Over the weekend, we attended a local production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins. My husband and I have not stopped talking about it. Sondheim has a way of writing about things no one wants to talk about, and, yet, we couldn’t stop going over every aspect of the evening.

This play centered on various assassins who either killed or attempted to kill U.S. presidents. Yes, it was a dark topic and very uncomfortable at times; yet there was something cathartic about the evening. It was impossible to close your eyes and ears to the minds behind these selected anti-heroes of our country. I left feeling overwhelmed, sad, excited, and inspired. The range of emotions—from anger to sympathy to judgment to hatred to helplessness—moved me back and forth throughout the entire production.

So why am I bringing it up here on a blog called “Rise Up!”?

We just finished celebrating —a day that focuses on resurrection – Easter Sunday. In a surprising way, so much about this piece was about resurrection. What does the word resurrection mean? In essence, it means “to rise.” In the Christian sense, it refers to the rising of the dead at the end of the world. Metaphorically, it means that in the very DNA of our being, we are meant to rise.

What does this have to do with the play I witnessed last night? Well, the performers certainly rose to the occasion. It was a flawless performance, both musically and dramatically. The play itself raised the stories of these individuals—mentally troubled, struggling human beings who committed such heinous acts—and gave us a glimpse into the why behind them.

Perhaps Sondheim’s interpretation colored the truth. I don’t know enough history to debate that. But what I do know is this: last night, I rose in consciousness by not spiritually bypassing a piece of our history simply because it isn’t pretty to look at. Since this is not a political piece, I won’t go there.

Instead, I want to talk about this idea that we are born to rise. If you think about our evolution, you can’t argue that we have risen—from caves to where we are today. Think of technology alone. Think of going from walking… to flying… to landing on the moon. Did you know we launched another mission this week?

We are a curious species, and it is our curiosity that causes us to rise again and again. Spiritually speaking—and everything is spirit, as far as I am concerned—we were born to rise.

In a celebration of this past weekend and Easter, I don’t mind mentioning one of my heroes: Jesus the Christ. Whether you believe his story or not, there is still a message in it. We were not born to play dead. We were born to rise.

In my own life, I am rising every day. With every problem, with every challenge, I am given another opportunity to rise. There is a quote by Ernest Holmes: “When things look the worst is the time to do our best work.” I deeply agree with this. I’m not banking my life on challenges, but I know that through the challenges I’ve faced—when I consciously chose to—I rose into a higher consciousness. Had I not, I might not be here today… or I might be stuck in victim consciousness, like some of the anti-heroes I witnessed on stage this past weekend.

We were born to rise. And when things look the worst, it is time to do our best work. If you have been trying to move forward and feel like you keep getting knocked down again and again, there is an answer. Rev. Donna Michaels calls it “the last gasp of a dying fear.” What does that mean?

She describes it this way: when you feel like you are just about to break through, and suddenly you are catapulted backwards, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your small self—your egoic mind—is trying to keep you the same. It’s fighting with all its might, even though just around the corner, the sun is shining and a new life is being born. “It’s the last gasp of a dying fear.”

When I think back on the play and the lives of those assassins, I see those last gasps. Instead of moving forward, they gave in—and created a downward spiral that impacted the world.

We are important, no matter what we choose to do with our lives. What I know is this: whichever direction we choose, it is felt. Everything is connected. Everything is entangled in the One Mind. When we rise, others are inspired to rise. When we fall into victim consciousness, that too leaves its mark.

And yet, I believe there is more good in the world than evil. If it weren’t so, we wouldn’t still be here. So, I ask you: Are you willing to find a way to rise today?

Can you take one small step upward in consciousness?
More love for yourself… and for others.
More self-care.
More empathy.
More compassion.

Because as we rise… we create a world where others can rise, too.

Benedizione (Blessings),

Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren, Author, Co-Founding Director CSL Kaua’i, Institute of Magnificence & Partners in Empowerment