In my youth, I was a Disc Jockey. I was not a very good one but in the 90's, we did not have all that is available today. Music has taken quite the turn in just the past few years. The days of trading tapes with ramp marks and crossfading have disappeared with the latest remix. There is so much music available now, you will get lost in it.
There is an idea out there I want to share with you today. The idea is that Jedi are not individualist. One of the things we all share is the idea that the Force connects all living things. We believe in the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it. This basic building block can lead to many great things. The Force is the center flow. It is the center connection. We return to its flow. We enter here. In this idea or flow, we have no control over it. This flow is not mine, nor is it yours. It connects all living things. It connects religions, myths, and even people who will never meet.
An Individualist is person who is independent and self-reliant and is an advocate of a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control: Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, and social outlook that emphasizes the worth of the individual.
Jedi are not individualists.
We strive to understand our thoughts, feelings and will but we are not them. We do not seek our own way with things. We all want to be a part of something. We all want to experience life. This is a part of our will. We ARE connected. We cultivate an understanding of these things. Reflection can be the time we realize where our will and that of others conflict or align. What we look for or try to cultivate, is not ours. We believe in the Force. The Force is not our thoughts, emotions or will. This connection does not come from us. It is the return that everything returns to.
HUMILITY is a balance we can have a working understanding of. It can be learned and taught but it must begin with us. Humility in psychology is an attitude of spiritual modesty that comes from the understanding our place in the larger order of things. It entails not taking our desires, successes, or failings too seriously. True humility is characterized by an accurate assessment of one’s characteristics, an ability to acknowledge limitations, and a “forgetting of the self.” " HUMILITY - Our perpetual trial is humility. We understand our agency is not solely from us, but through us: it is of The Force. In feeling The Force in ourselves, we see It in everyone and everything,”
“Jedi practice NON_ATTACHMENT, maintaining an awareness that the cycles of creativity and renewal in the Force give rise to phenomena as others pass away.” Know what you are attached to and how. Practice non-attachment. We practice to not be attached to everything. It is in this non-attachment where we can be free from doubt, worry, judgment and free to understand our own thoughts, feelings, and will. Understanding these things allows us to see what is present.
There is no authority in this flow I can harbor or claim. Do not claim any of the flow. We cannot. It is not our thoughts, feelings or will. Over time or even instantly, something happens to us. Complacency happens and pride. COMPLACENCY is not of the present moment. For me, little grows while I am complacent.
"A trait more common among Jedi, too sure of themselves, even the older, more experienced ones." --- Yoda
No one uses the Force. We can be instruments. It is through us, it flows. It is not us. We are instrumental. To do this, one must be present. There is no doubt about this. To be instrumental is something entirely different from thinking we can use or wielding the Force off screen. In the ordinary world, Jedi are people with limits. Some days, it is hard to live in the present moment but this can lead to an understanding of so much more. When I first started my ministry in the Temple as Clergy, I cannot lie, I thought I had it all figured out. I had a plan and we were going to stick to it and that was that. Turns out, being present is the glue that keeps some things together. Faithfulness find favor. Be faithful to being present. Practice. To be instrumental, one must be present and to be present is to understand your limits. When we can truly see and understand who "We" are, we can see the Force. It is the difference we strive for. Can we understand the difference? For me, the "I" in Jedi no longer stands for me or myself but the ability to understand what it is to be INSTRUMENTAL. I got a lot of ego. We all do. We can identify if our levels are healthy and not so healthy. We can cultivate these things. Developing a deeper understanding of one's self and of one's surroundings is another thing we strive for. Being instrumental means relying not on us but on the Force. I do not go looking for fights. I even know what to do if one ever comes my way. I have options. I do not seek trouble. Trouble will find us. The rain falls. Some days, there is no reason for rain or storms other than, it is time. How our thoughts, feeling and will go, is on us some days. We can learn to be non-reactive. Even develop character fitting Knighthood.
What we need are those who can be instrumental rather than obstructive. There were days in my own ministry where someone DIDN’T need me but that of something or someone else. Can you render aid if you realize you are not the best thing for the situation? Have you ever been there where if you added your own influence, it would be better without it? This is a very knightly thing to think about. What if YOU are not the aid others need? Can you be a better resource rather than a repeat presence? Can we personally take a back seat when we see a need? This is development at work. The answers to these and so many more can be found out.
This is the developmental part of things. This is where we can grow the forever student. Between the teachings, maxims and doctrine, there are lifetimes of things to study and research and reflect on. After ten years, I am still learning new things. This is one of the points of what and why we do what we do here. It is in that learn mode or that forever student glow that we can remind ourselves it exists in us. The ability to learn new things and find more out. This glow is not ours. When we return to the Force or we focus on it, we can find what connects us to what is present. Some days we understand more than others. Some days our understanding changes with what we find out. Let the Force flow as it flows. Not by our own will or what we think it does. Let that go and let it flow. Be instrumental to what you can let go. There, you will find change.
Pastor Carlos
