Monday, December 31, 2007
Seeing down the road
The advantage of living in the third dimension is that there is, most often, a time delay between most of our choices and the consequences of those choices. The disadvantage of living in the third dimension is that there is, most often, a time delay between most of our choices and the consequences of those choices. Yes, it cuts both ways.
When we make poor choices about things like the use and allocation of natural resources, about the impacts that certain human activities have on our environment or about national economic policies, we generally have some time before critical points-of-no-return are reached. Environmentally, we might start seeing degraded water quality, soil erosion, reductions in crop output or an increase in health problems due to pollution that manifests gradually over an extended period of time. Economically, we might start seeing a bloated federal deficit, erosion of the currency base, the need for foreign governments to buy our government bonds to finance our debt and a decline in living standards. Those things too, take some time to manifest.
That time delay, however, makes it possible … if we have good recognition skills and vision … to identify the problem and take action to correct it. Developing those abilities is part and parcel of our educational process here on earth.
The advantage to this process is that our poor choices don’t immediately manifest and wreak havoc on us individually, as a nation or as a planet. From that perspective, you could say that particular aspect of the third dimension is compassionate. But only to a point.
The problem is that, because of the time delay, we can become complacent and find ourselves in trouble before we know it … like a frog that’s placed in a pot of cool water on a stove. When the burner’s turned on low, the water heats up gradually to a boil and the frog “adjusts” until he’s cooked before he knows it. If we foul our own nest, we will reach a point where it is not repairable. If we mishandle our nation’s finances, we will reach a point where it collapses upon itself.
In the fourth dimension the reverse is true. There is no time delay. What you think immediately manifests. Therefore, when you journey into the fourth dimension, the trick is to maintain your wits and control your thoughts. If fear or hesitation creep into your thoughts you can abruptly find yourself in a dicey situation. Of course, you learn your lessons pretty quickly that way. You either learn to exercise greater control … or you stay out of the fourth dimension.
The trick in the third dimension is to anticipate the consequences of your actions before you engage. One Native American tradition was to think about what consequences their actions would have on the seventh generation downstream from them.
Take a moment to think about the things that may come about if you make a given choice. If you can develop the skill of anticipating consequences you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
When we make poor choices about things like the use and allocation of natural resources, about the impacts that certain human activities have on our environment or about national economic policies, we generally have some time before critical points-of-no-return are reached. Environmentally, we might start seeing degraded water quality, soil erosion, reductions in crop output or an increase in health problems due to pollution that manifests gradually over an extended period of time. Economically, we might start seeing a bloated federal deficit, erosion of the currency base, the need for foreign governments to buy our government bonds to finance our debt and a decline in living standards. Those things too, take some time to manifest.
That time delay, however, makes it possible … if we have good recognition skills and vision … to identify the problem and take action to correct it. Developing those abilities is part and parcel of our educational process here on earth.
The advantage to this process is that our poor choices don’t immediately manifest and wreak havoc on us individually, as a nation or as a planet. From that perspective, you could say that particular aspect of the third dimension is compassionate. But only to a point.
The problem is that, because of the time delay, we can become complacent and find ourselves in trouble before we know it … like a frog that’s placed in a pot of cool water on a stove. When the burner’s turned on low, the water heats up gradually to a boil and the frog “adjusts” until he’s cooked before he knows it. If we foul our own nest, we will reach a point where it is not repairable. If we mishandle our nation’s finances, we will reach a point where it collapses upon itself.
In the fourth dimension the reverse is true. There is no time delay. What you think immediately manifests. Therefore, when you journey into the fourth dimension, the trick is to maintain your wits and control your thoughts. If fear or hesitation creep into your thoughts you can abruptly find yourself in a dicey situation. Of course, you learn your lessons pretty quickly that way. You either learn to exercise greater control … or you stay out of the fourth dimension.
The trick in the third dimension is to anticipate the consequences of your actions before you engage. One Native American tradition was to think about what consequences their actions would have on the seventh generation downstream from them.
Take a moment to think about the things that may come about if you make a given choice. If you can develop the skill of anticipating consequences you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Magic
Healers are good examples of magicians. They are able to detect or sense old and new injuries or dysfunctions simply by placing their hands above the skins surface and scanning the client’s body beneath. An old, broken bone may feel cold. The energy field of a person who has cancer and is receiving chemotherapy may feel unusually thick. The healer may have the sensation of moving their hands through pea soup. Tight muscles may feel tingly. Often, while scanning, a healer may receive mental impressions connecting the physical sensations they are receiving through their hands with the person’s condition. In other words, when they pass their hands over an old broken bone they will feel a sensation of coldness but also “know” that the coldness is caused by a broken bone.
New clients who don’t understand this process or who have never seen it work before are shocked by how the healer knows what has or is happening within their body. They are more surprised when the healer is able to eliminate pain, increase relaxation or help mitigate various ailments.
To the clients, this process is magic. But often it is simply someone who has some understanding of quantum physics, the human energy field and physiology using their knowledge to help another. It is true that some healers have a gift that does not require any knowledge of these areas. But it is also true that most people could learn these skills with a little effort.
What is magic to one person is common practice for another. It is a matter of focusing attention and expanding consciousness in a given area. Although magic is often seen as a process outside natural laws, i.e., the Native Americans who successfully perform a rain dance, it actually exists within a larger system of operation for natural laws.
Any magic act is simply an action initiated by someone who knows how to use the laws of the universe. It is not an aberration of natural or universal order. It does not issue from dark sources … although it can. It is not caused by a person being able to order spiritual beings to do their bidding ... that is not possible. Fallen angels intervene only for their own distorted purposes and will not be ordered to do something by any human. Similarly, angels of the Light will assist in certain activities if asked but cannot be ordered to participate in something that is not aligned with the purposes of the Light. And often those purposes do not align cleanly with our own. Healers, however, are often assisted by highly developed spiritual entities who mentor them in that arena. Some of them are angelic in nature although not all. At times their assistance may come as an overshadowing where (for lack of a better description) they may actually indwell the healer in a sense temporarily giving him abilities that he would not normally have.
The magician acts as a bridge between levels of consciousness. Magic is not performed for a show or a demonstration of power. There is always a purpose that is centered around encouragement, healing protection or the invocation of Light. The purpose is not self-centered but is ultimately focused on community or another person with the intent of helping them/him/her achieve their destiny or come into a fuller sense of being.
Mentors encourage their students to ascend to higher levels. They may at any given time be many levels higher than their students in understanding and abilities. But they must always stand only one level higher during instruction. Students must ascend one level at a time, mastering each in its own time. Magic can be used to connect those levels, encourage the student upward, demonstrate that change is possible and contribute to the healing of the planet.
New clients who don’t understand this process or who have never seen it work before are shocked by how the healer knows what has or is happening within their body. They are more surprised when the healer is able to eliminate pain, increase relaxation or help mitigate various ailments.
To the clients, this process is magic. But often it is simply someone who has some understanding of quantum physics, the human energy field and physiology using their knowledge to help another. It is true that some healers have a gift that does not require any knowledge of these areas. But it is also true that most people could learn these skills with a little effort.
What is magic to one person is common practice for another. It is a matter of focusing attention and expanding consciousness in a given area. Although magic is often seen as a process outside natural laws, i.e., the Native Americans who successfully perform a rain dance, it actually exists within a larger system of operation for natural laws.
Any magic act is simply an action initiated by someone who knows how to use the laws of the universe. It is not an aberration of natural or universal order. It does not issue from dark sources … although it can. It is not caused by a person being able to order spiritual beings to do their bidding ... that is not possible. Fallen angels intervene only for their own distorted purposes and will not be ordered to do something by any human. Similarly, angels of the Light will assist in certain activities if asked but cannot be ordered to participate in something that is not aligned with the purposes of the Light. And often those purposes do not align cleanly with our own. Healers, however, are often assisted by highly developed spiritual entities who mentor them in that arena. Some of them are angelic in nature although not all. At times their assistance may come as an overshadowing where (for lack of a better description) they may actually indwell the healer in a sense temporarily giving him abilities that he would not normally have.
The magician acts as a bridge between levels of consciousness. Magic is not performed for a show or a demonstration of power. There is always a purpose that is centered around encouragement, healing protection or the invocation of Light. The purpose is not self-centered but is ultimately focused on community or another person with the intent of helping them/him/her achieve their destiny or come into a fuller sense of being.
Mentors encourage their students to ascend to higher levels. They may at any given time be many levels higher than their students in understanding and abilities. But they must always stand only one level higher during instruction. Students must ascend one level at a time, mastering each in its own time. Magic can be used to connect those levels, encourage the student upward, demonstrate that change is possible and contribute to the healing of the planet.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
We are all connected
We are all connected. We live in a holographic universe in which everything is contained in each part. A blessing to a single part is a blessing to the whole. Damage to a single part is damage to the whole. To believe that we are separate or that we can harm one another or our planet without harming ourselves is an illusion.
Consider the following .......
There is a genetic connection between humans and other life forms on earth. Humans are chemically connected with other lifeforms in other star systems. Humans are connected atomically with all matter in the Universe.
The molecules in a single cup of water exceed the number of cups of water in all the world’s oceans. That means that when you drink a cup of water, some of the molecules in it have already passed through George Washington, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, David Bohm or any other person of history that you choose.
The same principle applies to air. In a single breath of air there are more molecules than there are breaths of air in the entire atmosphere of Earth. Each time you take a breath you inhale molecules that have been in the lungs of Teddy Roosevelt, Alexander the Great, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama or any other person of history that you choose.
We are composed of chemical elements forged over 12 billion years in the blaze of high-mass stars that blew up in space. Those elements enriched succeeding star systems with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and other principle ingredients of life. Therefore, as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young suggests … “we are stardust.” And we share that same distinction with all other lifeforms on earth.
Imagine an entire planet whose inhabitants stress cooperation over competition, sharing instead of hoarding, unity rather than division, connection as opposed to separation. Now that’s something to think about as we begin a new year.
Consider the following .......
There is a genetic connection between humans and other life forms on earth. Humans are chemically connected with other lifeforms in other star systems. Humans are connected atomically with all matter in the Universe.
The molecules in a single cup of water exceed the number of cups of water in all the world’s oceans. That means that when you drink a cup of water, some of the molecules in it have already passed through George Washington, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, David Bohm or any other person of history that you choose.
The same principle applies to air. In a single breath of air there are more molecules than there are breaths of air in the entire atmosphere of Earth. Each time you take a breath you inhale molecules that have been in the lungs of Teddy Roosevelt, Alexander the Great, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama or any other person of history that you choose.
We are composed of chemical elements forged over 12 billion years in the blaze of high-mass stars that blew up in space. Those elements enriched succeeding star systems with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and other principle ingredients of life. Therefore, as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young suggests … “we are stardust.” And we share that same distinction with all other lifeforms on earth.
Imagine an entire planet whose inhabitants stress cooperation over competition, sharing instead of hoarding, unity rather than division, connection as opposed to separation. Now that’s something to think about as we begin a new year.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A Holiday Message
Dear Children,
My friend, Jim, has asked that I take a few moments to share my thoughts with you in the few hours I have before my annual Christmas rounds. Although I am very busy at this time of year, I have agreed to do so. Sometimes he's a bit overly sentimental but it does seem the world in its present condition needs a bit of hope. So I am happy to accommodate his request and share some.
I am a very old elf, you know … and I have been blessed with the gift of omnipresent vision. So not only do I have the advantage of having viewed the comings and goings of earth over past centuries, but I also see all that is happening in the present day. And I have to say, although there is much that is going wrong … there is also much that is going right.
Yes, it is true that the potential for turmoil and destruction is greater than in past times. But it is also true that the powers of Light are much stronger than in times past. Much of the problem is that your sources of information for what is happening in the world (your media) favors reporting the trouble instead of the goodness. You seldom hear reports of the man on the street who prevented an old woman from getting robbed … or of the people in a community who band together to help a family that was burned out of their house … or of a little child who donates his saved allowance toward a present for a terminally ill child … or of a person who donates a kidney to a stranger … or of the people who go into inner city schools and tutor at risk children. But all of that happens … and more. It simply gets drowned out in the cacophony of bad news. Unfortunately, bad news sells in your world. That is something you should all work on. It is much more enjoyable to hear good news than bad … don’t you think?!
And I understand that it sometimes becomes difficult for you to make sense of what’s happening in your personal life also. I have watched as some of you experienced difficult childhoods, wandered down dark trails, got involved in activities that were not in your best interests, wrestled with personal and family problems. I have watched others struggle through their problems, go through school, get a job and start a family. I have seen it all. And through it all, I have loved all of you … regardless of your choices. Why? Because you live on a fallen planet and it’s difficult going. The heavens respect your courage for the journey you chose. And so do I.
So, on the eve of the day in which much of your world celebrates the birth of your Messiah, be of good cheer. All is not lost. If that were true, it would make a mockery of His coming. And that is something that is simply not possible. In fact, there is much good happening in the world … and in you.
So rejoice … rejoice so loudly that your misgivings are drowned out in the bliss of faith and knowing that, in the end, the Universe is a safe place. Then extend a hand to someone else who needs help. For it is not so much through the large acts that the world is healed … but through the small acts of every day kindness shared between each of us. For, in the end, all that will matter is how we treated each other.
Now I must run. I have much work to do. Believe in me and this letter of mine … or not. It matters little. I exist in a way and in a dimension that you may not be familiar with … as an archetype and energy field with my own personality and influence. And through this influence I send blessings to you tonight for this holiday season and the new year.
Santa Claus
My friend, Jim, has asked that I take a few moments to share my thoughts with you in the few hours I have before my annual Christmas rounds. Although I am very busy at this time of year, I have agreed to do so. Sometimes he's a bit overly sentimental but it does seem the world in its present condition needs a bit of hope. So I am happy to accommodate his request and share some.
I am a very old elf, you know … and I have been blessed with the gift of omnipresent vision. So not only do I have the advantage of having viewed the comings and goings of earth over past centuries, but I also see all that is happening in the present day. And I have to say, although there is much that is going wrong … there is also much that is going right.
Yes, it is true that the potential for turmoil and destruction is greater than in past times. But it is also true that the powers of Light are much stronger than in times past. Much of the problem is that your sources of information for what is happening in the world (your media) favors reporting the trouble instead of the goodness. You seldom hear reports of the man on the street who prevented an old woman from getting robbed … or of the people in a community who band together to help a family that was burned out of their house … or of a little child who donates his saved allowance toward a present for a terminally ill child … or of a person who donates a kidney to a stranger … or of the people who go into inner city schools and tutor at risk children. But all of that happens … and more. It simply gets drowned out in the cacophony of bad news. Unfortunately, bad news sells in your world. That is something you should all work on. It is much more enjoyable to hear good news than bad … don’t you think?!
And I understand that it sometimes becomes difficult for you to make sense of what’s happening in your personal life also. I have watched as some of you experienced difficult childhoods, wandered down dark trails, got involved in activities that were not in your best interests, wrestled with personal and family problems. I have watched others struggle through their problems, go through school, get a job and start a family. I have seen it all. And through it all, I have loved all of you … regardless of your choices. Why? Because you live on a fallen planet and it’s difficult going. The heavens respect your courage for the journey you chose. And so do I.
So, on the eve of the day in which much of your world celebrates the birth of your Messiah, be of good cheer. All is not lost. If that were true, it would make a mockery of His coming. And that is something that is simply not possible. In fact, there is much good happening in the world … and in you.
So rejoice … rejoice so loudly that your misgivings are drowned out in the bliss of faith and knowing that, in the end, the Universe is a safe place. Then extend a hand to someone else who needs help. For it is not so much through the large acts that the world is healed … but through the small acts of every day kindness shared between each of us. For, in the end, all that will matter is how we treated each other.
Now I must run. I have much work to do. Believe in me and this letter of mine … or not. It matters little. I exist in a way and in a dimension that you may not be familiar with … as an archetype and energy field with my own personality and influence. And through this influence I send blessings to you tonight for this holiday season and the new year.
Santa Claus
Friday, December 21, 2007
Living with Chaos
The typical response to chaos is fear or discomfort. We become uncomfortable when we face chaos for several reasons. First, chaos represents change … sometimes turbulent change. Change shakes us out of our grooves and makes us look at issues in different ways. We must adapt, reshape habits, and shift perspectives. These are all things that require significant effort; effort that we would often like to spend in other areas of our lives or avoid altogether.
Second, we may perceive that chaos is brought about due to our failures. The system cracks because we have designed it poorly or have, in some way, neglected its maintenance. Or, it may simply be that the system has outlived and outgrown its usefulness. It no longer serves its original function because the function for which it was designed has itself changed. We wish we would have designed it differently, paid more attention to it, shifted into restructuring sooner.
We may have many regrets. As in other areas of our lives, we need to look at chaos in the right way. It is true that change is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. But there is another way to look at what we sometimes perceive to be the chaos that occurs in our lives.
Scientists are discovering that, in a larger sense, universal chaos does not exist. It is true that chaos may exist in system A. But when viewed from the perspective that system A is a part of a much larger system, i.e., system F, which combines systems A through F, we can see the activity in system A as part of a larger plan … a grand design. That doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be uncomfortable to be in the chaos of system A, but it does mean that the chaos is not meaningless.
That is why it is said that there is nothing that is outside of God and that all things are understandable when viewed from a higher dimension. It’s a little like looking at the top and bottom of an intricately woven rug. From the bottom you can’t detect the design. It looks like a confusion of different colored threads, tangled, poorly cut and thrown together with no apparent pattern. But looking at the top of the rug we see a wonderful design of elaborate patterns and brilliant, coordinated colors. Another parallel is in Christianity, which proposes the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Until that time, we will experience some turbulence. But the verdict is already in.
Chaos represents the birth of change. It provides an opportunity to rethink our positions, grow and expand. It requires new skills of us and can draw out abilities that we didn’t believe we possessed. It can challenge and strengthen.
When we emerge at the end of the chaos tunnel we can be new people. We can look at life differently. We can be in a better position to help heal and serve ourselves and those around us.
Second, we may perceive that chaos is brought about due to our failures. The system cracks because we have designed it poorly or have, in some way, neglected its maintenance. Or, it may simply be that the system has outlived and outgrown its usefulness. It no longer serves its original function because the function for which it was designed has itself changed. We wish we would have designed it differently, paid more attention to it, shifted into restructuring sooner.
We may have many regrets. As in other areas of our lives, we need to look at chaos in the right way. It is true that change is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. But there is another way to look at what we sometimes perceive to be the chaos that occurs in our lives.
Scientists are discovering that, in a larger sense, universal chaos does not exist. It is true that chaos may exist in system A. But when viewed from the perspective that system A is a part of a much larger system, i.e., system F, which combines systems A through F, we can see the activity in system A as part of a larger plan … a grand design. That doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be uncomfortable to be in the chaos of system A, but it does mean that the chaos is not meaningless.
That is why it is said that there is nothing that is outside of God and that all things are understandable when viewed from a higher dimension. It’s a little like looking at the top and bottom of an intricately woven rug. From the bottom you can’t detect the design. It looks like a confusion of different colored threads, tangled, poorly cut and thrown together with no apparent pattern. But looking at the top of the rug we see a wonderful design of elaborate patterns and brilliant, coordinated colors. Another parallel is in Christianity, which proposes the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Until that time, we will experience some turbulence. But the verdict is already in.
Chaos represents the birth of change. It provides an opportunity to rethink our positions, grow and expand. It requires new skills of us and can draw out abilities that we didn’t believe we possessed. It can challenge and strengthen.
When we emerge at the end of the chaos tunnel we can be new people. We can look at life differently. We can be in a better position to help heal and serve ourselves and those around us.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
God and the Mountain
My friend, Lee Kaiser, once compared God to a mountain. A person who viewed the mountain from the east would have a completely different view than a person who viewed it from the west. But it would be the same mountain. It would be silly to say that it was two different mountains. If these two persons both started climbing the mountain from their respective sides, they would eventually reach the summit and be able to look down and see that it was, indeed, one and the same mountain. But, in order to do that, they’d have to reach the top so they could see all sides simultaneously.
The point is that God is so “big” and so incomprehensible that we can only begin to scratch the surface of what S/he is like. That is one reason Jesus used parables to explain God. Parables enable the reader or listener to get the flavor of something that is too difficult or perhaps even impossible to explain in any language.
There are many different paths up the mountain. I am a Gnostic Christian. But there are many other ways up to the top. Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, Hindu, Sufi. And, just like there are many paths up the mountain, each one of us reflect different aspects of the mountain (God). This is what the apostle John meant when he said “that (Christ) was the true Light, that lights every man that comes into the world.” We all come into the world with a spark of God in us … and that spark carries certain potentials. It is also what the scriptures mean when they say that each person is blessed with different gifts.
That diversity is necessary if God is to be reflected into the third dimension. No single human (except, in my opinion, Christ) or small group of humans is capable of projecting the enormity of God onto this planet.
For example, I am blessed to have the gift of healing. I reflect and manifest the compassion of God for people who suffer physical illness and infirmity. And I have the ability to help remove or mitigate those infirmities.
I have a friend who has the gift of wisdom. He reflects the aspect of God that is wise … that is able to connect actions with consequences … that understands the nature of the universe … that is able to sense solutions to difficult problems.
I know another person who is prophetic. She mirrors the facet of God that sees the potential penalties or benefits of choices, decisions and actions … who intuits the event horizon … and who uses that ability to encourage and sometimes to warn.
Another friend of mine has the gift of organization. She can plan, pull together and make work in a very effective manner all the disparate parts of an event or project.
I know several people who have the gift of knowledge. These folks are blessed with the ability to think deeply … to understand large concepts … to comprehend how things fit together and work in concert with one another.
I am familiar with people who have the gift of discernment … the possession of a knowingness about the source and intent of actions … the ability to discriminate between the “spirit” or intent of a thing … to trace a thought back to its point of origin.
We all reflect different aspects of God because S/he is too large for any of us to get our arms around. It takes all of us in the mosaic of diversity to even come close to approaching a picture of what God is like. Embrace the different gifts among us … and encourage other lightworkers to fully develop their own.
The point is that God is so “big” and so incomprehensible that we can only begin to scratch the surface of what S/he is like. That is one reason Jesus used parables to explain God. Parables enable the reader or listener to get the flavor of something that is too difficult or perhaps even impossible to explain in any language.
There are many different paths up the mountain. I am a Gnostic Christian. But there are many other ways up to the top. Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, Hindu, Sufi. And, just like there are many paths up the mountain, each one of us reflect different aspects of the mountain (God). This is what the apostle John meant when he said “that (Christ) was the true Light, that lights every man that comes into the world.” We all come into the world with a spark of God in us … and that spark carries certain potentials. It is also what the scriptures mean when they say that each person is blessed with different gifts.
That diversity is necessary if God is to be reflected into the third dimension. No single human (except, in my opinion, Christ) or small group of humans is capable of projecting the enormity of God onto this planet.
For example, I am blessed to have the gift of healing. I reflect and manifest the compassion of God for people who suffer physical illness and infirmity. And I have the ability to help remove or mitigate those infirmities.
I have a friend who has the gift of wisdom. He reflects the aspect of God that is wise … that is able to connect actions with consequences … that understands the nature of the universe … that is able to sense solutions to difficult problems.
I know another person who is prophetic. She mirrors the facet of God that sees the potential penalties or benefits of choices, decisions and actions … who intuits the event horizon … and who uses that ability to encourage and sometimes to warn.
Another friend of mine has the gift of organization. She can plan, pull together and make work in a very effective manner all the disparate parts of an event or project.
I know several people who have the gift of knowledge. These folks are blessed with the ability to think deeply … to understand large concepts … to comprehend how things fit together and work in concert with one another.
I am familiar with people who have the gift of discernment … the possession of a knowingness about the source and intent of actions … the ability to discriminate between the “spirit” or intent of a thing … to trace a thought back to its point of origin.
We all reflect different aspects of God because S/he is too large for any of us to get our arms around. It takes all of us in the mosaic of diversity to even come close to approaching a picture of what God is like. Embrace the different gifts among us … and encourage other lightworkers to fully develop their own.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Truth and Context
I find few things as frustrating as watching a televangelist preach the “prosperity gospel” to people over the airwaves (admittedly, this frustration is probably an indication of my need to develop a higher level of consciousness!). These folks raise millions of dollars, often taking it from the poor, vulnerable and desperate. The money is then often used to support lavish lifestyles such as, in one extreme case, installing air conditioning for a doghouse.
Here’s how the pitch usually goes … 1) the Bible is the inerrant word of God, 2) every word in the Bible comes directly from God and is absolutely true, 3) the Bible teaches that the righteous shall prosper and the evil shall suffer, 4) therefore, if you follow God’s word, you will prosper and nothing bad will befall you while the “bad guys” who don’t donate will have a tough go of it. But you have to be a “giver” to be righteous. And that means that you should give very generously of your income to their cause so God will bless you with prosperity.
Purveyors of the prosperity gospel often use scriptures like Deut. 29:9, “Keep, therefore, the words of this covenant, and do them that you may prosper in all that you do” and I Kings 2:3, “And keep the charge of the Lord, your God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes … that you may prosper in all that you do.”
Unfortunately, there are few problems with this approach. First, what they’re teaching just doesn’t square with reality. Look around and it’s obvious that there are good people who often suffer in various ways and who do not prosper.
Second, they’re taking scriptures out of context to suit their purposes. I sometimes wonder how they explain Jesus’ comment “…for God makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45 – italics mine).
Here’s how the pitch usually goes … 1) the Bible is the inerrant word of God, 2) every word in the Bible comes directly from God and is absolutely true, 3) the Bible teaches that the righteous shall prosper and the evil shall suffer, 4) therefore, if you follow God’s word, you will prosper and nothing bad will befall you while the “bad guys” who don’t donate will have a tough go of it. But you have to be a “giver” to be righteous. And that means that you should give very generously of your income to their cause so God will bless you with prosperity.
Purveyors of the prosperity gospel often use scriptures like Deut. 29:9, “Keep, therefore, the words of this covenant, and do them that you may prosper in all that you do” and I Kings 2:3, “And keep the charge of the Lord, your God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes … that you may prosper in all that you do.”
Unfortunately, there are few problems with this approach. First, what they’re teaching just doesn’t square with reality. Look around and it’s obvious that there are good people who often suffer in various ways and who do not prosper.
Second, they’re taking scriptures out of context to suit their purposes. I sometimes wonder how they explain Jesus’ comment “…for God makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45 – italics mine).
But the prosperity gospel is only one example of truth out of context in religion. Snake handling is another. Reliance on faith for healing to the extreme of excluding any type of medical treatment is another. Believing that only Christians make it to heaven is another. The recent spate of hate protests at military funerals is another.
People often cling to truth out of context (a single piece of the puzzle) because it makes them feel secure. It keeps them inside a familiar box … something they have always believed and that feels comfortable. And, although there’s a larger picture to consider, there’s nothing particularly wrong with staying inside your box ... as long as you don’t use your beliefs to harm others. Someday all of us will understand things more comprehensively ... none of us has the “corner” on truth. So we all ought to exercise a little more tolerance.
In the meantime, however, contextual truths should not be twisted further to take resources away from people who are already struggling. They should not be used to generate fear, create guilt or assign blame. They should not be employed to convince somebody that their religion is wrong and yours is right. They should not be applied to justify killing someone else “in the name of God” or “Allah” or any other deity because of their beliefs.
Granted, it’s more comfortable to stay in a familiar box (place, belief system, thought process). On the other hand, unless you’re really, really entrenched in that box you’ll eventually have to deal with the inevitable questions about why all the pieces of your belief puzzle don’t fit neatly together. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll recognize that the pieces don’t all fit together. They can't because we simply don't have the ability to see the "big picture" here on earth. All we can see are snapshots. As Paul said, "we see through a glass darkly." But perhaps the discomfort that accompanies the realization that our pieces don't all fit together and the discovery that results is better in the long run than the comfort you might enjoy from staying in your box.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The Lessons of Solitaire
When I bought my first personal computer I spent a lot of time learning how to use all the features that I was not accustomed to … the mouse, CD’s, joysticks, speakers. Each day contained a little surprise, testing both my patience and comprehension.
One of the surprises was the “game” package that offered solitaire. I hadn’t played solitaire since I was a little boy. After losing twenty or so games in a row I wondered if the games were rigged or if I had forgotten how to play.
During the middle of one of the games, my wife walked up behind me and chuckled, “Oh Jim, put the black Jack on the red Queen. Then take your two of hearts and put it up on your ace of hearts. Then if you move that King and Queen off the stack into the open position you can turn another card. What’s the matter with you? Have you forgotten how to play?!” And the mystery was solved. I had indeed lost my edge.
With practice, an interesting thing began to happen. I realized there are two keys to winning solitaire – knowing how to play the game and having a willingness to undo and rearrange the stacks of cards that you have already constructed.
It’s very easy to see those nice tows of cards, black on red and red on black, stacked so nearly and in such an orderly fashion. Their symmetry is a compelling factor in wanting to maintain the status quo once you get to a certain point in the game. But then you get stuck. The cards you need aren’t turning up off the deck. They’re hidden beneath the cards that have been turned over. And you realize that you must look at undoing what you have already done to open the possibility of creating new opportunities. New options will not appear unless you are willing to unravel things a bit. The unraveling takes some concentration and can get a little tricky. Some of it is “luck” and some of it is the ability to think ahead a few moves. If you choose not to, however, the game ends where you stand. And you end up losing with those marvelously near rows of cards to comfort you in your loss.
That’s much like life. We all have times when it spears as though we’re at the end of the road; times when it appears that the right card was simply not going to turn up off the deck. Our rows of cards, symbolizing the way we’ve set up our lives, gave us a sense of security. And yet we could go no further without the willingness to take those rows apart in order to create the possibility of new opportunities.
Sometimes it takes only a minor rearrangement. One simple move, the transfer of a few cards to another location, can create a cascading effect that puts everything into place and wins you the game. Sometimes it requires more concentration; many moves are necessary and it takes a while to untangle.
As I continue to play solitaire, I’m amazed at how quickly you can feel boxed in and how quickly you can see your way out. It’s true, perhaps that you can’t always win. Sometimes no matter what you do, no matter how you rearrange the cards, you will simply come up short. But you will be equally surprised at how many times a simple shift of consciousness, a willingness to look at a situation from another perspective, to experiment and move a few cards around will create that opportunity to find your way out of the maze and finish the game.
One of the surprises was the “game” package that offered solitaire. I hadn’t played solitaire since I was a little boy. After losing twenty or so games in a row I wondered if the games were rigged or if I had forgotten how to play.
During the middle of one of the games, my wife walked up behind me and chuckled, “Oh Jim, put the black Jack on the red Queen. Then take your two of hearts and put it up on your ace of hearts. Then if you move that King and Queen off the stack into the open position you can turn another card. What’s the matter with you? Have you forgotten how to play?!” And the mystery was solved. I had indeed lost my edge.
With practice, an interesting thing began to happen. I realized there are two keys to winning solitaire – knowing how to play the game and having a willingness to undo and rearrange the stacks of cards that you have already constructed.
It’s very easy to see those nice tows of cards, black on red and red on black, stacked so nearly and in such an orderly fashion. Their symmetry is a compelling factor in wanting to maintain the status quo once you get to a certain point in the game. But then you get stuck. The cards you need aren’t turning up off the deck. They’re hidden beneath the cards that have been turned over. And you realize that you must look at undoing what you have already done to open the possibility of creating new opportunities. New options will not appear unless you are willing to unravel things a bit. The unraveling takes some concentration and can get a little tricky. Some of it is “luck” and some of it is the ability to think ahead a few moves. If you choose not to, however, the game ends where you stand. And you end up losing with those marvelously near rows of cards to comfort you in your loss.
That’s much like life. We all have times when it spears as though we’re at the end of the road; times when it appears that the right card was simply not going to turn up off the deck. Our rows of cards, symbolizing the way we’ve set up our lives, gave us a sense of security. And yet we could go no further without the willingness to take those rows apart in order to create the possibility of new opportunities.
Sometimes it takes only a minor rearrangement. One simple move, the transfer of a few cards to another location, can create a cascading effect that puts everything into place and wins you the game. Sometimes it requires more concentration; many moves are necessary and it takes a while to untangle.
As I continue to play solitaire, I’m amazed at how quickly you can feel boxed in and how quickly you can see your way out. It’s true, perhaps that you can’t always win. Sometimes no matter what you do, no matter how you rearrange the cards, you will simply come up short. But you will be equally surprised at how many times a simple shift of consciousness, a willingness to look at a situation from another perspective, to experiment and move a few cards around will create that opportunity to find your way out of the maze and finish the game.
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