Unity Church of Dallas - Rev. Townley's Message


Rev. Ed Townley Associate Minister

A Message from
Rev. Ed Townley,
Associate Minister

And so we’re off to Turkey – myself, Rev. Kurt, Rev. Jill Carey from Austin and an open-hearted, enthusiastic band of Unity pilgrims from Dallas and Chicago. For two weeks we’ll explore the amazing variety of cultures, peoples and spiritual beliefs that have left their marks in that fascinating crossroads country. I’m sure there will be a lot of insights and memories to share when we return.

One thing I like about the timing of the trip is that it means I’ll be out of the country for the final, mean-spirited days of the 2006 elections. The misleading commercials, the manufactured news coverage, the hourly poll results, the spin left, the spin right – it will all seem far away!

That’s not to say I don’t care or that I fail to appreciate the power of the electoral process and the privilege it is to be a part of it. I made sure to vote before I left, and I frankly have no patience with anyone qualified to vote who chooses not to exercise that right.

We’ve just spent a number of Sundays exploring the idea of the Second Coming. We’ve realized that it will happen when we allow our innate Christ nature to express through the choices we make – moment to moment, day to day, challenge by challenge.

These Christ choices not only transform our own lives; they become our contribution to the collective consciousness out of which will emerge the new state of being that Jesus calls the kingdom of heaven. Few choices, I think, are as clearly and directly linked to collective consciousness as those electoral choices we make based on our recognition of universal spiritual principles.

This is not to say that one party, one candidate or one side of an issue represents the spiritual good, and the other is rooted in ignorance. We have, I hope, moved beyond such simplistic, dualistic thinking. You may see spiritual principle expressing through one candidate, party or platform, and I through another. Certainly Unity – not to mention the other paths that share our commitment to spiritual principle – includes Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and a dizzying array of independent thinkers.

What matters most is not who “wins” the election but the consciousness in which the choices are made. We’ve seen many examples in recent history in which electoral “losers” have gone on to have a significant impact on our collective story, while officials “winners” have seen their apparent power fade away.

So vote! Vote your consciousness, your own inner guidance. Vote your intention that our collective energy move upward toward the kingdom through the outcome of this election. Stand at your ballot prayerfully, aware that the power of one Christ-centered choice is infinitely greater than the tangible measure of one vote. And then, whatever the immediate outcome in terms of your personal hopes and beliefs, know and affirm that through the very process of prayerful, creative choice we have allowed ourselves to express just a bit more of the energy of the Second Coming.

Blessings!

Message date: November 2, 2006

Back to Top