True spiritual power is quiet, under the radar. One beautiful thing about it is that it can protect us from danger. It is self-defense with no need for physical strength or training, thus accessible for all.
Our Episcopal Book of Common Prayer has a special “Prayer for Quiet Confidence” that says it better than I could:
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength; By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God.
The inner stillness was not something I ever understood until one remarkable day on the subway in New York City. I placed my anxious self on a seat next to a very large black man wearing a long navy blue wool coat. His vibe was as deep as the ocean, and it sucked the anxiety from me. I believe he did it on purpose to help me.
Still in New York sometime later, I had a wonderous vision of spiritual power. It was in the Metropolitan Opera that I saw descending a grand staircase a man with his entourage. I stood dumbstruck as I saw power emanate from this elegant person. He was short, and possibly one would call him old. This man was strong and vital, and his lack of physical stature and his mature age made no difference at all.
Power is often viewed as controlling or evil, and often it is. But what I saw was good power. The man radiated charisma. The people with him clearly admired him. I can still see the vision in my mind’s eye. Ever since, I have wanted to emulate this amazing person who glowed with light, love and true, quiet spiritual power.
I could actually see the low-frequency vibrations around this human power center, as one can see waves in the air above a heater or above the landscape on a stifling hot day. The vibration is powerful and real.
I am writing this article to help others, but it is helping me, also. It has brought me back to that moment when I learned what power was. I am also remembering with gratitude that man on the subway with the vibe as deep as the ocean.
One never knows when these lessons will be useful. I was on the subway at Times Square when a mob of drugged kids came in to rob people. I escaped and found myself being beaten in between the cars. They threw my purse and necklace onto the moving tracks, and I realized I could be next. I bowed my head and became very still. I understood their anger, they being black and me white.
I was saved by a tall well-dressed black man who saw me from inside the car. I screamed, “Help!” and he put out his hand and pulled me inside the train. I screamed, “Help!” all the way out. A young man was being pulled into the car. I took the energy of having been saved, grabbed his arm, dug my feet into the pavement and had a tug of war. He tumbled onto the pavement and said, “You saved my life and my wallet!” But spirit had made it happen, because I had been still.
Later, in Juneau, I encountered danger from a friend crazed from alcohol. A friend told me he had pulled a gun on her in that same state. When he was drinking, he believed he was a wizard. He said he had a coven of witches and could he make me a wand. I said, “That’s satanic.” He screamed at me as he followed me threateningly up the street. I turned to face him and just opened my pores to the wind. It felt like my molecules were loose and his fury went right through them. The low-frequency vibe protected me yet again.
• Page Bridges is a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Living and Growing is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Saturday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
