THE GREATNESS IS THE GOODNESS

(Editor’s note: Dalton is in Texas this week to be with his son and this column is a repeat of one he wrote November 11, 2004)

A Tibetan teacher said when we become enlightened we don't care whether or not we have fantastic powers. We don't care what people think of us. We don't care whether or not we are great teachers. All we care about is being helpful, to be of assistance, to be a kind and caring being.

I couldn't agree more. I have been to see a flatbed truckload of faith healers and most of them remind me of Paul's description of people without love -- "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal."

I remember Olga Worrell. She was a counselor and people claimed to have spontaneous healings in her presence. Yet, she never claimed to be a healer. She seemed to be as surprised as those who were healed.

As far as the laying on of hands goes, I would rather have the touch of a loving, kind, caring person as any big-time healer. In fact, it is love and kindness that IS the primary healing power in the universe.

The good news is that anyone can be enlightened if we are talking about being a caring, loving kind person. You don't need to take Showtime 101, 102 oe 103. You don't need washtubs to take up the offerings. You don't need the "tithes and love offerings" of little people who are struggling to live on small pensions and Social Security checks.

A dear friend in her eighties spent her precious tiny bank balance for a plane ticket to be healed by one of those TV hotshots. She sat in a long line of wheelchairs with her heart beating fast, just knowing she would be healed. Then a staff person of the hotshot came down the line saying the mighty reverend would not be healing any wheelchair cases. She died in a few weeks.

There were probably some sweet souls in her church who could have hugged her and infused her heart with great healing energy. Paul's great 13th chapter of Corinthians says love is the only thing that never fails.

I believe it is always wise to develop kindness and to trust the energy of kind (enlightened) souls when we need mental, spiritual or physical healing. While we are at it, we can also trust the goodness and kindness in our own souls. Sometimes our healing comes from our own energy.