The Experience of Standing: Letter To A Friend

From: "linda stipe" To: (friend): RE: I am on semester breakDate: Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:56:42 +0000>Well, I still have some lust for exploring Australia, so thanks for mentioning your 16 hour trip. I would love such a trip. I particularily like shore line and craggy cliffs, and geographic isolation of the sort that makes the little and small things of life drop away.I had many unusual spiritual experiences of a personal sort while in school for fall semester. Basically, I found out quickly, when the semester began, that my professors had all been trained in Rome. They had traditional and extensive Catholic hierarchial training. That made me terribly frightened, that I had landed in a school, actually selected this school, and that I would suffer the condemnation and finger-pointing that Catholicism is known for, and that I would be victimized. That being, not survive with my rather radical thoughts and feelings about God, and the role of church. Well, my professors made me look and sound like a kitten. They are much more radical and open minded than I am. So one of my spiritual experiences was receiving humility, and letting go of my arrogance. I could go on and on about them, all of whom are over 60 years of age, and extremely eccentric. Peculiar in certain ways. Unique. The classes were strenuous, and not for the reading and writing which was extensive, but for the challenges to the mind: 'Change The Way You Think!' I am happy with my choice for training. However, there are only 9 or 10 other graduate students in my degree program. Thus my contact with other like-minded students is limited, as the other students are fairly traditional, but again unique. Most service oriented, and working. With the exception of 'Chad.' Sort of a skin-head, musician type liking a lot of attention, conservative, judgemental, background in fundamental Christianity, and a big mouth. I had him in two of my three classes. He would go verbal before class started, then shut up. The things he would say, he said before the professor entered the room. I listened to him spout off for months, about gays/lesbians, politicans, T.V. ministers, and the like. Finally, I decided to confront him. I will send you what I read. I was in a class where we had to read from a personal journal. So when I felt the moment had arrived, I STOOD, and read from my journal, to Chad. I also went to the chair of the department. This experience, of standing, was an experience of standing for myself, and reconnecting to the loving and accepting Divine. It was a moment when my anger, accumulated over the course of my life, dropped away, and I felt grace enter my being. It was a very powerful end to the semester, and has freed me from many hurts and guilts. I am not proud to say that I have misdirected my rage to fly against God. This entire event has changed my inner psyche and my energy. I feel that 'the gates of life' are open again.
Linda