Ready to go home? Tear down the walls
"Our walls will heal us."
That was the reason 40-year-old Tanya Morozova gave earlier this month as she boarded a train in Lviv, Ukraine, on her way back to her home in Kyiv which she had fled when the Russian invasion of her country began. Back there, she says, is her husband and oldest son, along with her dog, Jack.
"People says it's not a great time to be there," she noted, "but it's our home."
That's the reason everyone gave to reporters as they boarded trains, even as the Russian assault continues in many of the areas to which they were headed. It didn't matter. They all just wanted to go home.
It's understandable. We all know that longing. We may choose a place on this earth to call home, but in reality, we all often feel like we're displaced – not quite at home, even in a place we call home. That's because we often feel like spiritual refugees, which is normal, since this ego-created world is not our true home.
Here's the difference, though. The people returning to war-torn areas of Ukraine have no power to stop the war that's raging there. They can only go back and cope with what's going on and resist the aggressor as best they physically can.
In a spiritual sense, though, none of us have ever left our true home. We all remain in that field of unity, "out beyond wrong-doing and right-doing" as the Muslim mystic poet Rumi once wrote. However, there's a war going on within each of us that can prevent from recognizing that we've never truly left our spiritual home, if we allow it to.
The ego has us convinced, like Morozova says, that "our walls will heal us." The ego loves walls, because it represents the separation it wants to foster within our heart. To go back to our spiritual home, though, requires the tearing down of any walls of separation we have placed between ourselves, God, and those around us.
The war raging inside of us is just like the one outside, there are allies and enemies. We cling to our allies and seek to defeat our enemies. Those allies include thoughts of our own greatness and strength, with the foes being anything that makes us doubt ourselves or feel shame, guilt, hatred, or fear. We see the outside world as triggers for these good and bad feelings so we reach out there for either comfort or a target to attack.
The good news is, we can return to our true home of unity any time we want, because we have the power to end the war within. We can dethrone the dictator who keeps dropping bombs of shame, bombs of fear, bombs of guilt, bombs of insecurity, bombs of hatred, or bombs of grievance. We have the ability to declare peace within by recognizing that we have given the ego the power of dictator over our inner world, and we have the power to dethrone it.
If we create peace within – that peace that passes all understanding – peace will be created outside, because the outer world is a reflection of inner world. We have war in the world around us simply because not enough of us have sought to create true peace within. The moment we do, war will disappear from the outer world around us.
That's not to discount the true suffering and tragedy of ongoing wars and their effect on the people in war zones. Action needs to be taken to end those wars so people can live in physical peace and safety. But, for those of us who have no physical power to end the wars going on in the world, the best thing we can do is end the war within. It is neither an exercise in navel gazing, nor is it woo-woo new age hooey – it's spiritual law, and until we actually try it, we don't have a right to dismiss it. Ending the war within is the only way to end war without.
Vladimir Putin has an epic battle going on in his soul, and unfortunately, he has tanks, armies, and missiles to wage it outside of himself as well. This war is an extension of his soul – and if one man's inner war can cause that much havoc, how much joy and restoration can we bring if we dedicated ourselves to creating peace just as wholeheartedly as Putin is dedicated to war? We can find out, if we're willing. We can bring peace to the world if we put down the guns in our own heads and refuse to hate, fear, or dehumanize anyone – even Putin.
It's not walls that save us – it is the tearing down of any wall that prevents us from becoming the peace and the love we seek that ultimately saves us all.
What walls are you putting up against love this week? What grievances are you still holding on to? What enemies are you still bombing within yourself? Where are you still dividing up the world into good and evil, right and wrong, friend or foe?
I invite you, declare a peace treaty in this moment. Disarm your own ego, and watch peace take root in your own heart. From there it will bloom into a beautiful garden of love in the world around you. This, my friends, is the only path to peace.
Your turn: Where are you building walls in an effort to create “peace”? What walls need to come down so you can return to the home of unity? Tell us in the comments.
Did you miss Jubilee! Circle’s recent events?
You can see them on YouTube!
Holli Emore joined us for our first Jubilee! Circle in Conversation series as we seek to learn more about different faith paths and traditions. Holli spoke with us about Paganism. She is is the head of the Dept. of Ministry, Advocacy and Leadership at Cherry Hill Seminary, the leading provider of education and practical training in leadership, ministry, and personal growth in Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities.
Watch the conversation here.
We also hosted Dr. Philip Michels who gave a talk on God's Gift of Consciousness. This talk is a "journey of the mind" and is a great introduction to metaphysics and the teachings of A Course in Miracles.
Watch Dr. Michels' talk here.
We're putting together more events like these and hope you'll be able to join us in person! If not, we’ll live stream the events on our YouTube channel for later viewing!
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Take 20 with Candace
This week’s Take 20 is from Jubilee! Circle's Easter celebration from April 24, 2022: “The Barrier of Happiness.”
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Want to learn more about A Course in Miracles?
Jubilee! Circle hosts an informal discussion group about A Course in Miracles every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. If you’re in the Columbia, SC area, you can join us in-person at 6729 Two Notch Road, Ste. 70 in Columbia. If you’re anywhere else in the world, join us by Zoom using the link below. Whether you’re new to ACIM, or have been studying it for years, this is a low-pressure, friendly environment to learn more and grow together! Join us:
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About the Motley Mystic:
The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.
Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.