A sweet, yet sometimes pungent aroma of change is wafting in the atmosphere right now that is affecting us as individuals, communities, and collectively as a country. There are cries for change in many sectors.

And, in the midst of all of this is the remake of the epic and iconic miniseries ROOTS! Ironic? Paradoxical?  Is it relevant at all in this climate that we are experiencing? What is its relevance? Yes, unprecedented progress has been made since it first appeared in 1977, yet in 2016, there is a reemergence of a hauntingly familiar unpleasant time.

For me, the television series ROOTS has always beckoned us to get back to the very genesis, the root, of our soul’s power, our deep sense of being. A depth of being that fundamentally transcends color, the party I vote for, the language I speak, my faith, and whom I choose to love.

I think that ROOTS invites us all to remember, to question, and to act. To remember what is at the very root, the core of each and every one of us-that root that connects us to God, the Seed. It also invites us to question, that if connected, what would be an example of rising up from our past? Historically, we have always been called to rise-to rise from deep within the Spirit. This remake of ROOTS reinforces this universal push for all souls to rise, to evolve from any “form”of slavery or bondage of the mind and body to true internal and external freedom.

Humanity is being called back to the remembrance of Spirit, to God who is our Seed. We are the roots, and our expressed divinity will be the proof, black or white, that we truly all come from the same Seed. And, through our past or current sufferings, we, the roots, are being directed to remember the Seed. Does the remake of ROOTS raise pivotal questions…Is it a nudge, a  reminder for us to remember the Seed and to rise? At our screening in the White House, a lady in the audience stood up and shared, how barbaric was the treatment by the slave owners. For me, I saw how void of the Seed they were and perhaps they need the Seed the most…Interesting, don’t you think?

Could it be that we are being forced comfortably or not, to return to our remembrance of the Seed? And, the expression emerging from that remembrance compels us to not only rise ourselves, but, to act to empower our brothers and sisters to rise. As a faith leader, student of life, friend and companion to all my brothers and sisters, the expression of my divinity is to remember, to question, and to act from my soul’s power, which are God’s qualities. It is to lean toward engagement in areas that will foster a higher level of thinking and doing for ourselves, country, and world.

When we align with our real identity as souls, children of God, as a first step, we are rooted in an understanding and willingness to engage in an open, authentic, and empathetic way with each other for the common good.

If we hold this awareness of being a soul, we might recognize that as souls we carry imprints of a past, present, and future. And, it is this eternal story or stories etched in our souls that is being played out. So, maybe if we were to hold this view, I believe our approach towards our country’s challenges being grounded in soul and God consciousness could shift the trajectory of the world we see today.

Meditate the Vote, a campaign for raising the conversation and energy around the way we are showing up in our nation marries well with this remake of ROOTS. At the core, both compel us to humbly remember the Seed, to transcend our own tribal limitations and circumstances and to align with the truth of our interconnectedness as God’s children. King and Ghandi too, years after the slavery depicted in ROOTS, triumphed in aligning with universal values. I was struck by Senior Advisor to the President of the United States and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement in the Obama administration, Valerie Jarrett’s sharing how she stood on strong shoulders that provided her with the roots for the powerful work she does today. And, Knuta Kinte played by Malachi Kirby, also meditated upon the value and roots of his family that gave him the endurance and strength to rise above what was obviously a Seedless link. His inner strength and connection to the Seed was clearly witnessed by his power to endure.

How incredible it was for us to be at the White House screening of ROOTS in such a complex political climate! We are witnessing a promotion amplifying racism, separation, exclusion, which for many feels archaic and unimaginable! The election of the next president is offering us new opportunities to inwardly dive deeper than we ever have before… to empower the disenfranchised to vote, to encourage others to Meditate the Vote, to encourage deliberate thoughtful reflection, and dialogue on the necessity of choosing within our spheres of influence what is best for ALL. Claiming our divine power through remembering, questioning, and acting through Meditate the Vote could ultimately elevate those who have moved far away from the Seed and guide how best we choose to live our lives. Voting is power and when we vote from this level of introspective thinking, divine values and goodness will be the catalyst to move us towards a greater level of equality and acceptance.

Our divine purpose and power are far greater than our problems. @americameditate (Click to Tweet!)

ROOTS reminds us of that truth. And so in closing, perhaps what ROOTS is calling us all to do is meditate at the root of our being till we naturally begin to remember the Seed.

Sister Jenna is an award-winning spiritual leader, author, radio talk show host, renowned speaker, founder and director of the Meditation Museum in the Washington Metropolitan Area and director of the Washington, D.C. Branch of the Brahma Kumaris, a worldwide organization with over 8,500 branches in 120 countries. She was selected by EBW2020 as one of 100 Most Influential Leaders of 2015. Follow Sister Jenna/America Meditating on Twitter and Facebook. Get her new Off the Grid Into the Heart CD.