Fulfillment of America’s Spiritual Mission
by Stephen Dinan
Put your politics in one hand and Spirit in the other, and fold them together. ~Lorraine Canoe, Mohawk Indian leader
Fulfillment of America’s Spiritual Mission from Sacred America, Sacred World
The journey toward fulfillment of America’s mission in service to all will not be complete, I believe, until we have helped end the long era of warfare between nations and ushered in a peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous planetary era.
At The Shift Network, we use the phrase “heaven on earth” to describe this more luminous possibility that represents the fulfillment of humanity’s deepest dream of peace and opportunity for all. While it sounds lofty, the concept of heaven on earth can be quite practical as well. It is not about harps playing and angels singing; rather it’s about bringing all our activities and societal structures into alignment with our most cherished sacred principles, ones that have been handed down through all our great religious and philosophical traditions. As this alignment happens, we can begin to make this world reflect a more enlightened way of being. The path has been clearly illuminated by teachers in every lineage, and it is up to us to learn how to walk it.
Part of why the founding documents of America have been so revered is that they emerged like holy texts, guided from above, but still written by the hands of men. They were a new template— a revelation of a pattern for how humans could bring their public affairs into greater alignment with universal truth. That is why they have been so effective; they are the natural expression of the evolution of human consciousness to express a more unified consciousness. And now we, as women and men, can do the same for our country and our world.
The lingering glow from the higher inspiration present at our founding continues to touch and inspire people everywhere. The challenge is recognizing that divine guidance is not only in the past but also right here in this moment. Right now. With you and with me. The very words I am typing are touched by a deeper Source. All of our most heartfelt and cherished dreams are also infused with sacred meaning. We are each guides to each other, collaborating with both friends and enemies in projects more vast than our human mind can comprehend.
I believe that the evolution of a truly sacred America and sacred world is something we and millions like us have been working on for a very, very long time. The next evolution of our country is neither sudden nor unexpected but as natural as a tree bearing succulent fruit at the end of a season of growth. If we listen only to today’s news, it is easy to be seduced by surface appearances, which make it seem that these are dark and scary times—more apocalyptic than hopeful. Seen from a spiritual eye, though, I believe these times are setting the table for a long-awaited feast, a time of celebration during which the holiest visions we’ve inherited become practical, lived realities.
The deepest truth is that America has always been sacred, as have all other countries, cultures, and peoples of the world. There is nothing that is not sacred, nothing that is not woven with the threads of the Divine.
On an ultimate level, a sacred America is not something we need to achieve, although there are certainly major shifts that we’ve seen are important in every aspect of our society. Being sacred is something we just need to accept that we are. By bringing ourselves into alignment with our spiritual essence, we dissolve the angst and frustration that characterize so many people’s lives. By bringing our country into greater alignment with sacred values and our higher mission, we can more easily discern right action. We can relax into a deep recognition of our oneness with all the peoples of the earth and live out our highest vision.
I have had many intuitions of the waves of change that are coming in the decades ahead. These waves may feel frightening for a time as old patterns are washed away, sometimes even violently. But I believe that the deeper evolution that they will bring is ultimately to be welcomed. When we have emerged from our time of collective growing pains, I believe we will stand in awe of what has been wrought on our planet, through all of our hands and all of our hearts. America’s role in this coming shift will, I believe, prove essential and represent the fulfillment of our mission to serve humankind.
About the Article
Reprinted with permission from Hampton Roads Publishing, Sacred America, Sacred World by Stephen Dinan is available wherever books and ebooks are sold or from Red Wheel/Weiser at 1-800-423-7087 or www.redwheelweiser.com.
About the Author
Stephen Dinan is the founder and CEO of The Shift Network and a member of the Transformational Leadership Council and Evolutionary Leaders. A social entrepreneur and leading voice in the transpartisan movement, Stephen Dinan has been a featured speaker at the World Cultural Forum in China, the Alliance for a New Humanity in Costa Rica, Renovemos Mexico in Mexico City, and the University of Cuenca in Ecuador. theshiftnetwork.com
