The Cornerstones of HOPE

HOPE needs a foundation, for they “ground” us. Foundations take us out of our heads and thoughts that run around like fluffy clouds, and give us something concrete to build upon. Foundations are typically marked off by “cornerstones” which are defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd edition, as:

1.     a. A stone at the corner of a building uniting two intersecting walls; a quoin.

b. Such a stone, often inscribed, laid at a ceremony marking the origin of a building.

2.     An indispensable and fundamental basis: the cornerstone of an argument.

HOPE’s experience, coupled with the experience of centuries of creative effort by thousands of human beings, is our foundation. It is our heritage, and we need to support it and frame it within certain powerful basic concepts: Love, Intention, Integrity, and Attention. Throughout my lifetime, and with much emphasis throughout the life of HOPE, these concepts keep returning to support and frame the work.

Love:

It can not be defined (A Course in Miracles)[1]. It is so powerful and it so affects everything in the Universe that definition is impossible. It ties everything together without any preferences or values. It brings everything into relationship with everything else. Cosmic science has a “String Theory” for the energetic ties that connect all parts of the Cosmos. It could be called the scientific term for love. Love is more than strings, but it is a helpful analogy. Love is synonymous with God (Christian Science). It is all encompassing. As such, it has no limit in time or space. Indeed, it makes the old limits useless and unnecessary.

A Course in Miracles teaches that fear is the opposite of love, but it also goes on to say that, that which is all-encompassing can have no opposite. Consider that we can never give away that which has no opposite for it is just as it is, and an opposite implies that an “is” does not exist. That which is can only be extended as a gift, and it returns itself many times over for every giving. In giving love, one receives love. In receiving love, love is given, automatically. The more it is given, the more of it there is to give. It can never be destroyed--only strengthened. It is durable and persistent. It is indeed, as Saint Paul said, the greatest of the three heavenly gifts, the other two being faith and hope.

Thomas Merton had this to say about love:

 “Love is not mere emotion or sentiment. It is the lucid and ardent response of the whole human to a value that is revealed to her or him as perfect, appropriate and urgent in the providential context of her or his own life. Hence, there are innumerable ways in which humans can be awakened from the sleep of a mechanical existence and summoned to give themselves totally in the clarity of love.”[2]

My artist-educator friend, August T. Jaccaci, meditating in a workshop in Assisi, sensed that this description of love was fully consonant with the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi:

“Love is infinite in experience and meaning. How could it not be; it is the source, the substance and the future of all being. So, if you would build anything, build it on a web of love, and it will be both ephemeral and timeless, momentary and enduring. (personal communication)”

Intention:

It is the force behind all creation. It can be easily said that this is an intentional Universe. Intention is a power of both mind and body. It is an expression of our mind, that manifests itself in physical form. A designer with the intent to create a new machine capable of performing certain tasks never before done, holds the intention to conceive of the design in his mind for a few days, and the image slides into view in front of his eyes. All he has to do is copy down the pattern and its dimensions.

We speak of “clarifying” our intentions. Making clear what we would like to have happen or to see come of a given situation, greatly assures the success of the intention. The simple exercise of finding parking spaces is one of the cleanest examples of the exercise of intent. It deserves to be practiced at every opportunity[3]. Intention directs our focus to the task. The more we hold what we intend in our thoughts, the greater the likelihood that it will materialize. Every great figure in history has known this, be it Hitler, Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, or Jesus of Nazareth. They all started with the same gifts as you or I. They focused theirs. What can you do with yours?

Integrity.

Hitler lacked this completely; so did Attila the Hun. Caesar had more. Charlemagne had lots of it. Jesus of Nazareth, called the Christ, had integrity hard to imagine by those who would call themselves mere mortals. Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha, knew integrity intimately, reaching great heights of mind with it.

The American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition, defines it as:

·        Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

·        The state of being unimpaired; soundness.

·        The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

Without integrity, we are doomed. The disintegrated life does exactly what the word says; it comes apart into many fragments. A Principle of Attitudinal Healing says that we can choose to focus on the whole of life rather than the fragments. Attitudinal Healing asks us to be whole—to be integrated. Living an integrated life includes that adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

HOPE’s ethic is simple; Primam, non nocere (First, do no harm). For many thousands of years we have done much harm to each other and our environment… we have become extremely familiar with it. Let us be aware that we have a harmful streak in us, and let us let it go with the attitude that heals all harm, Love. Love leads us to integrity. With it, our life is a success and rich in its emotional reward of happiness.

If we would remove harm from our thinking, we must replace it, for nature abhors vacuums of all kinds. Let us replace that word with  the admonishment to do some good—benefit someone[4].

Attention.

The American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition, defines it as:

·        Concentration of the mental powers upon an object; a close or careful observing or listening.

·        The ability or power to concentrate mentally.

·        Observant consideration; notice

·        Consideration or courtesy.

 This is vital to relationships. Imagine what it is like to be in the presence of one who does not pay attention. Imagine what it is like to be in the presence of one who does. Where would you rather be? What effect does each of these people have on your self-worth? How much power does your self-critic have in each situation? Which one do you prefer; self-worth or self-critic? How do we listen to each other? How do we convey the idea that we are paying attention to the other?

When you pay attention to what goes on around you, it is said that you are aware. (Alice Miller wrote a moving text of psychopathology called, Thou Shall Not Be Aware.[5]) Whatever we choose to direct our attention to expands, and that which occupies our awareness also expands. What would you like to see expand in your life? How effective is a person who is aware? How effective is one who is not? What is your choice for awareness in your life--in your HOPE relationships?