For this Sunday, August 27th, the focus for
our meditation will be on Perception.
What is your Perception
of former President Harry S. Truman?
Perhaps you think of the iconic photograph of a grinning President
Truman holding aloft a newspaper that erroneously declared his opponent, Thomas
E. Dewey, the victor in the 1948 election.
If you’re like me, I didn’t really know much about him and am not old
enough to have formed any personal memories of his time in office. He assumed the presidency in April 1945 after
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s sudden death from a stroke. A former Missouri Senator, Truman was relatively
unknown at the time and saw a climb in approval ratings to 87 percent by June
1945 as relieved Americans found World War II winding down. By February 1952, however, his approval
ratings had sunk to an all-time low of 22 percent, lower than even the nadir of
24 percent achieved by Richard Nixon during his time in office. Yet, today Truman is consistently ranked among
the top ten best presidents in our nation’s history. Apparently, it took time for his contributions
and accomplishments to be fully appreciated and for people’s Perceptions
to change. I don’t know what history and
time will eventually do to form a lasting Perception of our current or
most recent Presidents. But I do know
that the distance provided by time often helps infuse more objectivity in our Perceptions. In the heat of the moment it is easy to be
swayed by the visceral emotions some events can provoke. To buffer ourselves against these emotional
whirlpools perhaps we would be best served trying to look at the bigger picture
and recognize that years from now our current Perceptions may very well
have shifted. This week in our prayer
and meditation time let us ask to be assisted in gaining a better understanding
of how our Perceptions can be malleable and can require distance to gain
clarity. May we be shown as a nation how
to be patient and methodical in forming Perceptions that go beyond more volatile
spontaneous reactions.
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 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 what do I feel in my body when I have formed Perceptions on an issue that have later
evolved and changed? How does it feel in my body when I recognize the
benefit that time brings in helping me make clearer Perceptions? 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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