We are all Connected – the Power of Unity

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

~ Matthew 18:20

I always believed that the power of unity is manifested among people.  It just makes so much sense to have more than one person available, and explore the multitude of ideas when brainstorming new possibilities.  One can only asked, why is it so hard for people to unite and find a common base?

It may have its origin in the fact that unity starts within oneself. 

Individual Level

We have heard of mind over matter or mind-body unity.  If you ask any athlete they may be able to explain to you what they feel and how they experience “the flow;” when everything comes easily without thinking or any conscious effort.  It seems that after they have trained for days, weeks and maybe even years, there is a sudden breakthrough and every move, every skill becomes automatic.  That is the result of strict discipline and endless practice.  Some people also explain it as centering or alignment. 

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (KJV)

~ Genesis 1:28

According to the Divine Principle, mind-body unity is the goal of the first blessing, to reach maturity.  By focusing on God, our mind and body become one and form a mature individual.  For some of us this is very difficult, depending on our ancestry, family history or personal bad habits.  Rev. Hyung Jin Moon suggests a daily practice of breathing centered exercise.  In his book Cheon-Hwa-Dang (The House of Heaven’s Harmony), he introduces a 20 minute session where we consciously focus on our breathing.  Rather than breathe automatically into the lungs, we breathe consciously into the abdomen.  Trying this practice, is very hard in the beginning, because our mind wants constantly stray away and follow all kinds of thoughts.  Therefore, it takes deliberate and consistent practice to keep the mind focused on the breathing.  Consciously focusing on the breath will help us to chase away those incoming ideas and keep us in the present moment.  That resembles the self-disciplines of the great saints who spent hours meditating and emptying their mind, listening to the silence and communicating with God within.

Family Level

The second part of the 3 great blessings is to multiply.  When each individual reaches mind-body unity and achieves maturity, they can multiply themselves by creating children.  That union creates the base for even greater power of unity. It is beautifully retold in a family story about sticks, where one can easily break one stick but has a hard time breaking a whole bundle of sticks.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

~ Matthew 18:19

The power of unity on the family level can be experienced in all circumstances of life: in church, in school, in the workplace, wherever humans gather.  It’s all about relationships and how we can live life to the fullest.  If our focus is on ourselves, relationships don’t work.  It takes mature, self-disciplined individuals to create a harmonious family and society.

Environmental Level

The last part of the 3 great blessings is to have dominion over all creation. Unfortunately, taking authority over the creation looks very different than what we experience with our environment today.

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."

- Baha'u'llah

I enjoyed watching this video which shows a whole community of people getting together and cleaning up their environment.

I also viewed a video by Neil deGrasse Tyson, HD, who is an American astrophysicist and science communicator who shares some amazing facts about the universe and how we are connected to it by the very substance of energy.

There are so many sources of blessings in this day and age.  But if we are abusive, resentful or angry at ourselves or others, we cannot take advantage of them.  It takes a foundation of unity starting on the individual level, to be attuned and receptive to the goodness surrounding us.  Just as there are physical laws like the law of gravity, law of thermo-dynamic, etc. there are also spiritual laws which govern our lives.  The Divine Principle teaches us about these spiritual rules.  You may belief in them or not, none-the-less, we are governed by them.

There is an interesting documentary called “I am” which Tom Shadyac put together.  His question is: “What’s wrong with the world?” Here is the link to the film:  http://www.iamthedoc.com/thefilm/

To me there is no doubt that we are all connected to one God who created us.  We are born with free will and by the power of our choices we can live a God-centered live having control over ourselves and our environment or we also can choose the opposite.  Never before in human history have we understood how these choices (which have been influenced by ancestral, societal and personal habits and traditions) have directed our lives.  There are answers to our dilemma today, but they don’t come from politicians, scientists or even religious leaders.  Only God can give us the solutions and we have to ask and listen to HIS answers.