Hi John, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how easily we get tangled in the noise of life, and how hard it can be to stay grounded when the world around us is anything but. This week, I’m sharing a bit of my own struggle to stay centred, along with a story that reminded me just how human (and messy) our journeys are. Cartoon: Evangelism 🗣️
Dad Joke: Attachments 📎
Quote: 50,000 levels 🧘
Original: I Am We Are 🌳 |
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| Evangelism… clothed in love, but hiding a scary truth. Thank you for showing this cartoon so much love this week. All your love keeps me going and doing what I love. I wouldn’t be here without you, my friend! |
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| Zen student to his master: “Is it OK to use email?" Master: “Yes, but no attachments." |
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| “There are 50,000 levels of Maya between you and God, but none between God and you.” I heard a person on TikTok quote this, and I can’t find where it’s from. But this Mayan principle is pretty accurate, from what I know about it. And it seems true as well. From our perspective, there are a million things, but if we can gain a broader and higher perspective… a wiser one… all things are one and connected. |
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| My Good, My Bad, My Ugly. |
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| Even though I put a ton of work into being tranquil, peaceful, present, grounded, wise… I must admit it sometimes doesn’t take much to knock me off track. The past several weeks have been very difficult for me. I lost my centre. What initiated it was Trump’s threats to annex Canada. Like Putin did with Crimea and is trying with Ukraine. China with Tibet. Etc. Some people said it was a joke. But I don’t trust Trump’s jokes. And it deeply, deeply worried me. Personally, I’m very happy Carney won the Canadian election, and now I feel like I can relax a bit. But I ask myself: Why did it take this to bring you peace? Is your spirituality so shallow that a politician, bad or good, can disrupt or fix it? Where is your poise? Why is it so dependent on what’s happening? I thought true spirituality is resilient, no matter what happens around it. Pretty judgmental with myself! Then I remembered a story of an 11th-century Tibetan monk, Marpa. Marpa's son, Darma Dode, tragically dies. Marpa, despite his deep understanding of the illusory nature of reality — a central tenet in Mahayana Buddhism — grieves profoundly. When his disciples, puzzled by his sorrow, remind him of his teachings that all phenomena are illusions, Marpa responds: “Yes, death is an illusion. And the death of one's child is an even greater illusion.” I have found the past few months a great illusion. And I have to admit it has been difficult for me. Honestly, I think I’ve let this leak out in my letters to you, my creations and posts across social media. But that’s okay. Because NakedPastor is about me being transparent with my journey. That includes my good, my bad, my ugly. My life is a paradox. So is yours. Does that make us a pair of paradoxes? |
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| Getting out in nature is one of the most beneficial things I can do for my mental health. It gives me perspective. Not only does the fresh air contribute to my health, but the vast open space also contributes to my overall well-being. Bring some of this outdoors into your home with this original piece! |
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| My new children’s book, The Rainbow Sheep, comes out next week. You can preorder it wherever books are sold. People are already getting theirs in the mail! You know what would be awesome? If you, along with all 16,000 other subscribers, ordered one! That would put me on the NY Times bestseller list, I think — a bucket list of mine. Plus... it’s just a great story of love, affirmation, and community. |
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| I know I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed sometimes. Maybe you’ve been feeling it too. But here’s what I’ve come to believe: even when we feel thrown off, disconnected, or uncertain, we’re still on the path. Thanks for walking this road with me. I feel truly blessed to have you on my side! Much love my friend, David P.S. As we speak, I’m working on Part 5 of my Activist Series. If you’ve missed any, sign up here to get updated! |
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NakedPastor Gondola Point Road Quispamsis, NB E2E 1H6 |
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