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