This Christmas I was gifted with the book “One drum” by Richard Wagamese. Richard, an Ojibway from the Wabaseemoong First Nation is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost storytellers. The book draws from the Grandfathers Teachings and is absolutely amazing! There is a phrase that keeps rolling around in my mind as I continue to receive the great gift his stories offer –
“We are all one energy, one soul, one song and one drum”.
This one sentence, for me, captures a truth that, if really recognized, could change the way we live and move and have our being. So much of who we have become as human beings is caught up in divisions.
~ We separate into “us” and “them”;
~ we sit on different sides of the fence and proclaim that our way is the only way;
~ we have spent a lot of time discerning what is male and what is female and creating boxes for each to fit in and the list could go on.
With each division we move farther and farther away from who we are at the core of our being.
Richard writes “Fear, masked as pride, allows us to create separation between us . These rifts exist in neighbourhoods, communities, towns, cities, societies and nations.”
He goes on to say
“The earth is a drum, a spiritual being, and the beat of it is the first sound we hear in the darkness of our mother’s belly. …. Our spirit journey on this planet is to seek reunion with that heartbeat.”
I see this reflected in the vision and dream of Jesus. He spent his ministry trying to break down the barriers constructed by human beings. He called us into communion with one another and with the source of our being. Near the end of his ministry it is recorded , in the gospel named for John, that Jesus prayer was for unity. Those of us who follow in his footsteps are compelled to do as he did. As such, our goal must then be to seek unity and reunion with the heartbeat.
Imagine…..
a world without divisions
a world founded on humility, respect, and wisdom
a world where our prime directive is reunion with the Earth
a world where we live the reality that we are “ one energy, one soul, one song, one drum
Imagine…..
May this be something that we strive to understand make real in our lives.
Blessings
Valerie
© 2021 Rev. Valerie Peyton Kingsbury. All rights reserved.