More Reflections…

THURS., JAN. 17, 1991, 6:29 AM
CAPRI HOTEL, HAVANA

A slight excess last night, but the walk was good, and now you await the last full day here. You expected Me to continue helping you to reflect upon this adventure, and do not disappoint you. The bad news you received last evening was that the peace has been broken, and your nation has taken offensive action. Again, hear that I work with any human situation, so consider that the action yesterday may be necessary to continue peace… perhaps even somewhat more destruction.

You were not impressed with the content of the films that derided the U.S., but, as We know, you are not, in spirit, a political revolutionary. You realize that this small country has benefitted from revolution, for it did arise from many of the people and has been of value to many who fought in order to change the leadership and the form of government. You know that there could be no such revolution in your land, because those who would benefit are a small portion. The bulk of the population are well off, by world standards. Yet there must be changes in the waste that you produce, for it is coming to be a threat to the well-being of many. In this land there is less waste, and that put into the air moves on.

Yes, there must be more efficiency, but it shall be hard for some of these people to work in efficient ways. As a culture becomes dependent on machines for efficiency, those machines must be kept working, and you see the difficulty in relation to buses and elevators. These people do well, but still there are breakdowns.

The spirit of the people is… variable. At one extreme are those who are genuinely proud of the achievements this nation has made and whose work is challenging and meaningful. At the other are some who yearn for more goods and whose work is not commensurate with their abilities. Between are those who tend one way or the other… or have times of high… and then of low spirits. Christians should have the highest spirits here, but this is not necessarily so.

( 6:54 AM / 5:05 PM )

You spent the morning with a spirited old man, and you did not follow through with my suggestion. Well, I know you have lost the desire to know more about this place, and you are already returning, in spirit, to your Farm. It is an important reflection that your enjoyment of travel and new experiences is limited and lasts not a full two weeks. Consider that conclusion when planning future travels.

You see a people who do not seem tense or on edge. They are not regimented. You have seen no restrictive action by police or other officials. They shall have very mixed feelings about greater tourist trade if this develops, particularly if it is astride with greater austerity. The children seem normally playful, as children should be. There are many evidences of good adaptation, certainly a sign of good health.

You have not had much occasion to talk of spiritual matters, and you expected more of this. You have not let your light shine in any verbal fashion, and you could have done more of this. Your mystical path is not completely apart from the political/social action path on which many of these comrades are. And yet… when I tell you… and you internalize… that there is no form of government or economic system that does not stimulate spiritual growth it does seem rather distant from a concern for developing a perfect social system. This is now a time for war, but it may be necessary in order to achieve a lasting peace.

I urge you to consider writing for the journals that you have “represented.” Of course you have your Ruminations to get out first, but then you may want to put some of your notes and observations into article form. Or… it may not be a pressing priority.

You must go through the schedule and your notes and identify the spiritual experiences that were in the midst of the education and social ones. The pictures and slides may help, if they are reasonably decent. This should be one important focus as you write or talk about this trip.