A column for newspapers this week...
The unknowing mind
Since God knows when the question of “Who am I?” has played a pivotal role in what I do today, the here and now. My autobiography, now available in Ebook form at my website, is not written just about me, but us, and how we answer the question, “Who am I?”
At some point in our lives, or perhaps at many points in our lives, we ask the question, "Who am I?" At times like these, we are looking beyond the obvious, beyond our names and the names of the cities and states we came from, into the layers beneath our surface identities. We may feel the need for a deeper sense of purpose in our lives, or we may be ready to accommodate a more complex understanding of the situation in which we find ourselves. Whatever the case, the question of who we are is a seed that can bear much fruit.
It can send us on an exploration of our ancestry, or the past lives of our soul. It can call us to take up journaling in order to discover that voice deep within us that seems to know the answers to a multitude of questions. It can draw our attention so deeply inward that we find the spark of spirit that connects us to every living thing in the universe. One Hindu tradition counsels its practitioners to ask the question over and over, using it as a mantra to lead them inevitably into the heart of the divine.
While there are people who seem to come into the world knowing who they are and why they are here, for the most part the human journey appears to be very much about asking this question and allowing its answers to guide us on our paths. So when we find ourselves in the heart of unknowing, we can have faith that we are in a very human place, as well as a very divine one. "Who am I?" is a timeless mantra, a Zen koan ultimately designed to lead us home, into the part of our minds that finally lets go of questions and answers and finds instead the ability to simply be.
Knowing one’s ancestral lineage is helpful in learning about who we are. I have spent a good portion of my time on earth researching genealogy. When my mother passed away on January 3rd, I brought her genealogy research home with me. She spent years working and researching and chronicling. It is a treasure trove of information. It is the family tree on her side – The Hollers and Duke. Now, my ancestral trees are mostly complete on both sides of the father-mother lineages.
But, just knowing who, where, what, when we came on earth, and who our relatives are or were, is not sufficient enough to answer the question of “Who am I?”
Journaling has helped, as I have written many articles about my ancestors for various publications.
But, what about the spark of spirit that connects us to every living thing in the universe?
I am mostly pleased with what Hollywood is doing in bringing about translation and transformation in movies being produced today.
The new movie, “The Celestine Prophecy,” is out on DVD. James Redfield, an Alabama native, along with his wife, Salle and cat, Meredith, still live in Alabama when not traveling. They also call Arizona home. The movie is based on his best-selling book by the same name. Redfield also has written, “The Celestine Vision,” where he further expands our consciousness about the changes coming to fruition in this historical moment.
The truth of the “Celestine Vision,” is “that we all are spiritual beings acting to spiritualize the culture of the planet Earth. All we have to do is hold this vision and act with courage, and the world will truly transform.”
John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D. is a licensed ordained minister through International Metaphysical Ministries and a graduate of Samford University (1969). E-books, reference material and study programs are now available at his website www.21stcenturyministries.com For those with special prayer needs, call Unity’s prayer line at 1-800-669-7729. You can contact him at jwcargile@charter.net. All conversations are confidential.
JC
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