Changing the World One Person at a Time
By Paul Byrd
 

My week is very busy to the point where I wish there were 32 hours in each day.  That being said, I really look forward to the weekend.  A high point of my weekend is attending Adult Christian Education class after worship service at First Congregational Church.  This summer I had the pleasure of attending a series of classes called "The Zen of Christianity," led by Sylvia Richards.  Zen is the practice of attaining self-awareness through meditation and your interaction with other people and your environment, becoming one with the world.
 

In Christianity we all have a divine part of our inner self.  But in our busy-ness we never stop to listen to that still quiet voice within us.
 

The Zen of Christianity classes helped me to find methods to slow down and become more aware of the divine within me.  We started with a breathing exercise as a relaxation technique.  We discussed how to make time for spiritual awareness just as we set aside time for other daily routines.
 

We examined a dialog between a Buddhist Monk and a Catholic Priest, and saw how they shared many common ideas.  We had an interesting class using the Montessori technique that in order to appreciate the little things around you, you have to understand the Big Picture.  Case in point: GOD created the Universe, and comparing Earth's geologic history to a 24-hour clock, humanity has been on Earth for one second.