Musings
Musings 2 - Reincarnation at the Amusement Park (8/23/21)
Amy and I were at Kennywood on Wednesday, waiting in an S-shaped line for a ride on the Racer (a vintage roller coaster with 2 sets of cars that race each other). I asked Amy if she could identify with the concept of Oneness as we surveyed the diversity of ages, shapes, heights, gender, and color of the people around us. She responded that it was easy to feel Oneness with this group, since we were all there for the same purpose and anticipating the same experience. Perhaps this is the same experience that we have waiting to be born. We are waiting on the other side of the veil, waiting with our group of fellow travelers in anticipation of an adventure together. And as we start that adventure we race against each other, one group against the other and come up winners or losers by a fraction of a second. The experience of the journey being more important than the victory. And when we get off the ride, we hurry to get back in line to repeat that journey, just for the experience of it.
Musings 1 – (4/26/21) While sitting with my 15-pound male tabby across my lap in the morning I thought about how our pets demand that we love them and how that benefits us. As we give them love, we are reminded that we have love to give. This makes us aware of the love that we are. If only we could see that every person whom we have contact with is also asking for love. If we could only love each of them with the love that we show a pet. If only...
Reviews
For years I listened to Krista Tippett host her shows, Speaking of Faith and On Being. This show reminds me of those shows. Dr. Bob allows the speaker to share their spiritual journey without judgment, then asks insightful questions to allow them to share even more of their thoughts. Very well worth the time to listen to this podcast. – Ken P.
Bob - Your first two podcasts were so interesting and inspiring. Thank you for providing this to the community. - Tawna L.
Watched it all the way through (Melih Demarkin interview). Hard hitting stuff. I now know that there is a chapel in the Pittsburgh Airport where Muslims can pray. And that some Muslims are nice people. - Patrick O.
Have enjoyed listening to others you have interviewed. You are introducing us to many splendid souls.
Namaste, John H.
Musings 44 – Being Vulnerable While Living Invulnerability (3/10/2023)
Beginning this Sunday, March 12, my podcast “Your Spiritual Journey” will debut on YouTube. This is a major step for me because it exposes the “thorn in my flesh,” to quote Paul in 2 Cor. 12:1-10. The Bible never explains what Paul’s thorn is. Mine is called “essential tremors” and is so obvious that complete strangers have walked up to me and asked me how I’m dealing with my Parkinson’s, explaining that they also have it or that a family member has it. My tremors reveal themselves as uncontrollable hand movements and a bobble-head at times. I can never trust myself at a salad bar, but I am fortunate not to have Parkinson’s.
Until now I have been able to hide my thorn behind the microphone, since audio recording doesn’t reveal it. Once you see me on YouTube you may cringe and feel the need to look away. If that is the case, just listen, don’t watch.
My decision to broadcast on YouTube is based on my own spiritual journey and it’s also out of respect for my guests. They are making something typically private public, to help others. When a guest reveals a traumatic event from their past that changed their life, or a moment of spiritual awakening, they are making themselves vulnerable in a very public way. I decided that if my guests were willing to make themselves vulnerable to my audience, then I needed to do likewise.
When I think about blatant examples of vulnerability I think about pets, cats and dogs that ask for belly rubs by stretching out beside us and exposing their bellies. What they are communicating is “I love you and I trust you.” It certainly endears us to them. My guests are often saying the same thing when they reveal certain experiences, sometimes for the first time. They are saying “I love you and I trust you.” When the discussion results in tears from the guest or me or both, you will be able to see that on YouTube.
In one of our recent study groups with Vince Lisi (this week’s guest), the discussion turned to what it means to be vulnerable and invulnerable. If being vulnerable means ‘susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm” then being invulnerable means that it is no longer the case. When I say that I am broadcasting on YouTube to make myself vulnerable, that’s not quite true, because I feel invulnerable. There is nothing that you can do or say that can harm me because I don’t give up that power to anyone. The fact that I am not my body, but an immortal spirit in a body makes me invulnerable. However, I do love you and trust you, so in that way you could say I’m making myself vulnerable by appearing on YouTube. Please rub my belly.
Namaste.
Patricia DeMarco
Finishing up “The Sign of Jonas” by Thomas Merton, I ran into this paragraph that reminded me of my next podcast guest, Patricia Demarco:
When your tongue is silent, you can rest in the silence of the forest. When your imagination is silent, the forest speaks to you, tells you of its unreality and the Reality of God. But when your mind is silent, then the forest suddenly becomes magnificently real and blazes transparently with the Reality of God: for now I know that the Creation which first seems to reveal Him, in concepts, than seems to hide Him, by the same concepts, finally is revealed in Him, in the Holy Spirit; and we who are in God find ourselves united, in Him with all that springs from Him. This is prayer, and this is glory! – Page 343
Patty’s journey from Catholicism to the Cathedral of the Forest is the story that you can tune into this Sunday on “Your Spiritual Journey.” I think you’ll find it intriguing.