There is so much ugliness and name calling in the US and in many parts of the world today, especially in the religious and political areas. We can easily get caught up in it and feel that nothing good ever comes out of political or religious dialogue. These two areas of life are the closest to our hearts and our wellbeing. Human beings need political freedom to thrive; we also need religious freedom and tolerance and acceptance to grow and expand and reach to the love and joy of the higher worlds. Our daily existence rests on how politics and religion work in our lives.
Interestingly, these two areas produce the brightest and bravest leaders as well as ones with the most rancor and intolerance! So, it is important for my personal mental health to take time to remember that beauty, goodness, righteousness, freedom, and joy exist in all parts of the world, in the hearts of most of the men and women in the world today, as well as in many great leaders both past and present. It is good to remember how we gain our political and religious freedom, how ordinary men and women fight for it and risk their lives for it, and even think of the hand of the Creator in our daily lives and daily events. I often ask myself: how has the hand of the Creator moved in my life, my life choices, and the paths taken and not taken? And, how has the hand of the Creator moved in the life of this planet and humanity? Surely something has propelled us forward?
We often hear prayers and songs in praise of God. I wonder, does God want praise from us, telling Him how grand He is and how sublime and so on? I wonder about that. Does it matter to Him or do we pray thus for our own expansion and the broadening of our narrow views?
We also say prayers to ask God to intervene on our behalf: on behalf of our country, our religion, our organization. How does this work, I wonder? Does God take sides and prefer one person or one group or one nation over another?
Of course, I have my particular views on that! I find the most comforting prayer is to ask for clarity, enlightenment, and patience to figure out what life is all about. I think this invocation says it beautifully.
Enjoy!
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Invocation by W. J. Colville
"Eternal and Infinite Spirit, Life, Light, Wisdom, Love, Truth, Justice!
Thou Soul of the Universe,
Creator, Sustainer, and Enlightener of Mankind,
We do not pray to Thee because we think that our petitions can improve Thy laws or alter Thy designs;
We do not ask Thee to ward off from us any trial, suffering or temptation which in thy wisdom Thou seest to be best for us.
We would not ask Thee to exalt us above our fellows,
Or make the lands we love the best, the fairest and the most prosperous beneath the sun.
But we will implore Thee to stir up within us all generous resolves and virtuous inclinations;
We will unfold the petals of our souls to catch the sunshine,
And open the windows of our minds as best we may to let in those airs from heaven which stir us sometimes like mighty hurricanes,
And again like gentle zephyrs woo us into newness of life and fuller conformity with Thy divine behest.
We would welcome the storm clouds of adversity equally with the soft rains of summer days and the gentle dews of summer nights;
We would praise Thee for the lightning and the thunder,
The roar of the ocean and the strife which causes men's hearts to quake with fear,
As well as for the sweet singing of the nightingales and the loveliness and perfume of the choicest flowers;
For we can trace Thee in fire and flood as well as in prosperity and calm,
And rejoice to confine ourselves and all whom we love unreservedly into Thine all-gracious keeping, feeling sure that in birth or death, in joy or sorrow, in commotion or repose, Thou art working for the best good of all Thy creatures, and cannot leave one to perish or mourn eternally, away from the knowledge of Thy truth and the realization of Thy love.
We are but frail and erring, and Thou art infinitely just and pure.
Our perfection can never be like Thine, an infinite perfection,
But as each separate blossom in the garden or the field may be perfect after its kind and yet resemble nothing but its own species, so may we, each and all, learn so to live that in our spheres and degrees we may be as perfect as all our strength and all our opportunity will permit.
May we ever keep before us the noblest models, cherish the loftiest ideas, pursue the heavenliest goals;
And may we be content with nothing short of that justice which is as wise as it is loving, and compassionate as it is wise;
May we learn to reconcile mercy with justice to our own understanding, and know that to Thee they are in eternal agreement.
So may our influence upon all with whom we mingle, and whose lives we in any way effect, be an influence for good only, in this and in every stage of our existence, now and in eternity.
We ask for every blessing for the sake of that humanity in whose welfare we would find the highest glory."
I would say AMEN to that!
(Excerpted from the book: Universal Theosophy by W. J. Colville, pp. 352-353.)
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There are many wonderful booklets on prayer and invocation, here are some specially recommended for the universal thinker:
- For a collection of over 100 mantrams and invocations, see Prayers, Mantrams and Invocations
- The pocket size prayer booklet, Daily Discipline of Worship, by Torkom Saraydarian.
- Daily Spiritual Striving is also a small booklet of invocations and prayers