A Halloween catalog came in the mail. I don’t usually look at catalogs but my husband suggested I would enjoy the fun and creative visual feast. I opened it and immediately spotted this image: “Rest in Pieces.” Instantly, I had one of those moments of recognition. It was as if a story of “unity and connection” had written itself, begging for my signature. I chuckled out loud and thought, “How perfect is that!?”
The play on words from “Rest in Peace” to “Rest in Pieces,” with the spooky, graveyard zombies, took my mind on a whimsical, yet contemplative, journey.
One definition of peace is personal. Inner peace, or peace of mind, refers to a mental calm, serenity, or tranquility. This peace is considered by many to be healthy homeostasis and generally associated with bliss and happiness as opposed to stress and anxiety. Another definition of peace is relational. It means a freedom from disturbance, disorder, dispute, or war. Peace is a sign of harmony and suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships.
Piece, on the other hand, refers to a portion of an object or something “not being whole.” What happens when we view ourselves, and our world, as “not being whole?”
Humanity has been “Resting in Pieces” for centuries. We have been living out a powerful and very destructive story of separation. In developing the ego, the self-reflective mind differentiates the self and creates an illusion of separation from the earth, nature, God/Spirit/Source, other humans, the cosmos, and the whole of creation. The mind compartmentalizes everything into pieces, including our body/mind/spirit. As a result, we have become obsessed with comparing, contrasting, and competing. This perpetuates an even greater sense of separation, stress and anxiety as we experience perennial failure – never measuring up or fitting in. Feeling incomplete, we find ourselves in an epic wandering, searching outside of ourselves for the missing piece/peace.
Relationally, seeing the world from the story of separation has left us feeling threatened and vulnerable. We have created myriad social forms – political, economic, spiritual, and so on, in an attempt to create order, a sense of belonging, and protect ourselves (from “them” – the other pieces of the whole). This worldview of separation has led to unhealthy boundaries, beliefs, judgment, and injustice. We have created greater disturbance and unrest by seeing the world through separation and fear. In the pursuit of power and dominance, we are destroying each other, our planet, and ourselves.
There is no peace when we rest in our pieces.
It is time to awaken and move into action. Let’s put our pieces back together and claim our authentic power through peace and connection. The power of peace comes from an integral lens, seeing Creation as one living, interdependent system. It’s time to tell a new story of love, integration and unity. We are essential pieces of an integrated whole. We are part of one living system. We are members of an interconnected universe. We have never really been separate. Remembering our wholeness, and seeing the world and ourselves in this way, moves us into greater health, harmony and yes, peace.
Peace be with you… and may we all rest in the awareness of our complete piece/peace.
Image: grandinroad