Spot #150 The Courage of Prayer
In April, 2002, Peggy Noonan wrote in the Opinion Journal of the Wall Street Journal, "It's easier to fight than to pray, so let's pray". She goes on in her article entitled "The Hard Way" to discuss the crisis in the Mideast and the challenges that world leaders face in warding off nuclear warfare. In this and many situations, it is indeed easier to fight than to pray. Fighting comes from fear, prayer requires faith. Fear is automatic, and requires no conscious effort whatsoever. Faith requires vision and the willingness to expand beyond the smaller picture into the bigger picture. In the bigger picture, we now have the power to destroy our world many times over. And we have the power, knowledge and ability to create life and to create it abundantly. We are remembering what it means to be one with God in the humbling power of destruction and creation. We are coming home to who we really are, and it is an awe-inspiring experience. Here we stand, on the threshold of this moment in time…our past behind us, facing a future of vast and far reaching possibilities. Following Ms. Noonan's suggestion, let us pray. In doing so we align ourselves with love, life and the creative consciousness that is our divine parent and our true nature. Pray for the birds, the plants, the tender, fragile beings that bring such beauty and joy to our lives. Pray for the seemingly large and powerful beings who make world-changing decisions, and remember that they too are tender, fragile beings. Pray to understand the truth that peace is here, now, and all is well. Believe it, make it happen. This is Bill DeFoore, with a spectrum of Wisdom News.

Spot #151 The Divine Mind
Vince Rause writes in The Los Angeles Times Magazine about how human beings are "hard-wired to believe in God". He reports that neuroscientist Andrew Newberg has developed a biological theory of religion that explains the great human hunger for God. Newberg submits that religious feeling arises more from experience than from thought, and that moments of spiritual connection are as real to the human brain as any perception of what we call "ordinary" physical reality. Images of a human brain during normal activity and during spiritual contemplation indicate specifically different levels of activity in one of the parietal lobes. Newberg concludes from his research that we are designed to connect with God, and when we are not in this connection we are not using our full brain capacity. In prayer and meditation, we leave the everyday world behind and move to a realm that we have traditionally referred to as imaginary, unreal, metaphysical or visionary. We call the physical realm "reality" and that is what we are supposed to face. This article is suggesting that the spiritual realm is as physically real as the floor you are standing on or the chair that supports you. To debate the reality of God is to debate the mystery of the human brain. It seems to me that the journey we are on is leading us to the realization of the miracle of all things in every moment. The physical world you can see, feel and touch right now is infused with the metaphysical presence of God. Since God is love, this means you are surrounded by love right now and in every moment of your life. Your body, your mind, and you yourself are love. This is Bill DeFoore, with a spectrum of Wisdom News.

Spot #152 Assisi Decalogue for Peace
On March 4, 2002, Pope John Paul II sent a letter accompanied by the "Assisi Decalogue for Peace" to all heads of State and governments. The decalogue was signed at the end of the Day of Prayer for Peace in the World which was celebrated in Assisi on January 24, 2002. In the letter, the Pope affirms that "the participants in the meeting of Assisi were inspired more than ever by one common conviction: humanity much choose between love and hate." The Pope was accompanied at this meeting by more than 200 leaders, including a number of cardinals; Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of all Orthodox Christians; a dozen Jewish rabbis including some from Israel; 30 Muslim imams from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan; dozens of ministers representing Baptists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Disciples of  Christ, Mennonites, Quakers, Moravians, The Salvation Army and the World Council of Churches; dozens of monks, gurus and others representing Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Zoroastrians and native African religions. These brave souls risked personal vulnerability to attend this high-profile meeting, and among other important declarations stated, "We, as persons of different religious traditions, will tirelessly proclaim that peace and justice are inseparable, and that peace in justice is the only path which humanity can take towards a future of hope". You probably haven't heard about this until now. It did not make big news. Most newspapers did not carry it at all, and it was hidden inside many of those that did. But at least it happened. And you and I know. This is Bill DeFoore, with a spectrum of Wisdom News.

Spot #153 Flowered Hat on a Fire Hydrant
I first noticed this woman several years ago. There she was, kneeling on the concrete sidewalk, pulling weeds next to a stop sign on a busy street corner, where a row of houses meets a commercial district. Then I saw flowers growing next to the sidewalk, and around the base of the stop sign. I've seen her out there many times since, adding some small touch of beauty and color to an otherwise ordinary street. It was nothing spectacular, and sometimes I would drive by that intersection without noticing anything. But every once in a while, some splash of color would catch my eye, and I would see a new gift this sweet soul had offered to the world. A week or so ago, my wife noticed a flowered straw hat on the fire hydrant at one of the intersections. Yesterday we saw several groupings of three or four paintings attached to the wooden fence down from the fire hydrant. They looked like originals, done by an amateur artist, all in subdued colors. There were no prices or artists' names displayed. Then I looked for the first time at the little group of houses that led to the commercial district, and I instantly knew which one was hers. Flowers everywhere. It looked like a cottage that would always have something tasty to eat inside, with smiles and funny stories for all who enter. So, what is really important in this world? Is this simple story news, or can we only get that from mainstream media? I suggest that this woman is changing the world, and that her actions are monumental. Each of us is changing the world, one small act at a time. Decide how you want to do it. This is Bill DeFoore, with a spectrum of Wisdom News.

William G. DeFoore, Ph.D.
Institute for Personal & Professional Development
4201 Wingren Rd. Suite 201
Irving, TX 75062
Ph: 972-791-0144
Fx: 972-791-0313
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