As I said in the video above, on Nov 15, 2016 I will be co-facilitating an experience with Kara Dansky of 1,000 Arms and Brian Rocheleau of The Blind Cafe where we will invite people to have an encounter with themselves with regard to issues of race. The foundation of the program will be based on a mindfulness meditation approach.

I did a conference call with them today and each of us talked about why we are interested in doing this event together. Each of us comes from an entirely different background and have found ourselves together at a particular time in our individual journeys where we feel compelled to use our energy in a way that creates safe space for people to address tough questions. Let’s face it. There’s a lot of division happening right now. Not that it hasn’t been happening throughout history. It’s just that this is the first time in the known history that we’ve had the proliferation of technologies that allow us to collectivize around our particular divisions at such a rapid rate. As a result, many of us are breaking into our groups and creating campaigns against whoever we perceive as threats.

What my friends and I want to do is create an opportunity to reexamine that divisions. How can we encounter the fear engendered by a history of “ussing and themming” and transform it within ourselves first and then out into our communities so that more of us are able to actually benefit from our differences? Since our context is the USA we’re starting with race for obvious reasons, but the processes we will use are transferable to any blocks that we may encounter in our personal mindscape. Ultimately, we hope that once we can get around the mental blocks participants will be able to sink into their hearts and other ways of encountering the world.

In the first scripture I referred to in the video, I quote the biblical Jesus as having said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” As I interpret it, Jesus came to challenge our way of knowing so that we can have a deeper encounter with all of Life. This is a man who taught that the greatest commandments were to love God, our neighbor (to include our enemies), and ourselves as One. There is no separation in One. That is what informs this project. I know that at this time there is no real languages to articulate the full import of Oneness. But we can experience it and live it into the world. This offering is an invitation to walk in that direction. If this is something you can get behind we encourage to create an offering in your area.  If you are in Boulder proper, we invite you to join us and to start creating a buzz now.

We’re encouraged by the fact that we found each other and are creating this possibility together. We hope that you find people in your respective circles to create other possibilities for us to grow together as One.

Blessings