Journal of Sacred Work

Consider the lilies is the only commandment I ever obeyed. – Emily Dickinson

   At first glance, it sounds a bit heretical. "Consider the lilies" is the only commandment she ever obeyed? Yet Emily Dickinson’s life is a stunning tribute to the beauty of her solitary and poetic commitment to this counsel from Jesus, reported in the Gospel of Matthew.

   In all our efforts to understand and decipher the ineffable around us, there is a chance we may underestimate our gift for what the Greeks called gnosis. Gnosis is a kind of knowing that has no explanation. It is our intuitive sense that something is true whether our cognitive mind can prove it or not.
   This was the surprise I got this morning as I drove to work. On a CD, Wayne Dyer lectured me on the power of intention. My mind was at work analyzing the challenges of the day. And then, suddenly…

   He appeared on a bare branch looking bright, cheerful, serene. My mother taught me to watch for
such beings. And so, I saw him. Bluebirds live in our neighborhood and probably in yours. Still, spotting one is always a rare pleasure.
   The moment I saw him, my spirits soared. I also thought of the way Johnny Carson used to begin many of his jokes with Ed MacMahon: "May the bluebird of happiness…"
   What an odd thing that the random sighting of a pretty bird can affect mood. This is the special, human part of us that can awaken gnosis. The beautiful being or thing can be a pathway for us to the energy of happiness in the world.
   There are many people who are so deeply intuitive and open to the different unseen energies around us that they seem to have psychic abilities. This enables them to "see" with their hearts – both the happiness and the sadness in others.
   When people like this are in caregiving roles, their gift can enable them to empathize with others in profound ways. I believe caregivers who have this gift need special support and protection because the gift is precious and the caregiver who has it can become overwhelmed with the power of the
energy they receive.
   It is very likely that you have some gnostic capability for gnosis refers to spiritual knowledge. It is the knowing we have when there is no proof. As children, we may have a high level of intuitive knowledge. The world of scientific knowledge pushes hard against gnosis suggesting that theories are nothing without proof. This may cause us to deny our gnostic capability and, in the process, block off one of our most sacred gifts.
   We started this exploration talking about bluebirds, not healing.  How can a bluebird contribute to gnosis? People take drugs to improve their mood. On this day, the sight of a bluebird was, for me, as fine an elixir as anything sold in a pharmacy. This bluebird carried the spirit of light.

-Erie Chapman

Today’s One Minute YouTube Special: When I went looking for short clips of bluebirds singing, what I came across instead was this cute little clip taking by someone standing on his roof in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The music is Irving Berlin’s Blue Skies sung by Willie Nelson. Click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbYSDFtCrxE