Hell is the broken places...

Hell is not fire and brimstone. Hell is the broken and empty places in the heart where love has been shut out. And where the door has been closed on love, so has it been closed on God. No one separates themselves from God but themselves. Every opportunity is given. The choice is yours and yours alone. I do not repent for fear of damnation, I repent for love of salvation. Not the kind that takes me to Heaven. The kind that brings Heaven here. +amd.g+

Angels or Good Samaritans

In my youth, I travelled to a distant city. One day, while walking on the outskirts of town, I was set upon by brigands. They emerged from the caves and the cliffs, and descended upon me like hungry lions. They beat me bloody, robbed me and left me on the side of the road for dead. After a time, I was able to get up again. I wandered aimlessly for a while. As I did, I passed many people, some of them turning their heads, some of them steering away, some of them pretending I wasn't there at all. When I was sure that all was lost, and I might never find my way home, two angels appeared to me. They took me under their wings, comforted me, gave me water, and washed the blood from my hands and face. They guided me to the safety of my domicile and disappeared.

V.2 When I was a teenager, I visited New York City with my father. One afternoon, I went for a walk alone in the nearby Riverside Park, a crowded and seemingly safe place. As I reached the end of the maid walkway, I noticed a rough looking crowd hanging out by the train tunnel. I quickly turned to walk back up the way I came, towards the safety of people. Before I had gotten ten paces, I was attacked by the gang of boys. The beat me severely and left me for dead. I laid there for what seemed a long time, beaten and bloodied. Eventually, I was able to get up and try to find help. As I staggered back up the parkway, bleeding, crying, and disoriented, I passed many people. Some on benches on the side of the walkway, some walking towards me. I can remember making eye contact with some of them, and how they would cross to the other side of the path, or just look away. Then I happened upon two elderly gentlemen who took me in their arms, got me cleaned up at a water fountain, found a police officer and saw to it that I found my way home. I never saw the two Good Samaritans again, and I don't know that I ever thanked them, but I want to take a moment to do it now. Gentlemen or Angels, whatever you were, and wherever you are, may God shine favourably upon you.

I don't know why I felt compelled to write two different versions of this story. They are both the truth. The first one is told as a myth, while the second one is just the facts. I guess this ties in with the theme of the last week or so.

+Blessings+
+AMD.G+

The question is: What does any of this have to do with our personal spirituality?

Unknown publication date.

"The question is: What does any of this have to do with our personal spirituality? Our personal relationship with God? What does a pastor at a political event, or a cross on a building or a public prayer, or a piece of clothing really have to do with your relationship with God? Everything here is all artifices. It is all external illusions, meant to keep you distracted from the real issue at hand. YOUR salvation. YOUR personal relationship with God. Go in your closet, close the door and pray. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Do not do as the Pharisees do, praying and fasting, and parading it around for all to see. What you do in the secret places of your heart shall be known by God. Like it our not, we are living in an increasingly secularized world. If you think it is bad now, it is going to get worse. Keep doing what you are doing, and do not get distracted politics of it. They are the worlds politics, not yours. You will be persecuted in His name. Who cares? What can they really do to you? You will not benefit by worrying about these things."

Why Mysticism

    Last week, I promised that I would try to get back to the point of my post on why I am interested in Christian Mysticism. Let me begin by defining what mysticism is to me. Christian Mysticism is the journey of discovering God for yourself. It is at once a journey of self-discovery, and realization of the reality of the Divine in the world. It is the finding of God, and the allowing of God to find you. It is discovering that God and Life are one. That God and Love are one. That God and yourself, are one. It is the coming to God in your own way, rather than by guilt, or force, or coercion, or because your parents said so. It is discovering that God is within you and without you, and that God can be experienced outside of Church and outside of the Bible, and is not defined or contained by the various dogmas of the various Churches that claim exclusivity on Him.
    It is like having a favourite city that you have not been to yet. You can read your travel atlas, and field guides and talk to people who have been there, or even live there. You can imagine and dream, and think you know everything there is to know about that city. But nothing compares to actually going there and experiencing it for yourself. I realized a long time ago, even before I was a Christian, that the problem with Christianity was allowing others to define God for you. Sure, have guides, and counsellors, mentors and ministers, but open yourself to the idea that God does not want a relationship with you through them. God wants a relationship with YOU. The Bible is an excellent resource for helping you get to know God, just as the travel atlas helps you know that city that you love so much. But it cannot BE that city, and the Bible cannot BE God. And no one can tell you authoritatively about that city, as no one can tell you authoritatively about your relationship with God.
+AMD.G+

And so it goes with God

            There was a historical Jesus, and his name was Yeshua of Nazareth. He was born of Miriam and Yoseph. He was an itinerant rabbi, an apocalypticist, and a political dissident. His actions in Jerusalem earned him the wrath of the local Pharisees and Sadducees, and won him an execution at the hands of Pontius Pilate. His followers went on to make him the single most influential person in the history of mankind.

            Then there is another Jesus. Jesus the Christ. The Anointed One. The Son of God. The Messiah. Born of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit. A man who's miraculous birth was foretold by scripture and angels alike. A man who performed miracles of healing, transformation, walking on water, and raising people from the dead. His actions in Jerusalem gathered upon him the wrath of the local Pharisees and Sadducees, and earned him crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate. Whereupon he died for the sins of the world, and was buried, descended into Hell, arose on the third day, made a few appearances, ultimately ascending into Heaven to take his place at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

            For the historian and the non-believer, the first story is made up of the statistically reliable, historically viable information based on the source material that we have. There is little or no doubt that Yeshua (later called Jesus in Latin) existed, and that these things happened. For the faithful, the second story is true, despite the lack of historic or statistically reliable evidence. They take it on Faith. And neither of these two camps are wrong. But there is another way of looking at these stories.

            I once heard the word "myth" defined as a story that can be true on the inside, without necessarily having to be true on the outside. But more accurately, "myth" can be defined as: a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being, hero, or event, which may or may not have a determinable basis of historical fact or a natural explanation; especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John of the Christian Testament, are full of material that satisfies, to a greater or lesser degree, both the historian and the faithful. They are also full of myths. They are filled with stories that may or may not be historically true, but are filled with truth nonetheless.

            One does not have to believe in the literalness of a story to gain the benefits of the story's wisdom or truth. Does it matter that Jesus was born of a virgin? Historically speaking, no. Faithfully speaking, well... not really. What matters is what is understood by understanding the story. That it is understood that Jesus was of particular uniqueness. That his birth had divine implications. That his mother set the example of obedience to God's will. That she understood that to believe God, to believe IN God, was to allow the birth of Christ within her. Perhaps we are meant to understand that story the same way. By accepting God's will within us, we allow for the birth of the Christ consciousness within ourselves. The death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus cannot be fully reconciled historically. It can, in the eyes of the faithful, be taken completely literally. But there is another viewpoint that satisfies both positions. And that is the story of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus as a "myth." Not a lie. Not a fairy-tale; but a wisdom story that contains a universal truth. A truth that can be heard by those who have ears to listen.

            There are two quotes from two movies that I would like to share with you. One is from Secondhand Lions, where an ageing uncle is instructing his nephew on the facts of life. Here he tells the boy:

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

            The second is from the Life of Pi. Pi has just shared two versions of his tale of survival with an interviewing author. When you read this one, I want you to consider my opening paragraphs:

            Pi: So which story do you prefer?

            Writer: The one with the tiger. That's the better story.

            Pi: Thank you. And so it goes with God.

            Writer: [smiles] It's an amazing story.

Let those who have ears listen. Let those who have hearts love.

+AMD.G+

First Christian Exile

  Yesterday I wrote an op. ed. piece on how my interest in Christian Mysticism was driven by the fact that I am sick-and-tired, and quite frankly a little embarrassed to be associated with the Christianity of today. I accidentally deleted that Blog post while cleaning up my files. But what I had to say was important enough to at least three people (based on the number of FB likes and comments) that I felt I should reiterate and possibly even elaborate.
  The conflict that I am dealing with comes from a number of fronts, including but not limited to:
1.  I have one friend who is constantly complaining about how Christianity is being attacked and suppressed by the secular world. Well, it is, and it is because we have misused it, we have abused it, and now, like misbehaved children we are getting our toy taken away. Remember the Jews? When they cheesed God off, God sent them into exile, or otherwise set some adversity against them until they realized the error of their ways. Well, we have not, and I suspect that we are not anywhere near realizing the error of our ways. That we are on the verge of Divine Retribution. And that is on us as Christians for not following the Gospels. It is not on the rest of the world for not being believers.
2. I have a couple of friends, who, despite their good intentions, regularly post some pretty severe political commentary or even outright hateful rhetoric on FaceBook, while at the same time espousing the Love of God and claiming to be an ambassador of Christ in the world. There is a verse in the Bible (James 3:11) that says that Salt and fresh water cannot flow from the same well. I suggest my friends, that you mediate on this verse, look back at your posts, and perhaps even your conversations, and wee how and where this might be applicable.
3. Every day, I scan through the news feeds on Religion and Spirituality, and I see the devastating impact that the Christian Right is having on my religion. From the obviousness of Jerry Falwell (who's University I just withdrew from on theological grounds), and the Roman Catholic Church scandals, to right-wing politicians who speak out of both sides of their mouth by admonishing the government for being overly-controlling, but want to make the Bible a part of American governance. I see atheist and anti-theist like Bill Maher taking pot shots at Christianity that are just as ignorant as the people who have worked so hard to give him reason to do it in the first place. I see "good Christians" abroad and here in America, killing, STILL KILLING, in the name of their God and their Bible!?! I see 'Good Christians" judging and condemning, when they should be helping and being compassionate. I see Christians world-wide FORCING Christ ON the world, rather than BEING Christ IN the world.
  Now I know that this malfeasance is not representative of every Christian, any more than every Muslim is an extremist or a terrorist, but it is representative of the body of Christians who get the attention of the media. And, it is representative of a body of Christians who may not even realize that I am talking about them.
  We are on the verge of the First Christian Exile, and if we have learned nothing from the Bible (which is really a question that this whole rant poses), it is that it will be our own fault. If we want to stop it, then we need to get out there and start representing what Christ taught in the Gospels rather than trying to force your interpretations of the Bible them on people. Christ was clear. Love thy neighbour. The rest is commentary.

Here Aaron, have a Snickers. Why? Because you get all mystical and esoteric when you're hungry.

Seek and you shall find, and what you seek is what you shall find. If you seek a God to be angry at, then a God to be angry at is what you shall find. If you seek a God to find comfort in, then a God of comfort is what you shall find. If you seek a God to revel and delight in the mysteries of, then you shall find that also. +amd.g+

God reveals [Himelf] to us, so much as we seek [Him] in earnest. For in seeking, there is finding.

St Julian of Norwich Day

The sooner you realize that God is [in] everything, the sooner you can stop hating A, B, or C, for X, Y, or Z reasons.

May you have a joyful Julian of Norwich Day.