I have written and talked at length about the beauty in nature and the Divine element present there. For me it is easy to see the spark of the Sacred revealed in nature. I also recognize and note it in animals and small children. My greater challenge is acknowledging it in people.
There is irony in this statement as I have spent much time learning that I am Sacred. I offer teachings and workshops for women that promote that understanding. Most of the time I see the Divinity contained in women because of the Native American teachings that I was fortunate to receive on that topic. Those teachings shifted my perspective.
More difficult for me is remembering the Sacredness of men. They too contain a spark of the Divine. Having worked in a field that was in place strictly to address the violence of men and its impacts on others has jaded my view of men. My life experience and past career taught me to be wary and suspicious of men. The result of this way of being closed me off to the possibility of seeing the Sacred in men. Recently that changed.
I was engaged in a interaction with one specific man at the time. As he was talking a thought entered my mind. The thought was, “He is Sacred.” This thought did not arise based upon anything he was saying or doing. It came from a deeper place within me and redirected my response and interaction with him.
Let me be clear. I am not in any way saying that if someone is causing you harm through their words or actions that you roll over and allow that to happen. That would be undermining your Divinity. I want you to remember your Sacredness. Surround yourself with others who honor you.
Consider for a moment how our relationships and interactions with others might be if we remembered that they too were Sacred. How would you talk to the Divine? How would you treat a Sacred being? The thought that entered my mind shifted me. In fact, I would say it has become my new practice. Can we engage others from the Divinity within us? I think when we do we are certain to recognize and remember that they too are Sacred.