Journal of Sacred Work

Editor’s Note: Today’s meditation comes to us from Gary Vacca. Gary is a minster, a former executive at
Lourdes Hospital in Kentucky (left), where he was the first leader to introduce the Radical Loving Care initiative, and a consultant to the Baptist Healing Trust. He is also Executive Director of The Foundation for Spiritual Living – Erie Chapman

We are skilled at programs
that temporarily change behaviors rather that being masters at inducing
permanent transformation.  – Gary Vacca

   Our life and
work is not just about what we do but who we are, our “beingness.” The Spiritual principle involved is
this: Who we believe ourselves to be determines what we can do – our behaviors
and quality of relationships. Our self-perception of who we are will determine
whether we bring a healing or hurting presence into any encounter, be it a
hospital room, staff meeting or one-on-one counseling session. 

   We are all
spiritual beings connected by love to other spiritual beings. When I am aware
of the presence of God as my true identity, then I am more apt to recognize
that same Presence as your identity. Whatever I am consciously aware of determines
the kind of energy I am giving off to others. My conscious awareness will
create an environment that is positive or negative, accepting or judgmental,
encouraging or discouraging. Whatever you think within is what you express
without.
   The good news is
that we can develop a Loving Healing Consciousness by practicing the presence
of God within. Scriptures teach us to “Be still and know that I am God.” As we
take a moment to recognize the Presence before we enter a room we will become a
channel through which the healing of Christ’s love can flow. We are not
designed to be thermometers, merely registering the temperature, but rather, we
are more like thermostats, controlling the spiritual, mental and emotional
climate in an encounter.
   Another
effective way to develop a Loving Healing Consciousness is to practice
recognizing the presence in others. Again, we have to train ourselves to pause,
briefly go within, sense the presence and then behold that presence in others.
Unfortunately, we were not taught this in our formal education. Most of us are pros
at dealing with effects but total novices at the cause producing that effect.
Consequently, we are skilled at programs
that temporarily change behaviors rather that being masters at inducing
permanent transformation. Practicing presence is the key to transformation.
Transformation literally means to “go beyond form.” If you want to go beyond
the current forms in your life, you have to go to the source that created the
forms in the first place; that being your own consciousness.
   The health of an organization is in
direct proportion to the collective consciousness of the individuals who
comprise the organization.
Leaders are always trying to change the “culture” of an organization without
first changing the Consciousness of an organization. Culture change without consciousness
change produces robots. Scientists have not figured how to program robots to
have a genuine Loving Healing Consciousness. You can script robots, give them
pat answers to certain questions, and program them with certain reactionary
behaviors, but you can’t teach them how to feel or give love. That is left to
us as human beings.

Loving Care Practice:   A Loving Healing
Consciousness can be developed. As we meditate, visualize the Christ Presence
in ourselves and others, take brief pauses during the day to feel the Presence
within, we will be creating an inner atmosphere which will bring love and healing
to our outer environment. We are all called to be Healers. As we are aware of
the Healer within, healings will naturally occur without.

-Gary Vacca