Got a minute? Say ‘Yolanda Prayer’ for climate healing

MANILA, Philippines - Who can forget super typhoon Yolanda in November of 2013?

I remember that my interfaith spiritual support group met barely one week after it happened. We shared our common pains as bewildered bystanders in what seemed like an end-of-the world spectacle of mass destruction — feeling helpless and hopeless in a situation we could personally do so little about. beyond our small individual donations.

And since our collective purpose was serving our community as part of our individual purpose of recreating our lives anew in the grandest versions of ourselves, we asked, “What unique contribution can our small spiritual support group make?”

We agreed not everyone can continuously donate stuff or service, but most of us, even with just a little willingness, can sincerely intend in his own mind and heart the healing of our dying planet.

A prayer is just that —  a sincere intention said in appreciation, not supplication — thanking instead of begging the Creator because you know deep in your heart that the request, like the healing of our dying planet, is being granted.

With disasters getting more frequent and fierce, these are undeniably special times we live in and it would help if there’s a special prayer we could say to help us move through our fears in these climate-crazy times. Like the “Yolanda Prayer” for climate healing.

When I started to write the prayer in my own words (and with much difficulty), I wanted it to be short and universal, so ordinary people like you and me can remember to say it at our most desperate moments such as when a disaster strikes. Something like the lessons in the workbook of A Course in Miracles, “a universal self-study spiritual thought system that teaches that the way to love and inner peace is through forgiveness.” Since its publication in 1975, it has been read by millions around the world.

I thought why not use Lesson 95 of the workbook? I rediscovered the lesson in my frantic search at a desperate moment in my life and has since then been reciting it as my affirmation.  

The first four lines below are taken from that lesson. I’ve changed the pronouns to plural and added true before power  just to make sure it’s not misunderstood. It is also translated in Filipino.                                            

We are one self (iisang loob tayo)

United with our Creator (kaisa ang Lumikha)

At one with every aspect of creation (kaisa ang bawat bahagi ng nilikha)

Limitless in true power and peace (walang hanggahan ang tunay na kapangyarihan at kapayapaan)

Panalangin para sa Yolanda

at sa Paghihilom ng Ating Daigdig      

 Iisang loob tayo

Kaisa ang Lumikha

Kaisa ang bawat bahagi ng nilikha 

Walang hanggahan ang tunay na                                                                 

kapangyarihan at kapayapaan                                                         

Upang hilumin ang ating mga sarili 

Upang hilumin ang ating naghihingalong daigdig   

Salamat po sa paghihilom

Ito nawa.

I feel these words bring us back to our original state of oneness  —  as the Creator created us, when we were one within ourselves, one with Him and every one and everything. Not this small fearful self separate from everyone and everything that we perceive we are.

As the course says: It takes true humility to accept our limitless power and peace because it comes from The Source of True Power and Peace. On the other hand, it is arrogance on our part to reject the truth about ourselves because when we reject ourselves, we reject the One who created us. Our having forgotten the real truth about ourselves does not make the truth less true.

 Accepting our true power and peace will enable us  to heal ourselves   (upang hilumin ang ating mga sarili); to heal our dying planet (upang hilumin ang ating naghihingalong daigdig).

Knowing deep in our hearts that the request is being granted as we say it, we are truly grateful.                  

Saying the prayer together is like our united call to all — not only to our countrymen here and abroad but also to all global citizens of our common home — to be at one with us as we each do our bit in moving our collective consciousness forward from climate change to climate healing.

   And since we need to match intention with action for faster results, please sign the pledge at our Facebook page www.facebook.com/yolandahealingprayer not only to pray but also take action in your own personal world. Then share with us your thoughts, experiences, and your photos, of course, as you share the prayer with others in person or online and interpret it in your own mother tongue or render it in song, dance, poetry, and art, and whatever you can come up with.

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(The “Yolanda Prayer” for climate healing is a project undertaken by volunteer members of the spiritual support group Beth De Jesus-Natividad initiated as founder and executive director of Servants of Light Philippines (SOLP). The project aims to encourage compassionate volunteerism and practical heroism in climate healing. Other volunteer members are Pol Urbano, Lynette Corporal, Rem Tanauan, MM Malinis, Denny Pendilla, and Espie Magadia. For inquiries, e-mail servantsoflightphil@gmail.com or write to Servants of Light Philippines c/o PR Counsellors Philippines, Suite C, 21st floor, Legaspi Towers 300 Bldg., 2600 Roxas Blvd. corner P. Ocampo St., Malate.)