Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
Who am I?
“Who the hell are you to be hosting a global prayer and meditation event??!!”
This is exactly what I asked myself when this idea came to me. I am not a minister, a monk, a nun or a preacher. I am not a rabbi or shaman, a public figure even, or global leader.
I am a mother. I am an empath. I have a capacity for compassion that is deep, wide and all consuming. My heart hurts for the suffering around our world. From those who had fear strike in their hearts in the face of hatred from white power chanting “blood and soil” and “jews will not replace us” to those injured by the driving force of a car in Charlottsville. I’m terrified for Jews, Blacks, Muslims, my LGTBQ friends and family, people with special needs. Because we’ve seen this before and it led to the terror and death for all of these populations.
My heart feels the waves of pain and suffering from the millions facing evil in Afgahnistan, Iraq, Syria; the victims of civil wars in places like Darfur; the escalating violence in Venezuela, the victims and families of victims who have fallen to terrorism in London, Paris, Barcelona,Boston, New York, San Bernadino. . . Day after day we witness men in particular executing heinous violence toward others.
How am I called to respond?
I’ve been asking myself over and over the question, as a female, white, middle class American citizen what am I called to do? How am I called to respond?
The answer I received is this. I am called to organize and facilitate a Global Prayer and Meditation Circle.
Right now I, like many, have no answers. We stumble in our blindness, overwhelmed by the pain. I DO NOT know what to do.
Here is what I do know to be true for me:
For me to be able to respond to violence anywhere I see it, I MUST do so from a place deeply grounded in the deepest, wisest part of myself. I MUST root myself into faith, hope and love. When I take action from love and compassion my energy is great. It is sustainable and renewable. Anger and pain are a good place to start. But anger burns quick and fierce and pain robs of us our energy and sovereignty. Ongoing anger is not a sustainable way to actively engage in the world. And, often, anger begets anger begets anger. Perhaps this is true for you as well.
What I DO know is we are all made of energy and the energy we use can be positive or negative. Tibbetan prayers have cleansed nuclear water. Angry yelling and cursing has killed plants. What more our power as conscious humans?
What if we unleash a tidal wave of compassion, curiosity, openness, humbleness and love? What if it starts with one tiny mom saying hey guys, lets intentionally gather from all over the globe and pray?
Photos by Naassom Azevedo , Hector Martinez & Nicola Fioravanti on Unsplash
I pray for our hearts to be overflowing with love.
I pray for wisdom and discernment in confusion.
I pray for courage, clarity and boldness when action is called for.
I pray for curiosity and non-judgment.
I pray to experience the other in the I.
I pray to understand the interconnection of all of life.
I pray for healing and transformation.
I pray for magic and miracle where our limited humanity fails.
I pray for radical love to overtake and consume the hate.
Are you too called to respond?
This is what I am called to do today. Are you too pulled to respond with self reflection, meditation and prayer? Are you seeking to participate in love? I humbly invite you to this global Meditation and Prayer to be held on the two week anniversary of the torch led KKK protest.
When: Friday August 25th 10:00pm EST (7:00pm PST; 4:00am 8/26 CEST/ Barcelona)
Where: Facebook Live on the Lesley Yadon Coaching page
What to expect: An invitation to experience quietness, sanctuary and curiosity. An opening prayer, time for silent prayer, a guided meditation and closing words.
I would like to offer you brief understanding of who I am, my experiences and the context I speak to you from.
- My great, great, great, great grandfather Yadon was conscripted from Ireland at age 13 or 14 By the British army to be a drummer for the war between GB & the US. I’m not sure how all of this unfolded, but when the Revolutionary war ended, he did not return to his home in Ireland. Later on in history, the Yadon family did some not so nice things.
- I was born in CDA, ID, where, for many years there existed a KKK stronghold.
- I was raised as a conservative and as a conservative Christian.
- I now identify as an Independent and as a Unitarian Universalist
- I consider myself spiritual. I believe in angels, Source and miracles.
- My uncle, grandfather and great grandfather were Methodist ministers who believed in love.
- I have loved ones who have served as police officers. They are white.
- I have loved ones who are conservatives, republicans and alt right.
- I have loved ones who are democrats and progressives
- I have loved ones who are part of the LGBTQ community
- I have been priviledged financially as my family owns land and I received an inheretance when my great grandfather died.
- I have been priviledged with education. I earned a BA, BS and MA.
- My sibling was bullied by a group of Black students in elementary school.
- I was robbed at gunpoint by a Black man
- My sister was robbed at gunpoint by a Black man
- A dearly loved & respected Sergeant in our local law enforcement agency was shot and killed by a Black man.
- I live in LA county with large populations of Latinos and the highest percentage of African Americans in LA county.
- I have worked in social work. I see high rates of African American children detained from homes
- I work at a school with African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, muslims, Jews and many white children.
- I have a son. I am scared I’m going to fuck him up. I’m scared the world will fuck him up.
- I don’t know how to understand and reconcile all of these seemingly disparate pieces.
I list these details not as a defense for anything I do or do not say. I offer it so that you can see me more fully. So perhaps you can recognize some of your own experience or story in mine. So that you understand how my combined history, genetics and experiences and indeed, my spirituality have led me to this place. May we recognize the self created barriers and labels are nothing but a destructive mirage that keeps us isolated, separate and powerless.