There Are No Accidents!
Investigating spiritual truth in light of Netflix’s latest smash hit Docu-series “The Program”.
Everything has a reason
“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
Marilyn Monroe
Watching the latest expose/ documentary on Netflix, “The Program — Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping” over the weekend, (currently the #1 streamed show) I was reminded of this axiom, stated above.
It is probably the most contentious statement you will encounter in your spiritual journey — in the awakening process. And very likely it will be the toughest to accept — particularly if you have been the recipient of severe trauma or seen loved ones in hideous, indescribable pain.
The consideration and refutation of this idea have been responsible for the complete loss of faith in many people.
For many, it has led to the complete denial of God, or indeed any sort of supreme power.
It was the case for me, as I asked the inevitable question: “How could a loving God allow horrible tragedies, mass destruction, cataclysms on a global scale, world wars, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, planet-threatening atomic bombs, pestilence, plagues, physical and psychological abuse, and an-unending river of unspeakable acts?”
But, having come full circle in my journey, I now believe 100% fully in the veracity of this timeless statement. And watching “The Program” reminded me why.
Entering” The Program”
The Program is a three-part “docu-series” just released on Netflix. The series, directed with incredible deftness and pathos by its young director Katherine Kubler, chronicles the harrowing experiences of a most unfortunate group of teenagers.
Labeled as “troubled teens”, these young people, most from middle-class, stable families, were forced, completely against their will, to attend a “boarding school” in an economically depressed, very rural area of northern New York State. (incidentally very close to the college I attended!) An absolute Hell-hole with the very innocuous seeming name “Academy at Ivy Ridge”. The series shows in shocking, graphic detail the horrifying abuse these children were subjected to, in some cases children as young as 12 years old.
I won’t go into detail about the specifics of these abuses, as I highly recommend watching the series to discover them for yourself. But, as a way of showing the depravity, I’ll share a quote from one young man who was imprisoned after starting an insurrection at the facility.
When Quentin was asked about his accommodations in prison, he stated:
“It was like a 5-star hotel. There was no comparison.”
Katherine, herself a prisoner( there really is no better word for it) for over a year, entering at the age of 16 after being dragged to the facility in handcuffs from her home near Washington D.C., details how she and her fellow classmates/inmates suffered a complete loss of privacy and autonomy.
They had no idea when they would leave — only that they had to finish the program — or turn 18, whichever came first.
Their parents’ minds were so poisoned to believe this was the only way, and they must not allow their own children to manipulate them to see otherwise.
Then, if all that wasn’t bad enough, she goes on to describe in vivid detail the lasting damage this abuse has done, the multitudes of souls lost to suicide and overdose, the piles of money made through this abuse, and the vast network of similar institutions active throughout the world, acting in the guise of long, religious-based adolescent care through the organization WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs).
No Accidents
So what does this have to do with the idea of “No Accidents?”
The walls of the academy are plastered with slogans such as:
“You create what you fear.”
“There are no accidents!”
The signs are ridiculed by the now world-wise survivors. Yet these statements are held up constantly as truth but those who travel the spiritual path.
And that is how I see them now.
- It is no accident that I found this show on my Netflix home screen and was compelled to watch all three hours of it.
- It’s no accident that greed turned likely well-intentioned men like WWASP president Ken Clay and founder Richard Lichfield into abhorrent monsters.
- And it’s no accident that Katherine herself was brought into this downward spiral of human tragedy.
Defining who you will be
“Our only purpose is to awaken — and to help others awaken.”
No soul does anything it does not wish to do, nor does it experience anything it does not wish to experience.
I easily could have chosen not to write about this topic. In fact, I was very much tempted not to. It’s an extremely delicate one that needs to be handled with the utmost care.
But this uncomfortableness shouldn’t mean that we avoid the subject. It can’t mean that — not if we are to continue our evolution as spiritual beings. Not if we are to create a better planet.
Not if we are to awaken.
“In A Course in Miracles, it says we are to look at the crucifixion but not dwell on it. To simply not look is not transcendence, but denial.”
Marianne Williamson
When we are told that the world is an illusion, as many spiritual traditions emphasize, it becomes tempting just to ignore the goings-on of the world. To turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the suffering and pain of our brothers. But doing this only turns us more in on ourselves. Not the capital S “Self” that is universal consciousness or God, but the little s “self” of the ego.
The whole reason we must look upon the suffering of the world, the reason for there even to be suffering in the first place, is to give each of us a special opportunity.
An opportunity to define who we will be in the face of it.
The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore, not to find out Who You Are, but seek to determine Who You Want to Be.
Neale Donald Walsch — Conversations with God
As hard as it may be to believe, for better or worse, you choose this life.
Now this is a very difficult concept, and very painful to accept.
You may be repulsed and hate me for even suggesting it. Which I completely understand. And if you believe that you are given but one life, one short existence, it will almost certainly be impossible to accept.
But once you consider the idea of reincarnation, that you are an immortal soul with an existence streaked out over infinite lifetimes, on countless planets, numberless galaxies even multiple universes — it becomes easier to accept.
Endless choices
In eternity, there are endless situations and feelings to experience. And in your soul’s evolution, you will experience every one of them.
You will choose to experience every one of them.
You have been insanely rich, and you have known abject poverty.
You have experienced intolerable cruelty, and you have subjected others to that same cruelty.
You have been a specimen of physical perfection, and you have been wracked by pain and terminal disease.
And in the future, you will experience every possible permutation that life has to offer.
Through all of it, the only question is: who will you choose to be?
As hard as it may be for us to grasp — and it may be hard, even impossible for her to ever grasp it for herself — Katherine was placed in this horrific situation for a reason.
if it was not for her, this film would never have been. If not for her, many of the people affected would not have the chance to heal.
If not for her suffering, so many more would be brought to suffer in these facilities. If not for her, I, and thousands of parents like me would never have known that such places exist.
Now, don’t take this to mean that I am saying that she deserved it. No one deserves to suffer. Every Son of God is precious and deserves only peace and love.
That is God’s message to us. That is His gift to us. Nothing is ever denied to us, and once that is understood, the world will live in peace.
Bringing Meaning to Monsters
What of the despicable actions of the founders and employees of WWASP? That perpetrated or turned a blind eye to the savage treatment of children?
They have a function too. They allow us to practice forgiveness-which is our salvation.
As hard as it is for the ego to accept, we only receive what we give. And therefore we only receive peace when we wish peace on others. We only know joy when we feel joyful towards others. We only feel loved when we love without condition.
By forgiving what is unforgivable, we forgive ourselves. And we know God’s peace and His eternal love.
Without these” Monsters”, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to do this. We wouldn’t see that the “monster” is within us — a figment of our own imagination — dissolving into nothingness when we accept the peace of God.
Everyone’s journey is unique. We are not to worry about our brother’s path, or we risk hampering our own growth and blocking our own progress.
Do what is right. Choose who YOU will be. Love your brother, and create peace in your heart.
In this lies the salvation of the world.
Bringing Darkness to Light
“The abuse of a child is the business of anyone who knows about it”
Thomas Houlahan — Veteran Journalist and investigator of the “troubled teen” industry.
This is the whole reason why I wrote this post. I now know these awful truths, and it is now my business.
If I hope to be a light on the world, I must let that light shine on the darkness, not just hope the darkness goes away.
Darkness is only the absence of light. And the darkness must be brought to the light of truth for the world to heal.
I have much more to say about this series. way too much for one post — probably enough for a book! There are many discussions — the power and danger of cult behavior, the concept of karma, and the question of free will itself — that I am eager to delve into. But I’ll leave those for now, while I ponder a part 2.
If you have questions or comments, don’t be shy! I’d love to hear them and see what future conversations they can inspire.
Thanks for reading! Wishing you much love!
Aaron
I just released my first book of poetry!
A mystical collection of poetic power for your spiritual journey.
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