Years ago, just before my ordination as an Interfaith minister, I sat in a café in Palo Alto, CA, reflecting on the meaning of ministry. It was an initiation into a new chapter of my life – one that is dedicated to allowing the Divine to flow through me to serve the greater good.
The journey of a minister begins with a calling. A call to step out in service to a higher power. An intuition that says, “hey, you are capable of more than you’ve limited yourself to.” This may sound familiar to you: for in truth, we’re all called to ministry.
No, I’m not talking about putting on robes and becoming a monk, or standing on a pulpit in front of a congregation. A ministry is actually a much broader term than that limited to those of us who serve as a religious or spiritual leader. The word minister comes from the latin word ministerium, which means “service”. A minister is a servant to and an agent for something greater. As a verb, to minister is to attend to the needs of, supply, provide, to bring unto, and to serve.
Between bites of my Kale Caesar salad, I began to consider this planet we live on and our role here as human beings. What is our calling here? How are we here to serve? Ecologically, we don’t seem to serve a purpose – if anything, the planet would probably be better off without us.
Yet, the truth is that we ARE here. And in huge numbers. There are no accidents. We are here, and we have a purpose – a Divine calling – and it’s time we answered to that.
That means you – you, indeed, are here for a reason. You have something unique and beautiful to offer that makes a difference in the world. Every single one of us has it, and every one of us is needed here to transform our world into its greatest potential.
Reflecting on this Divine purpose, an old familiar song played over the din of conversation and utensils. I heard this song in a new way, a way that addressed the fact that we are all here for a divine purpose to uplift all beings on this planet. “Think about it – there must be a Higher Love.” The song: Higher Love by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings.
Of course! It became crystal clear to me that we are here in large numbers because we are to lift the vibration of our world. Everything in the universe has a vibration, a frequency of resonance. The highest vibration of all, at least in spiritual terms, is that of Love. Not limited love, like in a romance, but unconditional, Divine Love. We are here to bring a higher Love.
Each of us has a unique way of bringing this love into our world. As I continue to step into my ministry and find my own contribution, I am asking you to find yours – even if you aren’t a “minister”. It’s time to step up and allow yourself to express what has wanted to flow through you for years. Let yourself see the gifts you possess that bring healing, love, clarity, inspiration, peace, or empowerment to others.
You may wonder, “But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!” Rather than trying to figure out what to do, ask yourself “Who am I here to BE?” “What qualities am I longing to embody?” When you are being your authentic self, embodying the qualities of your highest and best, the actions will naturally flow from you, and you’ll be shown what to do. Each step will be revealed to you, the more you allow yourself to become who you truly are, in your soul. This will reveal your calling.
Don’t be deterred by the fact that most of us, even us Interfaith Ministers, aren’t going to create some grand international charity or profound social movement. If you touch the life of one other person or plant one tree, you are making a difference. You don’t have to move mountains. Together, as each of us listens to the call, we can touch the entire planet. eHe
Listen to your calling–and answer it. Right now. It starts exactly where you are, and evolves in each moment to reveal more possibility. Step up to your own ministry, your own service to this world, whatever it is. Claim it, even if you have no idea where it will lead you. You’ll find your own life transforming in ways you can’t imagine, and like ripples on a lake, who you are will flow out to touch all in your path.
