Category: J Douglas Bottorff

Your God Connection

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 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ John 6:45

My research for talks and writing often takes me into the territory of mainstream religion. The commentary I read clearly treats God as a super being, brooding over the problems we’re creating, just biding his time before he steps in and straightens out the whole mess.

The notion of God as an indwelling presence is not as easy to imagine. What was Jesus thinking when he encapsulated passages from Jeremiah and Isiah into the simple statement of being taught by God? We know that many of his teachings involved the character of consciousness. The reminder that you can’t get figs from thistles shows the importance of our state of mind. Even a wavering faith, as small as a mustard seed, is enough to heal a physical condition. And believing you have received what you ask for in prayer ties a successful outcome to a positive and expectant attitude. These examples strongly suggest our God connection is intact, in full operation right now, and is always within our reach.

When Jesus warned against judging by appearances, he was telling us not to form our inner experience based on what we see and hear. Our God connection allows us to make different choices. I once knew an older woman who literally radiated a perpetual air of peace. Someone asked her how she maintained such an even temper. She said that when someone made a controversial statement intended to stir anger or disgust, she would simply say, “Yes, it does seem that way, doesn’t it?” This response allowed her to honor the person’s viewpoint without agreeing or feeling the need to challenge it. She said she also applied this to herself. When her eyes and ears gave a negative report, she would say to herself, “Yes, it does seem this way, doesn’t it?” It was her way of reminding herself that she was not obligated to engage the apparent controversy.  

Your God connection gives you limitless possibilities for dealing with life’s challenges. When circumstances tell you it’s time to worry, you can say, “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” You can then choose a different response.

Let Life Happen

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“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – Allen Saunders

John Lennon often gets credit for this bit of wisdom because he includes it in his song, Beautiful Boy. The credit, however, goes to journalist and cartoonist, Allen Saunders. Like all wisdom, the source is not as important as the insight it offers.

I thought of the above quote a few evenings ago. I was doing my usual evening cat herding—rounding up our three outdoor cats into the garage for the night. Most of the time, all three rush in without coaxing. This night, two decided to play hard to get. I felt a twinge of anxiety creep in as the evening progressed and there were still no cats. Just then, as if someone flipped a switch, I felt this message: Let life happen.

Like all minor problems, this one resolved rather quickly. The two outlaws sauntered up, as if to remind me that the clock of the universe runs on their time, not mine. Then, a weightier issue struck me at that moment. My twinge of anxiety came from wanting life to happen differently. Like the television-addicted Chancey Gardener (Peter Sellers, Being There), I was pushing the remote channel changer, and nothing was happening.  

Let life happen is, of course, another way of saying, Let go and let God. Maybe that phrase is getting a little worn. Sometimes a slight change of wording can be all it takes to breathe new life into any time-tested affirmation of faith.

Is it possible to apply this simple idea to something more than a pair of obstinate cats? What if we understood that our purpose in life is simply to let life happen? Wouldn’t this mean we could stop striving to control everything and actually enjoy this journey? Are we too preoccupied with protecting our anxiety prone weaknesses to fully appreciate our God given strengths?

It seems we are always so busy making other plans that we do not see the life that is happening all around us. Perhaps this simple reminder will, in our own cat-herding situation, provide the needed catalyst to Let Life Happen.

Through A Glass Darkly

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For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

This passage came to mind when one of our regular viewers raised a series of questions that I know are on the minds of many in our audience. “How much are we bound by thought living in the human body? Do we actually omit any decision making from our soul? Are we here for a human experience viewing the world from the body’s perspective?”

The spiritual quest can feel like a hobby compared to the day job we have of living life in a physical body. Much of what we read and hear sounds good, but its practical value often crumbles in the face of “real-life” issues. Paul seems to think the day is coming when it will all make perfect sense.

I have said that I value near-death research because it gives us a glimpse into the consciousness of the soul, free of the confines of the body. The biggest complaint people have is that their return to their body strips them of the indescribable beauty and freedom of unbridled consciousness. One woman said she did not want to come back, but resigned to the notion that there must be something more she needed to learn from her human experience, though she didn’t have a clue what that was.

Many say we are here to learn to love, but then they say the love they experience on the other side is far greater than anything we experience here. How can we learn to love in such a way? We can’t. Those who experience this absolute love do not learn how to do it. Once the curtain of physicality lifts, they realize that a self-existent reality engulfs them entirely, independent of thinking, beliefs, learning, or any effort to evoke love.  

I do not have an answer to why we would choose to incarnate. The consensus seems to be that we had our reason, but we have forgotten. I fully believe that the spiritual teachings that appeal to us do so because we recognize something in them we already know at the deepest level. Our job is to keep asking, seeking, and knocking and the door will open. Then we shall know, even as we are known.  

Quest For the Lost Sheep

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He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24

This passage has always intrigued me, but only recently has it taken on special meaning. Who were these lost sheep? From what I now gather, they were Jews who did not choose to live under the restrictions imposed by the 613 commandments found in the Torah.[1] While the religious system deemed them as sinners, today we might see them as the type who had exposure to the mainstream but, like many of us, prefer to define the conditions of their own spiritual inquiry.   

The concept of the kingdom of God within was a complete reversal to the teaching that God and man are separate. Jesus would naturally seek an audience who was open-minded enough to explore new ideas, and these so-called lost sheep of Israel perfectly fit the bill. For them, his commonsense approach was probably a refreshing change. “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). For me, this also throws a different light on his parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. It’s probably fair to assume that 1% of the Jewish population was open to his radical new way of thinking about the individual’s relationship of oneness with God.

Jesus challenged the system by ignoring several rules concerning the Sabbath. Yet he said he did not come to break the law but to fulfill it. Think of it this way: a stop sign tells you to stop. If you run the stop sign, you break the law. If you stop, look both ways, then proceed, you fulfill the law. You do not take the sign literally and stop indefinitely.

Just as the higher purpose of the stop sign is to ensure safety, Jesus looked beyond the letter of the law to its higher purpose of spiritual freedom. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5). A good teacher knows his audience. The lost sheep of Israel finally found their shepherd.

[1] 1st 5 books of the Old Testament

What Are You?

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We’ve all heard and probably used the phrase, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.” We mean that there is a lot more to a thing than meets the eye. The iceberg is, in fact, an appropriate graphic to use when we consider the nature of our being.

The iceberg exists in two worlds simultaneously. Scientists tell us that the proverbial tip that is above the ocean surface represents about 10% of the entire mass. The part that is submerged in the world of water represents about 90%. We can say the same about ourselves. Our surface, including our body and personality, only makes up 10% of who we are. The remaining 90% is our soul. It is powerful to visualize and meditate on this concept.

It’s probably fair to say that most people spend 90% of their time and energy thinking about the 10%, and 10% of their time and energy thinking about the 90%. Did we get this from our biblical teachings on tithing, where 10% goes to God? What would happen if we gave 100% of our attention to the 90%? I’m not suggesting we spend all our time in meditation. I’m suggesting we get in the habit of empowering ourselves with the image that we are a vast expression of God, poking our head into this three-dimensional world. What does it mean to be a spiritual being momentarily inhabiting this physical form? Armed with this awareness, what different choices can we make? What does this mean to the person I am in this moment?

What are you? You are a spiritual being manifesting through a physical body. The day will come when you will drop the body, but you will continue your experience. The “you” that you are will never cease to exist. This truth is an invitation to stop focusing on what you think is wrong with the 10%, stop trying to fix it, and affirm that 90% that lives beneath the surface of the material realm is what you are. And it’s doing just fine.

It is easy to understand how we mis-identify ourselves. That 10% sure looks real. Most NDE’rs come back telling us that the realm they momentarily plunge into is the real, that this 10% is but a shadow of what we are. Our true home is the infinite ocean that is God, and at this moment, the largest aspect of our being is fully alive and well in its incredible home.

From the Inside Out

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In Unity, we talk a lot about the inner presence, the inner kingdom, inner peace, and so on. It’s easy to let a concept like this become such a cliche that it loses its power of meaning.

Eric Butterworth, one of Unity’s more prolific authors, suggested that we stop praying to God and start praying from the consciousness of God. Ideally, this would mean we have had enough of a spiritual awakening to know God as our center of power. If we have not yet had such an awakening, then our center of power is our faith that it is so. Our prayer is based on the expectation that God, unfolding through us, is now bringing about the highest and best solution to our situation. We assume that the power to change things is with us now and doing its perfect work.

In contrast, the outside in approach assumes God is somewhere separate from us and when we ask for help, we hope God will overlook our shortcomings and give us what we ask. We treat God as a super-capable person who responds to our request at his discretion.

See yourself as a fountain bubbling forth the life, love, power, and intelligence of God. Imagine this divine energy flooding into whatever concerns you, dissolving all fear, all doubt, all feelings of uncertainty about what you are to do.

The grapevine does not look to the outside for the fruit it bears. It does not ask to be given that which naturally come from within the vine. And so it is with us. Taking the inside out approach, we think of ourselves as the grapevine from which the grapes, our solutions, come. This does not mean that if you need more money, it will somehow appear from within you. It means that you’ll be inspired with an idea, or you will see some opportunity to generate the money you need. Be alert and be expectant that the answer you seek is bubbling forth through you at this very moment.

To shift to this inside out mode, take a moment to close your eyes, take a refreshing breath, and know your greater good is unfolding through you right now.        

Forbidden Fruit

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Religious tradition tells us that our struggle with sin began with the first couple, Adam and Eve. Despite being explicitly told not to eat the fruit of a certain tree, Adam and Eve still did it, leaving the rest of us to struggle with the consequences. Though people often portray this forbidden fruit as an apple, Genesis names it as “… the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:17).  

This ancient writer is not talking about gardens, trees, or any of the fruit we might find in a bowl on the dining room table. He’s answering this question: Why is life such a struggle? His answer is this: Life is a struggle because, from the beginning, man has disobeyed the commandments of God.

In Unity, we affirm that there is only one Presence and one power in the universe, God, the good, omnipotent. It is the belief in two powers—good and evil—that establishes the basis for struggle and gets us kicked out of the garden, so to speak. In traditional belief, people depict this dualism as God and Satan, attributing distinct origins to both powers. At the beginning of its account of creation, Genesis mentions light and darkness, but names only light as good. John echoes this when he writes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

The belief in two powers can take many forms. In the traditional religious context, people consider sin as a power that can condemn the soul to hell. In our alternative approaches to spirituality, negative thinking and the soul that is not spiritually awakened become a destructive power. It matters little how we characterize evil as a power. The consequence of embracing it manifests itself as some form of struggle.   

The importance of this entire issue comes down to how we characterize God and the possibility of a competing power. Though the subtle serpent continuously tempts us with the assurance that there are no consequences of believing in two powers, we should understand that this belief is the basis of all fear and serves as the source of most of our struggles in life.

A Simple Way to Change Your Mind

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We credit Donald Altman, former Buddhist monk and recognized mindfulness expert, with this quote: “If you truly want to change your life, you must first be willing to change your mind.” While most of us respond positively to such a statement, we also know that changing our mind in an impactful way is easier said than done. And yet Moses, in an absolute moment of crisis, offered his people a formula that works every time. He said, “Stand firm, lift up your eyes, and see the salvation of the Lord.”

If you are in a moment of crisis or uncertainty, the first step is to stand firm. What does this mean? You are to make the decision to get off the mental and emotional roller coaster and bring your full attention to your present mind action. If you are going to change your life, the only time you can do it is right now. Stand firm in this understanding. To lift up your eyes is not a command to look to the sky. It’s a command to stop looking at the problem and turn your attention elsewhere. Where do you turn your attention? See the salvation of the Lord. See your present concern resolved. You are on the other side of the Red Sea with your Egyptian hoard no longer in pursuit. Get the distinct feeling that your problem is resolved.

A technique like this is a little like an exercise machine. I have an elliptical machine, and I have to confess that I look at it more often than I actually get on it. I always feel better when I use it. Unfortunately, just looking at it does nothing for the cardiovascular system. The same is true with any spiritual technique. Reading about it is like setting the exercise machine in your room.

Make a firm decision to confront your situation. Pull your attention from the worst case scenario and turn it to the resolution of your issue. You do not need to know how things will work out, but just commit yourself to the feeling that they are. We are not seeking to change our life from this day forward. We are seeking only to change it within this now moment. This simple change of mind can make a profound change in the quality of your life.    

Call to Freedom

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Independence Day is a time when we celebrate our freedom as a nation and as individuals. Although everyone faces the occasional restrictive condition, and life in the land of the free is not without its challenges, it isn’t difficult to find many blessings to count living in a country like ours. The greatest oppression most of us face is the tyranny of our own thinking. Answering the call to freedom involves an examination of the internal dialogue that occupies our mind.

Jesus spoke of the truth that sets us free. He specifically named worry about the future and the fear of lack as two of the most debilitating conditions. The remedy he offered was the assurance that the Father knows our needs even before we pray for help. What does this mean? He was saying we need not live in constant worry and fear about the future or our material needs. We should focus instead on living each day, surrendering our worries and fears to the understanding that a greater good is now unfolding through every aspect of our experience.

The freedom you experience in your morning quiet time may evaporate in a cascade of worry by afternoon. Inner freedom requires presence of mind, a kind of mental and emotional situational awareness. Jesus talked about the foolish virgins who missed the wedding feast because they had no oil for their lamps. This is us, unprepared for an unanticipated challenge triggering a flareup of negative thought and emotion. We all succumb to negative surprises, but, like the ten wise virgins, our oil of mindfulness keeps us prepared. The moment we start our negative response, we catch it, and we say no to it.

We might attempt to achieve a state where we never worry or fear again. This is not realistic. The only time we can deal with the tyranny of our thinking is at this moment. Both the call to freedom and our answer to this call occur simultaneously. Freedom never stops calling and we never stop answering. The key is to be aware of how we are responding to this call.

Jesus The Rabbi

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I believe Jesus envisioned a time when religious authorities would shift from being protectors against the consequences of sin to become instructors devoted to opening the doors to the inner kingdom. As a scholar and teacher, this is the intended role of a rabbi.

A religion that is focused on saving people from sin is based on the need to protect a weakness. Here, the weakness is a distorted understanding of the true nature of God, the individual, and their inseparable oneness with God. Essentially, it is a belief in two powers—good and evil.

An educationally focused religious system will dedicate itself to developing strength. It acknowledges that God is the only power, and oneness with God is the ultimate truth. Translating this understanding into practical applications that have a positive impact on everyday life is the goal. This type of system explains the existence of evil, not as a power, but as a blockage of light, a misperception of the true nature of underlying reality. Instead of addressing the shadow, it seeks to bring light to the blockage that causes it. For instance, the practice of denial is not simply saying, “There is no shadow.” We acknowledge the shadow, but we see it as the effect of something that is obstructing the light. Denial is a deliberate act of withholding the power we give to this obstruction.

When people addressed Jesus as a rabbi, they acknowledged him as a scholar and teacher who had a unique grasp on the letter of Mosaic law. His special talent, however, lay in his capacity to shed light on the unity between man and God, and the transformative power this awareness brings to one’s life.

While religious tradition has always devoted itself to convincing people it could protect them from the consequence of their named list of sins, Jesus devoted his ministry to saving them from the greatest sin of all—spiritual ignorance. He pointed out that it is not the type of food that goes into the mouth that corrupts, but the words and actions that stem from a corrupt understanding of one’s relationship to God. Teaching this truth, I believe, was the sole purpose of his ministry.

I believe Jesus envisioned a time when religious authorities would shift from being protectors against the consequences of sin to become instructors devoted to opening the doors to the inner kingdom. As a scholar and teacher, this is the intended role of a rabbi.

A religion focused on saving people from sin is based on the need to protect a weakness. Here, the weakness is a distorted understanding of the true nature of God, the individual, and their inseparable oneness with God. Essentially, it is a belief in two powers—good and evil. I hope you can join us in Sunday’s exploration of Jesus The Rabbi, whose revolutionary approach went beyond teaching religious rules to teaching spiritual principles that could change lives.