The Other

February 21, 2024

Most of my Christian behaviors and attitudes, such as being polite, honest, kind, and trying to love my neighbors, were accepted values of the culture into which I was born. Therefore, many of these attitudes and behaviors were not intentionally “Christlike” but were enculturated. However, I saw these attitudes differently after beginning my journey into wholeness and consciousness.

I saw why these behaviors were vital to the connection between all human beings and that anything said or done affects the whole. I became conscious that just as it takes including all parts of ourselves to be whole as individuals, it requires the inclusion of all parts of humanity to be a totality. In this realization, I had come full circle back again to the Universal Christ, whose behaviors I had been taught from day one. But now I have directly experienced more of the larger picture and how those behaviors are building blocks to inner and outer peace, just as Jesus said they were.

Not too long ago, I was honored to have a conversation with someone who, in the past, I had othered. Because of their personality style, they might have suffered from being othered all their life. But on this day, in conversation with them, something different and good occurred. In being in my soul, I saw them in another light. My soul opened to theirs, and we had the most profound and richest conversation.

Instead of tapping my foot and waiting for the conversation to end, I settled into it and was fully present. In presence, I experienced their soul, not only their personality. Their soul predominated because my soul was looking for theirs. No longer was the conversation a duty or an attempt to do a loving thing for anOTHER. Instead, I was with soul whose insight and subject matter were illuminating and beautiful. It was a spiritual exchange in which I learned a tremendous amount.

Inquiry: Have you ever thought about intentionally spending time with someone you'd othered?

Dear God,

Thank you for the time with my person and their soul. In the now of that conversation, you showed me the extraordinary brilliance of someone's soul, who my ego thought was dull. Amen

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