The Bible and Culture

 

When children are not taught certain basics from the Bible they become vulnerable to a host of personality distortions that erode the culture that they comprise. These basics have been a part of American culture for most of its existence, up to and including my parents and grandparents. I learned Scripture verses in high school in central Alabama--something I’m pretty sure couldn’t happen now. Here are some examples of those principles or truths, and results of their fading from the culture:

1. The Bible says to “add to faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge,” and etc to “love” [2 Pet 5]. We dive right in at “knowledge” and neglect to teach our kids that there is a God/Creator of this universe Who loves them more than their parents love them, and Who loves everyone else neither less nor more than them. And He expects us to Love each other.
We neglect to teach them what used to be called the “social graces”; honor for parents; respect for elders; kindness to peers. Without respect for their elders they cannot benefit from the wisdom of those elders. Every teacher knows that you cannot teach a child who doesn’t respect you. Their peers thus become, instead of brothers and sisters, competitors for the accolades and rewards of the world, from which they derive their self-esteem.

2. Children are not taught that they have a sinful nature: certain aspects of their personality that are NOT GOOD and must be overcome through diligent effort and prayer. Parents fear damaging the child’s “self-esteem” [a certain idol] by teaching the truth of the sinful nature; or the parents have not been taught that fundamental truth about themselves and therefore cannot pass it to their children. They [the parents] will then sometimes even defend their children against well-meaning adults [teachers] who try to point out these character defects in their children. Children therefore hurt others unknowingly or without remorse. People lack humility to the point of arrogance and youth believe that they are wiser than their elders. The culture reflects and amplifies this. They are unfulfilled, and since they have not been taught that the human family has a common spiritual enemy who is not “flesh”, they tend to seek out [unconsciously] a person, political party, nation or ethnic group who must be to blame, and rally against that person or group. This becomes a replacement for true meaning in life, which is only ultimately derived in the Love of Christ for all humans.

3. Children who are being raised by parents who are two or three generations removed from these fundamental principles are not delighted in as the gifts from God that they truly are because the parents are so invaded by the parasites of darkness that they are incapable of loving their children. These children, bereft of Love, become scavengers in the world, trying to find it in all the wrong places [usually]. The Church, in its rightful place, is calling out to these in the Love of Christ—the only Source of healing.

4. As the culture drifts farther and farther away from the Spirit, the words pointing to the Truth sound more and more foreign--”religious”, passe, out of place and undesirable in a culture rushing in the opposite direction. Those who are walking in some degree of Truth tend to be embarrassed to speak it because of the culture’s condescending view of it. They wimp out, like Peter, and deny Him in the atmosphere of ridicule. It takes courage and strength [and especially a strong Love] to stand against the flow of culture. [This is the story of Jeremiah.]

As always, the simple solution is Christ—His Love. But in this distracted, noisy culture, who is paying any serious attention to that.

Simple Pleasures

 

Here’s a list of a few things to help you enjoy the simple pleasures of life:

1. Walk outside and look carefully at your yard without thinking about the stuff that needs to be done in it.

2. Take a little time to notice how good it is to have a climate-controlled place to live with running hot and cold water and inside toilets—and so many other amazing amenities that would astound our ancestors.

3. When you are with or around a child, try to get completely out of your world and totally into theirs.

4. Sit silently for a few minutes and just feel your aliveness. Feel the life that is inside you—the life that you are.

5. Make sure that you have compassion and good will in your heart toward all the people in your life.

6. Notice how good it feels to laugh with someone or enjoy something with them. We are not alone!

7. When you shower or bathe, take your time. Get the water just right. Change the temp for a different feeling. Pretend that you just spent a week camping in the desert and this is your first bath.

8. Celebrate the magnificent organism that you call your body. Don’t allow yourself to label it “fat” or unhealthy in any way, even if there are some “problems” with it. Instead recognize how marvelous it is. Think of it as your masterfully made vehicle through this brief earth visit, enabling you to feel, see, smell, taste, communicate and interact in countless ways with this temporary world.

9. Think about all the people who have loved you—and still do. Let their love feel in you the same way that you want your love to feel in them. Can you feel it? It’s all the same Love!

Biden Speech [fantasy]

 

The speech I wish President Biden would make regarding the Russia-Ukraine situation:

My fellow Americans and people of the world:

In light of the recent insinuations regarding the use of nuclear weapons by V. Putin, I feel that it is incumbent to be clear about where America stands. Mr Putin accurately stated that America is the only nation that has released the dreadful power of a nuclear attack—against Japan, destroying two of her cities. We did this in response to Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor. At that time Japan was ruled by its military and Emperor Hirohito, an absolute monarch. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto was accurate when he stated his “fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant.” The American response was to arise into what some have called the “Greatest Generation”. America used these weapons when its sovereign soil was under attack by a foreign nation and when there was no threat of an all-out nuclear war on this planet. We did not use these weapons to procure more territory for ourselves. Japan remains a sovereign nation today, a thriving democracy and a great friend of America. America does not use it’s military power to invade and occupy sovereign nations. We use our power, when feasible, to protect the nations and people of the earth from tyrannical power that is toxic to those people. We believe in government “of, by and for the people.” But we do not force this upon any nation. At the time of Japan’s surrender, General MacArthur, aboard the USS Missouri, spoke for all American’s when he said:

“It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past—a world founded upon faith and understanding—a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish – for freedom, tolerance and justice.”

He later stated in a radio address, standing in the ominous shadow of those bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki:

“If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system [to provide for world peace] Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”

He was speaking for all Americans and all freedom-loving people of the earth. The “spirit” he indicated was the Spirit of Love, Truth, Tolerance, Justice and Good Will toward all the people of the earth—the Human Family. The spirit that had birthed the War, as is always the case, was a spirit of power and greed for more material and territorial gain. Our wise Founders were wary of this spirit of power, and they worked diligently to formulate a government that could protect itself from it. That is why the Constitution has a “balance of power” woven into its fabric. We call upon all the leaders of the nations of this earth to recognize the subtle and corruptive nature of power, and discipline themselves to maintain a motive of freedom and tolerance so that all people can live free from fear and tyranny. We call upon all the people of the earth to exercise their freedom in a spirit of equanimity and good will toward others, living out the reality of the “Golden Rule”. We call upon all the religious communities to evolve beyond hatred and self-righteousness and toward a genuine Love for one’s fellow man, whether we agree with their doctrines and practices or not. We believe that tyranny is doomed to failure because humans innately value self-rule and freedom over authoritarian domination by fear. And we believe that we are evolving toward a more enlightened, and peaceful world in which the saber-rattling threat of nuclear weapons is considered unnecessary, regressive and immature. May God bless us all as we each do our individual best to preserve all that is good and transcend the darkness that lurks in all our hearts. May God bless America. And may God bless all the peoples of this earth, whom He Loves.

Hope and Choices

 

I looked at the waxing moon in all her glorious beauty, thinking of how her presence makes our lives possible, creates our ocean tides, the inspirational and calming mother-light she provides. Knowing that her light is a reflection of that greater light, she reminded me: “No matter how dark things are on your side of this earth, the sun is still shining.”

As I was watering my outside plants it occurred to me that I could think about what I was going to do next [after watering the plants] [the future] or I could think about something that has happened in the past or some difficulties that I’m facing in my family [the past or current problems] etc. Or I could just focus on watering my plants. The fact that I had a CHOICE is what really struck me. I could CHOOSE what I wanted to think about, or think of nothing at all –just BE. It seems very important that we be in touch with the self that makes a decision about what to think about. Otherwise we are “lost in our thoughts”; and frequently they don’t take us into good places. The Bible says some things about thoughts, and we do very well to understand what it says. If I don’t take some agency over my thoughts—if I am not aware that there is a self who is distinct from those thoughts and who can willfully shift them—then my thoughts will drag me through life wherever they randomly go.

Immunity

 

I noticed, amid the flurry of thoughts crowding my mind, that six cardinals were peacefully foraging in my yard. I remembered that another one, perhaps one of these, had nested with fledglings under the eave of my grill shed. My mind focused intently on these lovely, peaceful birds and, as if that awareness was a portal to a higher realm, my thoughts flew quickly and deeply into the grandeur of the universe, and I was immediately in touch with my freedom. Bringing my mind back to the birds, I imagined the idyllic lives they live—so peacefully simple. Immediately though I remembered that they have predators also—cats, snakes, hawks, owls, etc.. We feel relieved when we contemplate our rise above the ancient ones who lived in caves and feared the saber-toothed tiger. No material predators for us! We are at the apex of life on the planet! But, along with the microscopic predators that attack us, we realize that we have other unseen predators—predators of the soul. We have a certain darkness that lurks within us, like a virus. And we never know who is carrying it, or how much, or how it might manifest toward us or, worse, through us. We never know when there might be an outbreak—like Nazism or the Rowandan genocide. Historically, this predator has done some damage in the human family. And like flu or covid viruses, it never completely dies out; it just lies dormant in all our hearts, until the immune system gets weak—then it breaks out.

But we know now—some of us---about the Vaccine; the one that is 100% effective. It guards us against all spiritual predation, even the fear of an outbreak. We don’t need a mask. Our life is not hampered in any way; in fact we are freer than we ever were before the Vaccine. Those who have received the Vaccine know exactly what I’m speaking of. To those who haven’t I would say “Hey man! Receive the Vaccine. Protect yourself and your people. The virus is rampant.”

Spiritual Growth

 

A sure way to enhance your spiritual growth is to frequently ask God this question: “How am I doing at loving my people?” We ask this with the understanding that “my people” means everyone within the sphere of our influence. Everyone! And then we be still long enough to hear the still small voice of Truth telling us exactly what we most need to hear. The ones that usually come to mind, and rightfully so, are those we are having the most difficulty loving—those who have hurt us, abandoned us, broken our trust, misunderstood us. And we know that we must pray for them, as our Lord prayed from the Cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What an incredibly wise and liberating prayer is this! To understand deeply that people who hurt or betray people do not know what they are doing. They are living outside the principle by which life works—the principle by which life is here; the principle of Love. And they desperately need to awaken, as we have, into this glorious Truth, else they will never be free in this life. They will always be a slave to their own passions and judgments. They may need confrontation [ministered only in Love] but they most certainly need compassion. This compassion—this prayer—is a manifestation of your true healing from the wounds that Satan inflicted upon your soul through them.

Wisdom

 

One of the wise elders was walking with a young man who was sincerely seeking the Truth. He said to the wise one, “Sir, you almost always seem so peaceful and serene. How is it that you maintain this state of being?” The wise one responded “Because I know, in the fullness of my being, that there is no higher perfection than the perfection of the universe, just as it is in this moment.” After a pause, the seeker said “But sir, children are dying of starvation, men are killing each other for no rational purpose, people are abandoning their families, there is corruption in politics, and even in the Church! How can this be perfect?”

The wise one replied with an air of deep concern, “All those tribulations and sufferings, and many more besides, are being allowed by a conscious Source Who is characterized by a greater Love than the human mind can grasp, as well as infinite Power and Wisdom—all clearly evident in the material world. In His domain, all is and ever shall be perfect. The universe is His domain. Therefore all this suffering has meaning, and we discover the deepest meaning of it when we work, motivated only by Love, to alleviate as much of it as we can without enabling weakness. We start by acknowledging our own suffering. We alleviate as much as we can within our realm of control; and we accept the rest as Christ accepted the Cross and Paul accepted the “thorn”--peacefully immersed in Grace. As we allow our suffering to be consumed and transcended in Faith, Hope and especially Love, we are bestowed with the gifts that enable us to alleviate suffering in others—more and more effectively. Peace dawns within us and begins its eternal journey toward the full Light of Day. And Joy bubbles up in little fountains all along the pathway. We still grieve, get frustrated, angry and hurt. We still suffer the perfect decay of the flesh. But we realize that these all arise and fall in the temporary world that we are IN but not OF. We know that they too are woven perfectly into the perfect Living Tapestry of this brief but very important earthly journey.”

At that point, the elder stopped abruptly, clutched his chest, fell to his knees and then to his side. The young man dropped and placed his arm under the elder’s neck. His face was contorted in pain, but just before his soul departed his body, he smiled and winked at the young man.

Social Apocalypse

 

It was a brutal time. Love had waxed cold, and the cold had caught on and spread like a deadly virus, turning people into zombie-like creatures who walked sullenly and fed off each other with an appetite that was never satisfied. Women didn’t feel loved by men nor did men feel loved by women. So they either lost hope or clung to whatever shreds of love they could find anywhere, usually choking it to death with their desperate need. There was so much well-publicized sham and ego in religion that those on the outside couldn’t see the beautiful Reality that it points to. And those parents who had found life-sustaining strength and joy in their religion were watching their children being pulled into the world’s distorted view of it. People of leisure had never dreamed that times could be become so difficult. And the fringe classes were fighting in the weary streets to survive. The children were being dragged along in this desert march—thirsty, staring, too insecure to play. Those few who were sincere hung on, trying to trust. They prayed for the Light to come into this darkness. And they found some comfort. So the Hope, of course, as always was there, to be found by the diligent. But the trust got harder when the disease penetrated their own families-- those who had been taught in the Faith, now so easily pulled into the darkness. The “sword” Jesus spoke of, that separates mothers from daughters and sons from fathers was in full operation. People were rapidly forgetting how to live together harmoniously. All could sense, though all but the courageous and true denied, that dark clouds were looming—that we were coming to one of those historic crossroads where the river would split and most of the water of life would go in one direction or the other: into the lush, green valley of renewal, or over the cliff into the abyss from which all has to be rebuilt—on a foundation that might not be as secure as the one that had crumbled. Many of the very sensitive without a root or foundation could not tolerate it—and exited it. Others were ensnared in various pits cleverly woven into the torn fabric of the Community.

Thankfully, many who had an affinity for the Light and who were ready, drew toward the Light to escape the pain. There, to their shock and delight, they found more than relief from the pain. They found their true family. They found a shimmering sanctuary in which they knew, beyond doubt, that all is well, and ever would be; an unseen but very real dimension of genuine Peace and inner Serenity deep down below all the sufferings and cycles of this world. They found the Freedom that pours forth from the Source of all that is needed to have what our hearts truly desire, here and now. Today! They looked sadly, hopefully at the world.

And then they looked up!

Growing Up

 

Our parents are largely [not completely] responsible for our psycho-spiritual condition when we enter adulthood; but we are 100% responsible when we enter adulthood. We are responsible for how we handle what we were dealt as children. Doesn’t do any good to just keep crying, and we can’t blame them anymore. In fact, blaming is counter-productive—no matter whom is blamed. Blame is a distraction from the important work of overcoming whatever we are blaming anyone for. Those who have hurt us or our loved ones are unenlightened--- “They know not what they do” as Jesus says. This is true even if they are consciously mean or malicious—especially when they are. We guard our hearts from what is in them, and try to protect our loved ones as best we can; but they are going to wreak some havoc, nevertheless. We do damage control as best we can. But we continue to recognize and transcend the various ways our own souls have been wounded in this arena of life with humans who are still emerging from darkness into Light. And we remember that our war is not with “flesh and blood” but spirits that possess and move within the human heart. Those who are possessed of meanness, for example, are the primary victims of it, even though many others are hurt through them also. And we are careful not to “return evil for evil, nor be overcome by evil; but rather to overcome evil with good.” Our ability to do this is the very evidence of our healing and enlightenment. As the Cross of Christ absorbed and destroyed the sins of the world, so now, as we take up our crosses and respond to everything in courageous and peaceful Love, we, as His body, also negate the evil in this world. This is what we help each other do. This is one important way that we love each other: by carrying our load with integrity, and bearing each others’ burdens when necessary. We do all this as Christ described: in peace, with thankful hearts, in a “yoke that is easy and a burden that is light.” {At least most of the time. And more and more so as we grow.} We stay consciously grounded in the eternal Truth that He is perpetually revealing to us---the Truth that sets and keeps us free. We are always “more than conquerors.” Peaceful warriors. Joyful servants. Nothing from the dark side, not even Satan himself can change this. It is our default setting; the Foundation underneath all our experiences. And in death {our final victory} all these “slight, momentary afflictions” will be obliterated by a light of glory that the NDEers cannot describe, even in the most superlative terms.

Grief

 

[Jas 4:9 KJV] 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

This initially sounds like a strange thing for the God Who promises joy---Who reminds us that the “joy of the Lord is our strength”--to command. And then we have Jesus’ words from the “Sermon on the Mount”:

[Mat 5:4 KJV] 4 Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

It doesn’t take very long, living on this earth, to accumulate some sadness. Many children have already been afflicted with death, neglect or addiction of a parent; or divorce and animosity of their parents. Certainly by adolescence, most hearts have been afflicted with sorrow. Jesus was afflicted with it also. He said “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow, even unto death.” [Mt. 26:38]

We lose our loved ones. And we are alienated from some of them due to the divisive influences of the world. The more sensitive and compassionate the soul, the more intimate and fulfilling the relationships, the deeper these sorrows seem to penetrate. What should we do with this sadness and sorrow? We should allow ourselves to feel it, in its darkest depths. We do not have to fear it. It is holy. It is an aspect of our love. How could there be love, in the deepest sense, without sorrow? Christ’s sorrow, as ours, was His Love. In our fear we try to hold ourselves above this sorrow. It feels like an endless pit that we dare not allow ourselves to sink into. We may never come out of it! But God speaks otherwise. Mourn, weep, and feel the heaviness of sorrow. Allow yourself to sink all the way down to what feels like the bottom of the pit; for there you will discover that it is not a pit at all but rather a dark tunnel that you must move through. Jesus, Who has been all the way down into feeling forsaken by the God He had unfailingly obeyed His entire life, will be with you. He allowed Himself to feel this. He did not try to hold Himself above this sorrow so as to avoid casting a cloud of doubt over others’ trust in the God Who conquers all. He felt the sorrow and the forsakeness. And He arose from the grave as an eternal beacon of hope for all those who suffer similarly! There is, without doubt, Light on the other side of the tunnel of sorrow and grief. And it transforms us into more of everything we truly want to be. How could it be otherwise, since it is being allowed by the God Who is Love. When we mourn, we discover that it is just as He said: we are comforted. We can still love—even better than before we entered the dark night of the soul. Then we discover as an inner experience what was spoken through Jeremiah:

[Jer 31:13 KJV] 13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Harmony

 

I watch the birds on my backyard feeders. Like us, they vary regarding how to share the wealth. Some, like blue jays, woodpeckers and sometimes cardinals, will sit alone in an eighteen square inch feeder filled with sunflower seeds, and immediately drive away any bird that lands, even if on the opposite side of the bountiful feeder. Others, like goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals [sometimes] and house finches will congregate and peacefully share the feeding space. The main theme of the Olympic Opening Ceremony seems to be world peace, mutual respect between nations, the possibility of all human subgroups to be together, competitively but peacefully and respectfully; as the Olympic games hope to demonstrate to a divided world. I guess we’re all hoping that the woodpeckers and blue jays will become more like the finches and chickadees; especially since there certainly seems to be enough for all of us. I suppose it’s childish to think such things. But then, Jesus did say something about becoming like children in order to experience the Kingdom.

Truth

I heard this quote today on a documentary. It resonated deeply within me, and has been a fruitful meditation. Perhaps it will be for you also.

“The great truths of philosophy and religion are to most men like the rays of the sun shining on the arctic snow; they glitter and reflect, but they do not penetrate and warm.”

When Jesus says “I am in you…” (John 14:20), does it glitter and reflect, or penetrate and warm? 

Suffering and Love

 

Only those who suffer can Love. Suffering teaches us the importance of the work Love invites us to do to alleviate that suffering, enabling us to experience the Joy that arises in that process. The transcendence of our suffering is a great gift to the world.

Human Evolution

 

We cannot define a human because a human extends---beyond any words that could be spoken---outward, toward, and perhaps already at one with infinity. Anything that happens to that human happens within the context of this infinity; this eternity. And once we get beyond our fear of it ever ending, we can get on with the important work of Love. As we accept deeply that this journey was not meant to be easy, we relax into it peacefully, becoming much better students of the lessons our sufferings teach. We realize that we are being transformed by these blessed lessons into everything that we truly want to be.  Every death, every betrayal, every rejection, every abuse has within it a precious diamond, ruby, emerald or pearl of wisdom, enlightenment and strength. And we become true warriors. We do not often look like warriors. As Goliath mocked and scorned David, the world mocks and scorns. We do not have the power that they covet, so they don’t respect us. But we are not seeking the respect of man---we are working for his healing. We know that he does not know---as Christ proclaimed from the Cross, praying for their forgiveness (our forgiveness). But we are indeed warriors because we have the fire of Christ’s Divine Love burning within us; and it will never be quenched. And we see the desperate need of the world for it. But we are not desperate. Because we have been to the mountaintop, we are peaceful. We know now, as Moses knew, as MLK Jr. knew that the dream will be fulfilled. And it IS being fulfilled, one generation to the next. We recreate the same sequences, but we learn something new (and ancient) each time. Something new and farther along gets wired into our DNA and passed down to the next generation. They start farther along than we did. We get collectively wiser. And we progress in Loving each other, which is the fruit of wisdom.  

Our human evolution may appear, at some angles, as a repeating circle. We do repeat some history. But it is actually an upward spiral---something that is starkly evident in the material world. But the final frontier---that which will get us to the top of the mountain and somehow redeem all these messes we have made---that frontier is Love. The primary challenge that humans face---the primary question we must answer by the way we live our lives---is can we love each other? All other endeavors are secondary and meaningless without that one, because we are facing global, not just tribal or national challenges. And we must not fear them.  As we become unified in Love, those problems will cease to exist---at least those that we create, which is most of them. And the others---those we did not create—will be handled compassionately and effectively without ego entanglements. The Love that will unify and liberate us can only be pure, which means free from the desire to impress people or to control them. Many people already know this (thank God!) and many are awakening to it. We seek to peacefully facilitate this awakening. This might be called “evangelism”, but the word has taken a bad rap. There’s really no need to label it. We just want people to be free in this Love—which is the only true freedom. Our lives become a wonderful process of allowing this Light to shine through us. We become who we truly are. And we experience inwardly, palpably, the blessings that Jesus promised: Peace, Joy, Abundant and Eternal Life.

 

 

 

 

 

 We only become as loud as is necessary to expose evil and to protect the powerless and (to the world) unattractive. The rest of the time we live peacefully and quietly in our tribes, like macrophages prepared to attack the bacteria and viruses that invade and destroy life.

BE STILL

 

Whatever we encounter within ourselves when we “Be still…” and open ourselves to the inner world, and bring into the Spirit, becomes something beautiful and useful for the Kingdom.  It could be a deep sadness (and He will place His loving hand underneath it—underneath your heart—and sustain you through it into a brighter Light than you have ever seen.) It could be feeling alone and unloved, hurt, guilt, fear, anger, frustration, feelings of failure, having been betrayed, or to have betrayed. Only those who are willing to go to the top of the Mountain will face those demons within themselves. Jesus will cast out every one of them. Without fail. And He will replace that place in your soul where they resided with Divine Love. This is the top of the Mountain.