It occurred to me that one might wonder what right I have to call myself a Mystic. First of all, who is Teri Sandler? Is she really Radical? What “right” does she have to talk about the things she does?
Let me start by introducing myself. Born and sort of raised Jewish - aka secular as opposed to religious - I spent a good part of my life questioning why a person (me) has to be in a certain space (synagogue) to know God. Probably simplistic, but this question came to me as a child and stuck with me into adulthood. As I questioned further, I realized I was looking for “something” that I felt others had and I did not. A faith in something or somebody outside myself and a community that shared that. In my experience, it was either a true commitment to Judaism and a rabbi who might connect me more to Adonai, or a commitment to Christianity and a leader who connects people to God through Christ. I had not been introduced to Eastern Spirituality at the time…
Spiritually I never could accept Jesus as The Messiah, and I could not really get into all the structure of Judaism so I struggled for quite a while. I am not even certain I was aware of the concept for Spirituality then. Looking back now, I realize that I was being driven by Spirit but did not have any consciousness of what that meant.
After probably more than ten years, Spirit led me to an American Baptist church in Evanston, IL whose minister had been initiated on an Eastern Spiritual Path. I was very comfortable there and learned that I am able to accept Jesus as a teacher, rabbi, and a mystic. My personal, simplified version of the noun “mystic” means somebody who connects with God directly through meditation or contemplation. To me, mysticism is beyond religious doctrines, teachings, and tenets. It is One-ness with the Supreme Being or all that is.
Spirit took me around the US some for almost twenty years. I was ordained a non-denominational minister in a very small New Thought church, introduced to a Spiritual Path called The Path of Sound and Light, found out this is the same path that the minister in Evanston was intitiated upon, and grew into a deepening of my spirituality. All this pushing and pulling from Spirit allowed me to realize that I am a mystic. Perhaps not the same level as Julian of Norwich or Theresa of Avilla, but a mystic all the same. Many of you may also be, whether you are aware of it or not!
The adjective “radical” just seemed to fit when I began a blog in 2008 or so. Looking at the definition now (I didn’t when I named my blog), it does seem to hold true. One of the definitions of radical “is a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles.” When I was more bound to the physical world I protested on a more anti-war and social action level. I joined a Christian church but do not accept the Christian doctrine. I do not accept the stories of the Bible - not the Old Testament and certainly not the New Testament. I suppose Spirit shared the adjective “radical” with me because all that time I was working my path into knowing the world of Spirit that transcends our physical world.
My favorite poet, singer-songwriter, Carrie Newcomer writes and sings frequently about traveling at the speed of soul. My soul seems to be speeding up to the pace of being a messenger of The Light and The Loving of the Universe to anybody who will listen. It is speeding up to the pace and place of being able to hold the space for Light to prevail over the darkness of these days. We need more mystics to wake to the call to become Light Bearers. We need more to stand up Spiritually to open up that space for the Light and the Loving of the Universe to turn back the darkness. We need all of you who are grief stricken by the evolution of our country and the world around us. Go inside. Look upward to Spirit. Please answer the call. Namaste!
please check out Carrie Newcomer's online community www.carrienewcomer.substack.com