Evening Meditation: What Do You Breathe In?

Tonight's meditation is a reflective metaphor on the Spiritual Life, based upon the issue of Pollution. 

Sit in a comfortable chair. Put on some soft music. Maybe light a candle. Create an atmosphere for yourself. Once you have collected yourself, begin the meditation. 

Here are some facts about pollution: 

1. Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.
2. Over 1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. 5,000 people die each day due to dirty drinking water.
3. 14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the ocean every year. Most of it is plastic.
4. Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year.
5. The Mississippi River carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year, creating a “dead zone” in the Gulf each summer about the size of New Jersey.
6. Approximately 46% of the lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming.
7. Americans make up an estimated 5% of the world’s population. However, the U.S. produces an estimated 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25% of the world’s resources.
8. This makes me think. What is polluting my life besides the stuff in the air and water? What is polluting your life? Everyday of our life we allow people, and things come into our world. We permit ourselves to be invaded by ideas, sounds, and emotions 24/7. Yet, how many times do we take time to examine these emotions, ideas, etc? Is your level of stress in life really meant to be that high? Just like you took time to create an atmosphere for this meditation, are you taking time to make your atmosphere in life, an atmosphere that fosters health? In the spiritual life it's important to surround yourself with people and things that will aid you on your journey to becoming a Holy Son or Daughter of the God of Peace. Sometimes we "breathe in" too much and suffocate ourselves. Maybe you should take time this week or weekend to reflect and take an active effort to clean the atmosphere you allow your spirit to live in. Kick people out who are doing more harm then good. Blessed them and move on! Get rid of things or move from one place to another if you are not living a life of peace and sanctity. 
9. Only if we do this can we begin to understand the importance of bringing an end to Pollution in our planet. 

Be a Steward of Justice! Be a Source of Life! 

Peace and love, 

Jerry 

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