Here I am. Send Me. By Rev. John Moreland

 I have heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall be sent… who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am, send me.” “Know that those who you go to can hear, but not understand; can see but cannot perceive. For the heart of this people is darkened…”

- Isaiah 6-8

 

The above passage from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament has a very timely meaning when looked at through the prism of New Thought teaching. As we listen for guidance on our own path, we may hear what appears to be an external voice saying, “What should be done?” in a time of great need. While in the role of an observer, we may further ask, “Shouldn’t ‘they’ or someone be doing something?” As we listen more intently, we get closer to the Truth. After realizing that our role is not to be limited to that of an observer, we come to the insight that there is something for us to do. Finally, we are led to a conclusion that was long in coming. Instead of seeking a solution from outside of ourselves, as well as action from someone or something else, we step forward and declare, “Here I am, send me.”

 When we personally feel a call to step forward, it may be in a time of confusion. The citation from Isaiah further tells us that as one does so that they will encounter those who can hear, but not understand and see but cannot perceive. Of course, we like to think that it is only others who fall into this type of delusion; I believe that this passage also applies to the reader as well. As we step forward, we must humbly be willing to have our own blind spots revealed. It is not difficult to see how this passage speaks to the conditions in which we live today. We inhabit a time that is marked by conflicting information. It can be difficult to know what is true regardless of what we see or hear even when it is right in front of us. As we metaphorically say, “Send me” it can be difficult to get a sense of what is true and what that commitment could involve.

 I believe that one of the most significant and life-changing prayer we can make is one that asks for guidance and clarity. I have found that this type of prayer has always been answered for me, but often in a way that I, at first, have met with resistance. In those instances, I have wondered if there might be an answer that is less challenging or less intimidating. True guidance almost always has left me feeling vulnerable or greatly unprepared in some way. But I have also found that a request for guidance and clarity is usually met with a response that requires a degree of personal growth and expansion. It is an invitation to not just solve what appears to be a problem, but to grow in consciousness in a way that may not have yet been considered as possible.

 I believe that we are all intuitively receiving the inquiry of, “Whom shall be sent… who will go for us?” during this crucial time in history. These are questions coming from deep within us that are calling us to meet the challenges we face. Ultimately, the answer of “who” is literally all of us. We each have a role to play in the healing and transformation of our world. We are all being called to reply, “Send me” in roles both large and small. It is easy to think that we personally can’t make a difference, but there is a way to prove that you do. With all your heart, affirm, “Here I am. Send me” and then notice what new roads open before you. 

 

 Rev. John Moreland has been the Senior Minister at Light on the Mountains for Spiritual Living since 2002.