How do we move from our faith or deeply held spiritual values into a three-dimensional world of action?  I believe that our everyday actions require our close attention, and that they are the most revealing aspect of who we are to our Creator in heaven.  How do we interrelate with others?  Where do we go and what do we do?

I have adopted a lifetime motto, “Be as kind as you possibly can to every living thing, including yourself.”  As best I can, I like to use this phrase as a litmus test of sorts as I make daily decisions.  Each day we make thousands of decisions.  From “When do I get up?” to “What should I do about the hateful words from my co-worker?” to “How do I greet the store clerk?”  I have found my motto most useful in branching toward the decision that is most in alignment with my relationship with my Creator.

Aldous Huxley, the brilliant thinker and writer who wrote “The Perennial Philosophy” after an exhaustive study of the world’s religions, said near the end of his life, “It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than ‘try to be a little kinder.’

The result of being “a little kinder” is that you will align yourself with many of the core tenets of every major faith tradition!  The golden rule is the most shining example.

Try it in your daily decision making and watch your world transform around you.  “Is what I am about to say or do the most kind to all concerned, including myself?”

Reverend David G. Hunt

The new year brings resolutions for many people.  So many things to do and finish in the coming year!  Since it is probably impossible to accomplish all that we want to achieve in a single lifetime, where do we start?  What is the most important?  Where should our energies be channeled?

The answer can be found at the core of every major faith tradition, which in one form or another says, “Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and mind.”  What does this mean, and why is it the first commandment, or the Prime Directive?  I believe that we were each born with a sensing, a connection with a God that can neither be seen with our eyes nor heard with our ears.  It is often called “that still small voice within” and is the heart of the Divine Presence within.  It is our heritage, our connection or bridge with Spirit.

It is only when we connect with this Spirit that we can truly feel the Divine impulse and be guided accordingly.  And how do we connect?  We get quiet.  Rumi said, “Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.”  The form of that silence may be prayer, meditation, contemplation, a walk in the woods, or perhaps a beautiful sunrise.  And what a pleasant change of pace to the cacophony of our world!

Find 15 minutes a day and, in silence, ask God where you should go, what you should do, and with whom.   I once heard a Buddhist teacher say that we should always meditate at least once a day, except when we are extremely busy, and then we should meditate twice a day!  This is wonderful wisdom on the importance of listening to that “still small voice within.”  So listen carefully to the thoughts and impulses that arise during your silence, and let the Prime Director guide your own prime directives for the new year!

Reverend David G. Hunt