Today, everywhere you turn, there is talk about Oneness, a new global community, the new universal human who works co-creatively and co-operatively for the betterment of the whole. There are blogs, books, videos, and podcasts. There are meditation groups, churches, spiritual communities, and retreats.
All working toward this concept of Oneness, an idea that we are all of one Source, one Universe, one image of God. Although there are many people converging, talking, meeting, and celebrating this concept, there are still many, many, who operate outside this movement.
The question is not how do we get everyone to buy into this utopia, but rather, what does it really mean to be One with everyone?
Are there those who just won’t fit it? Do we all have to believe, live, interact, and behave the same way to be a part of this Oneness, this Unity? As I write about this I can certainly see that in my life I have successfully engaged others of like mind. Together we drink coffee and converse of a new world. We congregate and support each others’ journey. We meet-up and meditate, pray, ask for guidance, and transfer Divine energy from one to the other.
Many believe that we are living in a time when we have a global opportunity to transform the consciousness of all our brethren to one that will enhance the life experience. And it is exciting, connecting, wholesome.
Then we turn on the T.V., the radio, the internet, and we are faced with such diversity it seems impossible to imagine the Oneness we seek.
Have we somehow convinced ourselves that this Oneness movement is bigger than it really is? Or different than any other belief system which in the past has found it’s home in the converted?
Is Oneness the same as Sameness?
If we agree that we are all one, is the expectation that everyone will be like me or will I be more like them? Is there something I must first adopt or something others must let go of? Will our differences go away, disappear, and be replaced with a unified existence of sameness? Will we feel no more pain, no more disparity, no more disagreement? If so, might that get boring? To feel good all the time? To have no challenges? To not have a different emotion or thought to experience and offer a chance for us to grow?
I sit back and reflect. I wonder and as I do I get an image of a rose. It is just beginning to unwrap its petals. Its scent still just a hint of its delightful fragrance. I love that rose. It makes me sense the potential of what it shall become. A day later, in full bloom. open petals reach out to me, inviting me into the fold of its perfume. I love it too in all its glory.
How wonderful it would be to have a dozen. That much more splendor. That much more balm for my senses. All the same. All magnificent.
Isn’t that what we long for?
Because sameness is beautiful, unified, congruent. It is gentle, peaceful, and provides us with a feeling of belonging. It sure feels like Oneness.
Still, beside this lovely vase of Rose splendor is a smaller vase of mixed wildflowers. Weeds really. A mishap of nature that when standing alone on the side of a dusty road barely catches my attention unless it is picked by a child and offered with love.
I would never take that single weed flower and make it a centerpiece for my table, for it has no intrinsic beauty nor an aroma that evokes memories.
But the vase with mixed wildflowers, an array of color, texture, and scent somehow makes me stop and gaze. Each flower so tiny yet intricately shaped. Each a different shade of azure, purple, yellow, and red. A perfect mix of the un-mixable which together make up a dazzling display of earth’s bounty. And when I squint my eyes I no longer see the differences between them, only a kaleidoscope of color that generates a sense of excitement and adventure in my soul.
Here now is a physical display of Oneness.
It is when so many of diverse terrains come together to create something new. The newness they create together is only possible by the uniqueness each brings to the whole.
Could that be it? This simple metaphor that illustrates what true Oneness is?
Can we be One, a part of the whole, like the weeds which grow freely on Mother Earth, who come together distinctively different enough that together their beauty shines? Is Oneness not about sameness but rather about collectively being our best thereby enhancing the deliberate Oneness we create?
Do we all need to be roses to live and thrive in a world where we share resources, needs, and desires? Or can we instead allow for our diversity, agree to disagree, and still create together a world where we are all celebrated?
And when you think about it, would you really just want to be a rose among roses? Or a unique wildflower that belongs to a new group of flowers that together make up a truly awesome bouquet?
I know which one I want! I want to be a part of something bigger than me. Something that celebrates the originality that is me while still invites me to infuse myself into the whole so that together we become more than the sum of our parts.
Diversity is the key to such Oneness and it embodies the universal belief that we are here to love unconditionally, accept each other, and live in unity despite our differences.
I like that concept. It has no relevance to sameness. It doesn’t require us to act, believe, or communicate in a specific way. In fact it asks for us to be fully ourselves, comfortable in our distinctiveness, while at the same time appreciating that we share the same vase. We drink the same water. We need the same things to survive and thrive. We are One. Together we are Whole. At-One-Ment has been achieved.
I hope you enjoyed this post and as always I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Till next time, live easy and be kind to yourself
