 Today, September 21, is a Jewish holiday called Yom Kippur. According to myjewishlearning.com, it is a Jewish day of fasting and prayer that falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Another online source says, “Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is a solemn 25-hour period devoted to fasting and prayer, focused on repentance for transgressions against God and reflection on personal conduct. It channels attention inward, encouraging reconciliation, spiritual cleansing, and renewal, while customs like wearing white evoke purity and humility.” We don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate and accept the invitation of doing the personal check-in that this holiday encourages. One of the 12 Powers that Unity teaches is Release. When I was learning Unity principles, it was taught to me as Renunciation. I like that word because it has a greater sense of grandeur. “I renounce (the situation that is not serving my highest and best life).” Forgiveness is an important step in using the power of release. It is rarely about fault, but where that comes into action usually calls for us to forgive ourselves. Forgiving ourselves for holding onto the negative emotion. Forgiving ourselves for a reaction taken rather than choosing inward peace over strife. In my earliest days of learning New Thought and Unity principles, I learned the life-changing phrase, “Your opinion of me is none of my business.” Making that phrase a directive in how I responded to people and situations brought a new level of peace. It helped me learn that the best route to living healthy and happy was to do exactly what it says in the second description of Yom Kippur. I turn my attention inward (where we teach that God lives), encourage reconciliation (finding peace whether or not I reengage with people or situations I have chosen to step away from), spiritually cleanse myself (I forgive me and “them” understanding we’re all doing the best we can in the moment), and renew myself with reminders of Truth (using the helpful tools from Silent Unity and Daily Word). Give yourself the blessing today of taking at least a few minutes to acknowledge that you are absolutely perfect in the eyes of God. Lovingly Rev. Wally Unity Minister Join our Conversations in Unity in October to explore Yom Kippur with Jane Gough, a Jewish lady who deeply honours and practices her Jewish faith.
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