God Is Here

Swami Abhishiktananda, a former Benedictine monk, sums up the reality of the mystic, “God’s presence to us and our presence to [God], or better, our awakening to the fact that [God] is here, have nothing to do with any particular working of our senses or our mind. God is here, that is all.” All we need do during these current times of division and conflict is remember that when we ourselves act in a compassionate, loving manner, not in a divisive, angry, separatist mode, we are “precisely in the being-here of God.” We are in the present, the here and now. In this loving, caring, “here and now” action of protection and respect for all who are troubled or in need of support and protection, “it is in [God] that we are present, here and now, at this moment of time and this point in the universe (Swami Abhishiktananda).” This active spirituality is needed today in our Earthly home. We must confront deceitful, sarcastic, demeaning speech and behavior. We must act with supportive, loving and respectful speech and compassionate behavior toward those who are not respected. We must recognize those who lack the power to defend or care for themselves. Why? Because when we live compassionately, God is here. God is here all the time, but these compassionate actions allow us to see God’s presence. May we desire, during this New Year, to make the Presence of God always visible, even in our economic, political, educational, religious, medical and scientific dimensions of our world. Happy New Year!