Christ in a Lake

Have you ever floated in a calm lake at sunset, watching the stars blink into sight?

Have you lain in the grass at midnight while meteors shower you with light?

Have you yet risen with the sun, invigorated by cool air in your lungs and dew on your toes?

Have you peered into the eyes of a new friend and felt like you grew up with them more than once?

These are glimpses of what Heaven feels like, and they’re right here in front of us.

You can’t find them in movies, books, or VR. You can’t know them by substance use.

Heaven is here, before (and behind) our eyes, in every conscious experience we choose to have.

Enhanced by greater awareness, each experience becomes a vessel for understanding Truth.

The more present we are, the more Truth we drink from each vessel of experience. Soon, our cups overflow…

This summer in brilliant British Columbia, I became drunk on life experience. Every day and every night was a new adventure; a cornucopia of precious presence and sacred connection. Even in solitude, I was never truly alone. Even when chaos arose, I was able to face it with grace.

How? Why? Can it even be explained?

It’s true that Christina Lake is a beautiful place of miracles, where one can immerse themselves in nature and return to God. That’s why I dubbed it “Christ In A Lake.”

But miracles can happen anywhere, anytime, through anyone. There is no limit to the Truth and Beauty we can experience on planet Earth– within and around us. Unfortunately, many of us miss these miracles because we’re distracted by the false light of technology, media, or mind-altering substances.

Not to say that utilizing such tools is “wrong,” but there is a difference between using a tool and letting the tool use us… between being The Light and getting lost in lights.

To be The Light is to be so totally present with what’s at hand, you reveal that which was previously hidden in any situation. The Light that shines through your cleansed perspective can dissolve the dark walls of ignorance in others.

That friend who needs a place to stay? The family member who can’t see past their own trauma? Even the lady who gets mad at the cashier… each one is an opportunity for us to deepen our presence so as to see what others might be missing. By paying close attention with compassionate consideration, we dive deeper toward the core of human experience, which is rich with significance.

Of course, immersing ourselves in Mother Nature does make this process easier… This is because she doesn’t hide at all. She is authentic, open, and vulnerable; we can’t help but be the same in her presence. She has no ulterior motive or mask; what we see is what we get. Thus, she teaches us how to be and see purely.

That’s why, even amidst personal chaos, I was able to find peace in the rushing rivers that gushed out of Christina Lake, as well as the surrounding forests and mountains. Even the noisy motorbikes and nosy tourists became sources of joy! I learned so much, and the lessons are still unraveling…

But the biggest one is this: Heaven isn’t a place; it’s a state of consciousness.

That’s why I say it’s before and behind our eyes… both internal and external experiences can be catalysts (and containers) for Bliss.

But it takes practice to sustain this, and that’s where meditation comes in.

When we focus on God, The Good, which created all things, that is all we will see. Whole, Holy, Pure.

May all our experiences be vessels for miracles. Amen and so it is. 🙏🤍🕊️