The power is in love

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix

Last night I went with my youngest daughter, Liseanne, to a World Peace meditation at a local yoga centre. Seated in a circle, about 35 people gathered to meditate for an hour on peace. The room was candlelit, the lights on dim. No music played. No radiator hummed. As we sat and drifted down into silence, the world beyond the windows receded, fading into the mist of the external as we connected with the internal within ourselves. For 55 minutes, we sat and silently gave thanks, gave homage to all that is great within, all that is great amongst us and around us.

It was serene. Powerful. Empowering. Energizing. Fulfilling.

At the end of 55 minutes, we spent five minutes in a continuous "Om". The room vibrated with energy. The air was filled with expressive sound, with radiant light, with harmony.

It was a moment to breathe into all that is great, all that is magnificent, all that is Divine in our human condition.

This morning, while checking my email, I found a site that, as the creator describes it, was designed to provide the opportunity for ten million people to give voice to 'gratitude'. Check it out. It's pretty powerful. It only takes a moment every morning to write down what you are grateful for -- and studies show that giving thanks every day will make you happier.

At the meditation session last night, the facilitator said, "It takes 100 people meditating together to create a positive affect in one million people."

This city I live in is just over one million people. If there had been 100 people in that room, almost the entire city would have felt the vibrational harmony of our united thoughts of peace.

Wow.

10,000 people focusing their thoughts on a light bulb can make it glow. 100 people meditating on peace can create harmony amongst one million.

Very cool.

Very empowering.

Liseanne and I chatted with some of her friends after the meditation before driving home. It was a moment to cherish. An evening to dip into and revel in the wonder and joy of being part of a circle of love that connects me in such a profound and fulfilling way with my daughter.

When we join into a circle of any kind, we create a powerful force for change. Last night, our circle, though not yet 100 people, has the capacity to create change in our world.

In the circle of love within my family, our common focus on loving each other creates a powerful force that can heal the past, render this moment in brilliant living colour, and pave the way for a new and brighter tomorrow.

The power of the moment resonated within me throughout the night. I thought of my nieces with whom my sisters and I have had minimal contact since the tragic passing of their mother and father (my brother) in a car accident twelve years ago. Throughout the intervening years, we have held fast in our desire and intention to make possible a reconnection, a soothing of sorrow, a road to peace.

Sitting in that circle last night, I recommitted myself to doing whatever it takes to let my nieces know, "No matter the distance separating us in time and space, you are always part of the circle of love that is our family. You are loved." I cannot embrace my nieces on the physical plane, I can embrace them in the psychic plane of my thoughts.

If 100 people can create harmony amongst many, three sisters can create love amongst a family. United in the circle to which we were connected at birth, we have the power to keep the circle of love alive through out thoughts. We can light up even the darkest corners with our brilliant light of hope.

We all have that power. For as Jimi Hendrix said, the power of love is the greatest force. It's power is not in hate or anger or resentment or control. It is not in focusing on what he said, she said, they did to hurt us. The power is in loving ourselves and the world around us to let peace have a chance. The power is love.

And so it is.

The question is: Are you willing to let go of anger, resentment, ill-thoughts of another to connect yourself through love to all that is powerful and Divine in your life? Are you willing to let go?