As I write this we are two years into the Pandemic and the people of Ukraine are in their 6th day of living with and fighting off the invasion of Putin and his forces.

If there is anything that these past two years have helped us remember, it is how connected everything inherently is. It doesn’t matter if we believe that or not (or even care). The Oneness, the connection simply and naturally happens. In every moment and circumstance.

With the pandemic we have remembered how we are constantly affecting each other. When I visit you, I bring not only myself, but many other people whom I’ve recently been in contact with. When we leave each other, we bring each other with us to everyone we will encounter. We have had the opportunity to remember our responsibility to everyone around us.

Covid has reminded us that there is a whole variety of souls among us, living as human beings.

The more evolved soul naturally sees itself in relation to the Whole. It cannot understand itself as a seperate being. It knows it is part of something much grander than itself. And because of that it knows its own grandeur. When something like a pandemic occurs, the more evolved soul will naturally show itself in a human who is concerned about how they will affect others by their response to the pandemic. This person will be much more likely to do things like wear a mask or get vaccinated. Not only for themselves, but for those around them.

A less developed soul tends to think of itself as a seperate being. It cannot see its connection to the Whole, nor does it care as much. You can see this in expressions of “personal liberty” and “personal decision”. When in actuality, there is nothing personal about a decision to not wear a mask or to not get vaccinated (unless there are truly personal health reasons for not doing so). Our decisions affect everyone around us. Again, it doesn’t matter whether we believe or care about that. The affect will naturally happen. Every time. It’s simple biology.

It’s also true that a soul who shows a higher perspective in regard to public health, can also show immaturities in other areas. And one who will not show a higher perspective in regard to the pandemic, can show a greater maturity in those very areas.

So, what to do? Love others where they fall short, and love yourself where you fall short. In other words, we’re all here working on our “personal” stuff. Life here is not a matter of one of us being better than another. Where we are in our evolution is simply where we are. There’s no judgement from the other side in terms we like to latch onto, such as “good” or “bad”, and “better or worse than”. There just is what is.

The last two years have forced me to take a hard look at something. I realized, for all my belief and support of the idea of this being “earth school for the soul”, I really hadn’t truly accepted it. I still wanted people to be where I wanted them to be in their evolution. Thus my judgement and frustration with so many.

But if this earth school, by definition we are all living among souls who need to learn things. And I’m one of them! We all need to grow. None of us are at full potential. That is why we are all here! I/we must learn to accept that this is the setting we’re living in with our classmates here at Earth School.

Yes, the pandemic has been a tough teacher, with hard lessons. It’s put up a giant mirror to me, and shown me things about myself that I do not want to see. Specifically, my judgement of others. It’s so crazy easy to get all self righteous. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my ego saying to someone in a grocery store (or to someone who won’t get vaccinated), “Look at me. Do you see how I care so much more than you about the people around me? You should be as mature and as spiritually evolved as I am”. Wow. Now there’s some ugly energy to be swimming in!

I need to remind myself that when I struggle with the selfishness of others, it’s only because I am aware of my own. I need to face it and learn from it.

The pandemic has brought up a lot of other uncomfortable conversations within that have gone something like this: “OK. Maybe I’ve been a mask wearer and have been boosted, but right in front of me now I’m seeing all these other self absorbed things I’ve done”. I know. I know. I’ve got to look at it. Why did I do those things? What was I afraid of? Did I really need to do that? I see that…No. No I didn’t need to do that. Ok. What’s the lesson here? What would have made me happier? Life is always gracious. I’ve got another chance now to live out my Oneness in a life giving way”.

The horrible tragedy that is happening in Ukraine offers us the same opportunity as Covid to grow into our inherent Oneness with love and humility. The Divine within us all sees its connection to the Whole.

Ukrainians have been inspiring the world with their incredible courage and resolve. Standing up for their inherent, Divine dignity, against the inhumanity perpetrated on their people.

Love is uniting people of many countries across the world in resistence to Russian aggression in countless ways. Russians themselves are coming together in resistence. The people of Poland have been amazing. Massive humanitarian efforts are rising up. Governments and the private sectors are reaching out across the globe. Churches are being part of the resistence of love to alleviate human suffering. This is one of those times when the Church is at its best.

All this reveals the ultimate truth and bigger picture. It seems so clear that this is all about politics, armies, and power. But this latest world tragedy is not primarily about politics. This is about evolvement. Evolvement of human consciousness. Politics is the means through which the evolvement happens. We must keep the big picture in mind as everyone lives with the pain of the current days. This is the set up here. Because of free will, this is how growth occurs in a dualistic world.

This is not meaningless. There is a Flow pushing human consciousness forward.

Now is the time to express our Oneness.

You are Love!

Tim Tengblad

timtengblad@comcast.net