When I think of “belonging,” I think about the theme of the old comedy TV sitcom, CHEERS©. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched it, but when the show first began, Charles and I were avid fans and watched it religiously every Thursday night. The refrain, “You wanna go where everybody knows your name….” really speaks to me, of what true belonging is all about. Belonging is the place where you go and are loved and accepted as you are, whether you have bad breath or BO or throw in cuss words every time you open your mouth. This makes me wonder sometimes about the way we casually throw the word “community” around as a place of belonging (and yes, I am guilty of it too). ☹
There’s a line in an old Negro Spiritual that says, “Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven, ain’t going….” And it seems to me that just using the words, “community” does not make a group of people so. Whatever does make a community must be something that allows them to be who they are—all the while recognizing that they are in the process of transformation. “I am becoming who I am to be.” That something must be a place where everybody knows not just the name, but the nature or true essence of the person. When we can move beyond the surface to the truth underneath, I feel we really get to the bottom of things.
As human beings, we are continually evolving into our true natures, which is that of the CHRIST. As Christ Jesus was— embodying the divine nature in a human form and living into and out of his steadfast inner communion with the Holy ONE— so are we destined to be. All of creation, in fact, is destined to manifest or express what we sometimes call G-D; the creating principle of mutual relatedness whose power is demonstrated as LOVE.
One of my favorite bible verses is from the prophet Habakkuk, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (2:14) St. Paul even says that we currently “see through a mirror darkly…but then face to face…we shall know as we are known.” In kairos, Holy ONENESS will be fully reconciled, appearing as diversity in unity and as unity in diverse appearances. I believe this is where we are headed and it is why I live in HOPE, even with the news headlines as crazy as they are and some people appearing as mean as they can be. All really is truly well. We are in the green goo of the process.
If you ever get a chance and want to laugh, check out some of the old episodes of CHEERS© and relate what you see and hear on the show to the concept of belonging. I am smiling at the memories of us watching the show together, so for fun, I am providing a link to the lyrics of the show’s theme song.
Have a Blessed Lent,
Freda Marie+