To Feed the American Soul

It was a small act of grace.  The envelope was white. Business style. The generic kind that you buy at Wal-Mart. The handwriting used to address the envelope fulfilled a promise made by a grandfather, who messaged me over the internet.

The Brother Minister in Prayer

As the Lead Coordinator of the By2015:AMERICA movement, I receive promises all the time. As a community activist, I have learned not to hold it against persons when they do not choose to maintain their word as bond. Consequently, I thanked the grandfather, but did not invest any more energy.

The grandfather was touched. Out of his limited income – a social security check – he sent a $5 bill. I turned the envelope over and looked at the date stamp. It read: May 19, 2012.

Anyone who interacts with me, learns that the left side of my brain is Minister Malcolm X and the right side is Bob Marley. May 19 is Malcolm’s birthday. I do not know if the grandfather sent his letter off that Thursday on purpose or not. I do know that there is no such thing as coincidence. There is only the law of Cause and Effect.

James Redfield in Celestine Prophecy argued that all events are the convergence of thought and intention. A certain web of “organic intelligence” bonds all human minds. It is normally called, “spirit.”

Napoleon Hill argued that this organic intelligence can be called upon at will to assist in the forward progress of humanity. Any one mind that chooses to use the brain correctly will gain access to high quality ideas, or flashes of inspiration.

For several months I have researched and experimented, seeking to find a solution to the problem at hand. The major roadblock to inspiring Americans to address child hunger is the silence of the major networks on the issue.  Only an occasional op/ed published by Huffington Post gathers any attention or a local story which, luckily, goes viral.

Mind you, this is a Presidential Year. Thousands of energetic organizers are creating email lists, telephone contact spreadsheets and canvassing maps. Networks upon networks are being created. An opportunity to galvanize the masses is at hand.

The problem is it feels like every three months the American political mind goes blank.  The latest sound bite or tweet dominates. Historical perspective is absent, even from recent events. News is more entertainment than education.

In the midst of all this digital noise, what method, program or event will capture the imagination of the masses and spark action towards feeding 20.6 million?

What can/will break the silence?

How do we get America to hear that 1 out of 4 of its children are hungry?

The envelope sparked an idea. Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder The Science of Mind philosophy, argued that physical hunger was the result of spiritual hunger. Following his thought, the fact that 20.6 million children are hungry in America means the American soul is starving.  The most effect way to galvanize the imagination of the American People is to feed the American Soul.

The American Soul is fed through spiritual practice. Towards that end, on August 17, 2012 the By2015:AMERICA Movement invites you to participate in a National Prayer Service. We can envision a universal service, one that incorporates as many faiths willing to support it as possible, occurring at 7 pm, Pacific Time.  We ask for parallel meditation services to occur at the same time.

If you are interested in feeding the American Soul, we ask that you:

1) Make a commitment to begin immediately practicing your Faith Tradition or Spiritual Culture.  Please note that the sincerity of your service bears direct relation to the quality of spiritual food received by the American Soul.

2) During the week of August 13 – 17, fast by eating only one meal a day, between 4 – 6 pm. Donate the money you would have spent on those 10 missed meals to a local food pantry or Children’s Meal Mission.

3) Attend and invite 3 others to attend, a local prayer service (or spiritual event) registered with the By2015:AMERICA movement and designed to feed the American Soul on August 17, 2012.

4) Circulate this blog post throughout your networks.

Lastly, please announce your commitment to feeding America’s soul by completing this form and sending it to us at by2015america@gmail.com.  (copy and paste)

Name:
Organization Represented by your presence:
Faith Tradition:
Email Address: