The Words of the Burley Family
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The Words of the Burley Family |
Dear Friends,
We are all affected by what has happened in Japan since Friday afternoon when its coastal areas were engulfed by the tsunami waves that closely followed a powerful earthquake. Who could not be? As with our own Katrina disaster, the Haiti earthquake, the unbelievable oil spill in the Gulf, and all that is happening now in the Middle East, what has happened in Japan is hard to take in. Each of us has different ways of looking at these events and finding explanations, on a personal, theological, or philosophical level, for why these things happen. I have nothing new to bring to the mix, but I do maintain that we need to keep our awareness focused on what is happening to ourselves at any given time, because our individual lives are the only thing we can control. We can't control earthquakes, but we can do our best to direct our response when they happen.
I was in Japan for two months in 2003, and during that time I experienced earthquakes that made buildings sway and furniture slide across the floor. You can imagine that I might have been on high alert around the clock, but like the Japanese, I became used to the tremors, and as is true most of the time, no damage was done. I became close to many dear people during the time I was in Japan, and I have thought of them so much during this unprecedented disaster in their homeland. Many of those I met are among earth's more advanced souls, and I pray that their understanding and light will somehow assist all of those who are suffering now. Most of all, I pray that all who suffer can be open to receive God's healing grace and love. As I have watched news reports and videos of current events in Japan, I have been saddened by the look of bewilderment and despair that appears on many faces. I have also been overcome by the awareness that humanity is one. If we have compassion, we cannot help but feel pain for the precious people affected by the disaster.
It is always good to pray as you feel moved to pray, because your heart knows what energy you need to give to a situation. Just do not lose yourself in sadness. Life goes on for all, on this side or in the spirit world, and as we know, there are beings of great light and love who pour their energies out upon the earth, especially during such times as these. We can join forces with them as we send our prayers and love to Japan.
For those who left Mother Earth during this disaster or any disaster, there are great masses of spiritual beings attending to the event and assisting each one in making the transition to their new surroundings in the spirit world. Each person departing the earth is given understanding of the personal and cosmic reasons behind everything occurring, and those who remain on earth, still suffering, are sustained by the energies of the same loving spiritual beings. While we know this information from study and sometimes personal experience, there is much we cannot know until our own day of transition into the spirit world.
One of the things we learn while we are on earth is that we are not in charge. We are all carried forward in our daily existence by circumstances often beyond our control. Through everything that appears in our lives, we can find an opportunity to experience the elevation of our souls. So it is for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, including those left behind.
In the larger scheme of things, we cannot know the reason why, in God's creation, these catastrophes happen. We have to trust that when we are finally away from the earth ourselves, we will be given the bigger picture, including the cause and effect relating to such events. Meanwhile, we have witnessed or experienced the resiliency in all of us that is sometimes revealed only when we are confronted with life's greatest challenges. We may not like the saying, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," but it seems to be true. We are here to experience the fullness of life, to realize what is meant by all of life's experiences, and to know that suffering is never intended to make us give up, but rather to ask, "What does this teach me about myself?"
There are countless numbers of people walking the earth for whom suffering is no stranger, and for some, it seems to be an unending reality. Among them are those who have sought a higher perspective to find meaning in their suffering. Such people often come to embrace the understanding that life is filled with endless opportunities to learn and, most of all, to experience God's love. This is the reason I watch carefully everything that comes to me in life, good or bad, and look for what it is teaching me about me.
I have learned through many years of deep meditation and growing spiritual awareness that the core of my being is an indestructible reality made of eternal light and love that does not, will not, ever go away. All of my suffering as well as my joy in life confirm to me that this is so. If we are observant, we will grasp this central reality of our lives, and all of our experiences will lead us toward the experience of this truth: God is your center, manifested by light, love, and the unchanging reality deep within the core of your being. You are being led to this place within yourself where you will find unending hope, peace, and most of all, love.
It is my prayer for each of my Japanese brothers or sisters, and for each person who has suffered or physically perished in any of the recent disasters that have come upon earth, that each will quickly find this safe and true haven within self; that each will rise to the awareness that will sustain them under all circumstances--that God lives in you, and you are ultimately and eternally safe in this reality.
Let me hear from you if you have a special request for prayers for anyone of your friends or relatives presently in Japan, especially if they are in or near the epicenter or surrounding cities like Tokyo. I would like to give their names to prayer partners who have volunteered to pray as requests come to our office.
I am with you in spirit and love,
Philip
Monday, March 14, 2011
Phoenix, Arizona
Dear Friends,
I want to thank you all for the outpouring of support received in response to my message yesterday. I am so touched by the level of compassion this tragedy in Japan has generated among our friends.
I just wanted to pass on one request I received. Due to the urgency of it, I thought I would pass it along to any of you who might be moved to add your supportive thoughts and prayers, in addition to our regular prayer volunteers.
A prayer request for a family missing who live in Iwate: The name is Kuniaki Kamei Wife's name is Michiko Children's names are Yoshimi, Ayaka, and Noritaka
Again, I am with you in spirit and love,
Philip