The Theme for Convergence 2011/12
is
“Living It”
Share your own thoughts on the subject -
write them down and send to
info@convergence.net.nz
for inclusion here.
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Some thoughts by Anita
I think this theme suits Convergence to the point.
One of the many examples showing this comes to my mind instantly:
“We are in the middle of convergence. It is lunch time. The convergence family stands hand in
hand, in a huge circle around the food tables in the main marquee. We are ready to give the table
blessing. Who would like to give it?
It is quiet for a moment, then a young man steps forth, into the circle.
He is doing this the first time ever. He so much wants to say a blessing with all his heart. He is
obviously quiet nervous and is searching for the right words, that express what he wants to say.
I remember how everyone( of the ca. 200 family members) waits. There is not a hint of
impatience or expectation in the air.
All I can feel is a huge, loving, silent support. It is beautiful.
The young man starts talking with a bit of a stutter for his heart seams to sit right on his tounge. I
feel reliefed when he finally speaks. I can sense this feeling going through the whole family like a
big wave.
He gives us an original katholic table blessing and ends it with; In the name of the father, the son
and the holy ghost, amen.
A moment of surprise follows and then every single person in the marquee cheers and celebrates
him. With a huge smile on his face, he steps back into the circle of hands.
How many of the people, do you think, standing in that circle, are katholic?
I say in this crowd you find every single religion imaginable, every single believe imaginable.
They all, including me cheer him for being himself, for saying what feels right for him, for living it.
I could have hugged him right there and then.
Every single family member present, is living it, too, by being unconditional loving.
Yeap, for me living it fits confergence, fits the family.”
I love you all,
Anita
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Some thoughts by Michael
Convergence – I’m Living It (I am living it).
I – ourselves, the singular us. The focus is on each of us as individuals. How do I respond to this
Convergence? What do I bring to this Convergence? Who am I at this Convergence? What do I
really think or feel? What do I really want? What do I believe, and what am I going to do? Is the
“I” that is here the “I” of the mind, the Ego, the Spirit, or the Soul?
I AM – the I discovers that it is the Divine here on Earth. I quite simply AM. The I AM is
Convergence, the experience of Convergence and the individual expression of the Divine that is
experiencing Convergence.
I AM living – more than existing, more than being alive, I am living. I am present, I am engaged,
feeling, grounded, in life and part of life. I am really here.
I am living it – the I (singular us) which is also the I AM (the divine expressing itself) is living
(present, engaged, grounded, really here with) it. The “it” being the person we are at Convergence
– if we are fully being ourselves. The “it” is also our Truth, that we are fully living at
Convergence (acting from what we know and believe is right). The highest expression of
ourselves can also be “It.” This is the open, expansive, connected, free, aware self. “It” can also
be our unresolved stuff that we are living from – whether conscious or unconscious which leads
us to live from our fearful, small, isolated self.
This theme invites and challenges each of us to be the IAM which is living from our Truth – our
highest expression of who we really are at this time.
Imagine all the individuals attending Convergence expressing their divine nature, being really
present in the here and now, being fully ourselves, totally grounded, and living our truth. This is
the opportunity that this Convergence presents to me, and for me, to us all.
Much love
Michael S.
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Some thoughts by River
The theme for the next event is :- “Convergence. Living it!”
Even though I was part of the process of choosing this theme I’m not really sure
what it means. Here are some of my thoughts around what it currently means for me –
always subject to change without a moment’s notice! LOL
Convergence – yes, I’ve already worked out that this indicates a group of people
moving towards some point where we will meet.
Living it! – hmmmm! What is “it” and what is “Living”?
As luck would have it I was recently given a copy of the book ‘A New Earth’ by
Eckhart Tolle which has helped me to grasp what this might be about. He contends
that most humans actually live a life ruled by their ego and what he describes as their
‘pain body’. The ‘pain body’ being the accumulation of everything which has given
us pain in the past and which rules our current lives, along with the ego. He suggests
we need to ‘Wake up!” using either acceptance and/or enjoyment and/or enthusiasm
to facilitate that. Hopefully if we are able to do that then our egos and pain bodies will
lose their power over us and we will be “Living it!” as we converge on some
wonderful moment/space sometime/somewhere in the future.
“But hang on” I hear you say, “that’s just one person’s viewpoint. Who’s to say
that he is right?” Indeed!
Unfortunately Tolle, like every other person who puts forward a theory or belief
system, believes that he is ‘right’ and everyone else is ‘wrong’. (This, of course,
includes me!) He actually says so in the book (but not in those words, he’s much more
eloquent and wordy!). My partner and I have had great discussions (we read the book
to each other) about this. We found that every argument he or we might come up with
to justify his beliefs could/would also be put up by any other person who believed in
something else such as Christianity, other religions, political views, etc., etc..
The common theme of (nearly) every belief system is that it is ‘right’ and
therefore any contrary view is ‘wrong’.
Personally I think most of what Tolle wrote is great and even ‘spot on’. His
beliefs resonate with mine. Well, most of them anyway, but that’s another story.
So what do I learn from this? I know that Tolle has a belief system which works
for him. I know John Key has a belief system which works for him. So does Helen
Clark, Brian Tamaki, etc., etc.. What sets those folk apart from the vast majority of
people is that they believe what they have found – it works for them. I am sure that
John Key is totally convinced that his way is the right one – it works for him. Is there
anything wrong with that?
Most people, it seems to me, are still searching for something. When they read,
or hear from someone who has found something that resonates, they may latch onto it
as ‘The Truth’. What they have found is ‘right’ and any contrary view is ‘wrong’. Just
as an aside – at this point they often lose sight of their own journey, believing the
guru’s journey is their’s, which I believe it isn’t.
Thus, for me, all I can do is live my life the way it unfolds. I have a strong sense
of who I am and what works for me. I have no need to belong to any religion, person
or organisation to give meaning to my life. From this I deduce that I am ME, who is
different from everyone else.
This is why I am drawn to Convergence!
It seems to me that Convergence has evolved in such a way that no religion, or
belief system rules*. Anyone who tries to push their belief system onto Convergence
rapidly discovers that is not what it is all about. Each person who comes along has the
freedom to be themselves with no rules, or more importantly, person(s) telling them
what they have to do, or what they ‘should’ believe in. Often a person will come with
expectations (“The opening ceremony must be done THIS way!)” which will likely as
not, be disappointed. After all, the rest of us may agree but also we may not agree – so
where does that leave them? I feel that if each person just brings themselves and does
what works for them and accepts the consequences then they will be ‘Living it!’
“It” being who each person IS, in all their glory.
If every participant is able to individually just be themselves and not try to
make others be the same as them, then Convergence, itself, would be ‘Living it!’
and we would, inevitably converge towards each other.
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