Midweek Faith Lift
November 3, 2021
The Process of Asking
Rev. Deb Hill-Davis
In honor of the day, in honor of the season, we begin with two Knock, Knock jokes!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Thermos.
Thermos who?
Thermos be a better way to get to you.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Some.
Some who?
Maybe someday you’ll recognize me!
We’ll get back to these in a bit! In the meantime, as we reflect on this process of asking I again want to share from the Daily Reflection for October 26, 2021
DC Comics announced that Superman’s motto is evolving from "Truth, Justice, and the American Way," to his new mission statement: "Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow." The company said the new motto signifies that the Man of Steel is a hero for everyone and that his mission is to build a better world.
“We envision all people, all beings, and all life as expressions of God. We see a world in which every person lives in alignment with his/her highest spiritual principle, emphasizing unity with God and connection with each other. We envision a world in which we live and grow as One Global Family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life. We envision a world that works for everyone.” - excerpted from the Global Vision Statement of Centers for Spiritual Living
Affirmative prayer: I am aligned with the spiritual reality of all life, that we are One with pure Spirit and with each other. In high consciousness and inspired actions, I carry out this Truth, honoring the Divine in all. “Up, up, and away!” Amen.
This prayer and this change in focus for Superman reflects a key component in the process and the power of asking that is highlighted in the third step of manifesting a miracle, the process of asking! It is in the Alpha Passage as verse 15 and here is how it translates directly from the Greek:
Evening however coming, came near to Him the disciples of Him, saying Desert is the place, and the hour is already gone by. Dismiss the crowds that going away into the villages they may buy for themselves foods. But Jesus said to them, No need they have to go away; give to them you to eat.
It is interesting that this passage highlights needs, the needs of the whole group. The process of asking arises from the identified needs of the group, not one single individual, which tells us a lot about the third step of a miracle.
Our exploration thus far has revealed that steps one and two are about emptying ourselves of self in order to connect with Divine Energy and then actually aligning with that Divine Energy as we engage with our world. Now we come to a place of asking, of seeing what our need truly is and this passage highlights that it is necessary to specifically ask for what is needed. The Disciples came to Jesus and said that the gathered crowd needed food as it was time to eat. This was a very clear need for the whole group and a very clear request. That is a condition of asking, to put it into words and make a clear request.
Too often, we are unclear about what we really need and we don’t make a direct request. How do I know that? Well, I used to believe my husband or children were mind readers and they should just know what I needed and do it! How did I discover this? When I realized that I would get angry with them when they didn’t do something, then I could recognize what I really needed and had failed to ask for from them. How’s that workin’ for you, Deb? That was a powerful learning moment for them and for me! It is a powerfully clarifying process to clearly understand what it is that you need and then to actually ask for it. Often we just want it to be there, without even needing to ask, which rarely happens, but we believe it should always be that way.
And in reality, it is never about the thing, the money, or the actions of the other person, it is about the feelings the essence of the thing. As Dr. Michael says on p. 70 of The Twelve Conditions of a Miracle:
Personal reality is a series of internal perceptions and feelings. Therefore the essence of what we want is never a thing; it is actually an internal experience or a feeling. All requests should arise from this principle: Focus on how you want to feel, not on what thing you desire.
What is beneath the desire or need for a specific thing? When you focus on that, you are focusing on the energy that the thing will confer which is what truly meets your needs. If you need employment, a place to live, or a satisfying relationship, focus on the sense of security, stability, and meaningful activity and joy that will come from these needs being met. And then stay open and receptive to your highest good, knowing that as it is your highest good, it is also the highest good for all. That energy of asking leaves it open to the Universe to respond to your needs in a myriad of creative ways, which are truly miraculous and astonishing.
It is also to be noted that when the crowds were present at the site where Jesus was speaking, they did not show up asking for food. The asking came from within the context of an integral need, which is at the essence of asking. As Dr. Michael, on p. 73 of The Twelve Conditions of a Miracle, looking at the Loaves and Fishes miracle, notes:
The people in the crowd experienced a miraculous manifestation of food. But they were not present at the site of the miracle with the intention of being fed. They were there because they were seeking spiritual knowledge. During the natural course of their search, they became hungry…their hunger was an integral part of a far more important purpose.
Miracles happen in a much larger context than our own personal needs and most frequently when the highest and best good of all creates the need.
We in the west tend to operate from an old Darwinian paradigm of “survival of the fittest” where the bottom line is eat or be eaten, kind of like we are all in a shark tank together and only the strongest will survive. I learned at the Parliament of World Religions of a new paradigm from the research of David Sloan Wilson, a scientist who has studied evolution from a broader perspective. From this research, science has determined that cooperation was the actual basis for the evolution of groups. Survival of the fittest is only true at the most elemental level of nature. However, multi-level selection moves in the direction of the good of all; who is the best cooperator is the real driver of evolution. In other words, science and spiritual truth are on the same page, and it can be said that the arc of evolution bends toward cooperation. I am so glad that Superman has finally gotten that message!!
There are a few more caveats about this process of asking. In our western consciousness of rugged individualism, we assume we are in control of our relationship with God and not the other way round. We forget the truth of this statement: VOCATUS ATQUE NON-VOCATUS DEUS ADERIT, called or not called, God is there! We become aware of that energy of God, which is step one. And then we align with that Love, and humbly ask from that place of our true need. That is what happened in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, where all were fed.
The people were hungry, but they did not ask for bread or fish. The disciples tried to make it transactional, suggesting that they tell the people to go and buy what they need. That is not wrong, but it is NOT the essence of a miracle and there is no guarantee that all would be fed in that kind of transaction. Instead, Jesus told the disciples to “give them something to eat” responding to the need in a more general way, leaving it open to the Universe to respond, and remembering that called or not, God is always there. That is the asking condition of a miracle; stating the need and leaving it open with the focus on the energy and Presence of God, remembering that God is always there.
When we are totally invested in the quest for Spirit and for the realization of compassion, then certain needs will naturally arise, organically, if you will. At that point, the Universe has a vested interest in meeting our needs and keeping us abundantly supplied. This has certainly been true for us here at Unity of Ames. That is why we have a mission statement here at Unity of Ames! When our mission is to create a better church and a better world, then we open to the Universe for all that we need to make that mission real for the highest and best good of all. When race consciousness has shifted such that Superman’s motto is now “Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow!” we can’t help but hold to the possibilities for miracles for our world.
When we remember that God is trying to become conscious in us, we realize that the Knock, Knock jokes at the beginning of the talk today are actually questions that God is asking us. God knocking at our hearts and saying, “Knock Knock, Who’s there?” Thermos, “thermos be a better way to get to you” and “Knock, knock, who's there” Some who? “Maybe someday you’ll recognize me!” May it be so!
Blessings on the Path,
Rev. Deb