Anchoring the Divine Design

This Week's Quotation:

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

~ Maya Angelou

Anchoring the Divine Design

Rev. Berry Behr, Interfaith Minister

In this often turbulent, terrified and traumatized world, it’s easy to sink into the despair of isolation. Many people feel lonely and disconnected — from one another, and even from God. I hear the cries of people who feel abandoned; brutality, tragedy and loss are everywhere we look. It’s easy to focus on these dark elements that loom large in our newsreels.

I recently spoke with a minister friend about what empowering messages we could offer. They had to be simple, actionable, and true to our shared calling of uniting people and fostering understanding beyond difference. They also needed to carry an implicit truth - that suffering is never all there is. The keys to our own healing are within our reach. Here’s what we found:

To counter turbulence, restore Trust.
We restore trust in God — and ourselves — by being trustworthy. Reconnecting with our eternal, internal gravitas, we find ourselves living our values, showing up, and doing what is ours to do. Rebuilding our relationship with our own Divinity, we become a point of steadfastness in the world, anchoring the Divine Design on earth.

To conquer terror, spend Time.
Fear and loneliness often go hand in hand. Screens and social media can isolate us. But when we take time to be with each other, we restore awareness of our interconnectedness. We touch the heartbeat of Creation in others and in Nature. We remember our purpose and we are inspired to action.

To heal trauma, seek (and speak) Truth.
Trauma can define us if we let it. But that pain isn’t our whole story. Tapping into the cosmic truth of who we are, we begin to see the gifts, the growth, the sacred lessons held within our hardest moments. Our struggles can become stepping stones — if we let them show us who we really are.

What have you learned? That’s your truth. Speak it. Because someone out there is searching for exactly what you’ve found.

About Open Windows

We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world's sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.

We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.