For this Sunday, September 21st, the focus for our
meditation will be on Non-Judgment. Years ago I had a work colleague who I
suspected was in an abusive relationship.
Although the signs of abuse were not obvious, at a minimum, it was an
unhappy marriage, and I could never comprehend why she remained in it. At the time, I assumed she stayed in this
miserable alliance because of the money and lifestyle her husband’s net worth
afforded. Yet, year after year she spoke
of how she didn’t love her husband, and it even appeared she was somewhat
afraid of him. Her apparent inability to
launch her independence from him baffled me, and over time I lost respect for
her as a result. With recent accounts of
domestic violence in the news I was reading the stories of other women who
found themselves trapped in horrible relationships. They repeatedly spoke of feeling helpless and
with nowhere to turn even when they had existing connections to family,
friends, neighbors, or coworkers. The
barrier for them to reach out to this network was the fear that they would be Judged.
Often the pressure came from having to drop the façade of revealing
their life was not as perfect as they wanted others to believe. Sometimes those who knew them well had previously
declared their partner was not good for them.
By having ignored their counsel they were afraid that an about-face
would be received with critical Judgment. This fear of having others see them as less
worthy unfortunately led many women to remain far too long in abusive
relationships. For those of us on the
periphery of an abusive situation it made me realize how wrong I had been to Judge this coworker. By no doubt telegraphing my disapproval I’m
sure I became one more contact scratched off her list of possible places to
turn if things became desperate.
Fortunately, she was able to eventually leave the marriage without
triggering any violent repercussions. This
week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider how we may leap all too
readily to Judge others. May we be shown how to react with Non-Judgment to those who may be most
in need of our friendship and support.
Through a wider practice of Non-Judgment
may more women around this country feel safe in reaching out for help and thus
prevent more tragedies from occurring.
In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the
energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills
this nation. As we perform our
meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of
the light we create. Just as before,
begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost
impossible to look directly at it. Raise
this sphere of light up high over the entire nation and then let its rays
cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely
covers every inch of our country. From
shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with
this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest
qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.
Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in
your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us,
and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.
Ask yourself how do I feel when I am able to suspend
disapproval and react with Non-Judgment
for someone? How does it feel in my body
when I recognize the importance of exercising Non-Judgment so those around me feel safe in reaching out? Then send the energy and intention of those
feelings to the nation.
Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express
thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.
If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com
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