to be an open channel of Love knowing that they will not do it perfectly. This is why we rely on a community of Motley Mystics to correct us, heal us and remind us that out of many comes wholeness.
Understands that we are never spiritual loners. Our wholeness is dependent on offering that wholeness and forgiveness to everyone around us in our actions, words and thoughts, whether we consider another person to be a loved one, friend, stranger or enemy. A Course in Miracles reminds us, in Chapter 19, that we “share in madness or Heaven together. And [we] will raise our eyes in faith together, or not at all.” We are never made whole alone; wholeness is a team sport.
Understands that seeking out the Truth as it appears in its various manifestations in this world is not an excuse to avoid doing the often-difficult inner spiritual work of awakening. Being a Motley Mystic means being dedicated to doing your work, to confronting the messy emotions, chaotic times and community misunderstandings that the spiritual path can produce in one’s life. This path means embracing both what we perceive as good or what we perceive as bad and allowing those experiences to pass through us so we can release past wounds, avoid building up new pain or “samskaras,” and remaining firmly undisturbed within our inner peace.