November 1, 2002 PlanetLightworker Newsletter

Dear Lightworkers,

Have you heard the expression, "the singer not the song?" It is the name of a 1961 movie starring Dirk Bogarde and John Mills. The film is set in a small US western town dominated by a bandit (Bogarde). A priest, played by John Mills, moves into town and a curious relationship develops between the two. The priest attempts to convince the bandit to put aside his violent ways. The bandit is tempted and struggles to reconcile whether it is the "singer," the powerful and persuasive persona of the priest, or the message of the priest, the "song" which intrigues and tempts him to renounce his violent life and become a compassionate human. In case you decide to watch the movie, I will not reveal the ending.

We all have our instances of asking, "Is it the singer or the song," when we experience something that compels us to sit up and take notice. Are we compelled by the charisma of the person that anything he or she says will be accepted? Are we compelled by the person's message that regardless of appearance or presentation, we accept it? Perhaps at times, it is both. I think that it is useful to discern the difference.

There are some people born, it seems, so attractive and charismatic that anything they say is instantly snapped up by millions of people and acted on without thought. Adolph Hitler was one of these people. So were John F. Kennedy and Princess Diana. Quite a contrast - Kennedy was also graced through delivering messages that also went to people's hearts without first passing Go (or he had some great speech writers). "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." At the time it seemed like a great challenge. Now with the perspective of years, the Vietnam War (which JFK instigated), and the Bush obsession with blowing up various countries, now I don't think that it is such great advice. I can't remember anything that Princess Di said, but I will never forget her presence, although I never got closer to her than my TV set.

The point here is not to dredge up politics as tempting as it may be. The point is that when hearing or reading the words of a "singer," it behooves us to crank up our discernment and REALLY pay attention to what is presented. The charisma, charm, and appeal of the presenter are not enough to justify acceptance at face value. Crank up the old discernment and read between the lines. Do you wholeheartedly agree with the person or not? If you do, then fine, if not, the birdcage can always use some new lining material. This is the issue that bandit Bogarde struggled with in the movie.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are messages that are so compellingly presented that they stand alone by themselves independent of the presenter who it seems is often simply the midwife of the idea. Should these messages be taken at face value as well? I think not. Language is tricky. Ideas can be presented in such a way that there appears to be no alternative worth considering. Litigators (in the US, attorneys who argue cases in front of judges and juries) are often so persuasive that often the guilty are set free or the innocent convicted - all because of the power of words and they way they are used, "the song."

In the domain of the spiritual there are singers and songs. Some of the songs are what people want to hear, and so the amen corner belches out its agreement in smug sanctimonious chorus. Some of the singers appear on stages before thousands of new converts who revert to their former habits within a week vaguely wondering what all of the fuss was about. We all have the power of discernment - it is really nothing more than listening to our inner voice that too often gets drowned out. It is there though; it is always there. We need but listen to our intuition (for women), our "gut feeling" (for men), our internal knowing that speaks in the voice of OUR highest and best interest, not what someone else thinks is best for us regardless of their power of speech or charisma.

Claim your own power. Each of us is worthy of making up OUR own minds and making OUR own choices, not the subtle hints or booming declarations of others. If the world changes for the better, it will be because of the choices made by discerning individuals, not media programmed for a mass mentality.