The Dovian Primadoxies

Dovian Primadoxy #1:
Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.*
Love your neighbour as yourself. There are no commandments greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)
*Note that it says "Love YOUR God," not "Love MY God." I don't care what God you love so long as you love. So long as you love your God fully and that love so inspires you to love all of God's creation. If your love of your God does not lead you to love yourself, and others more completely, then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate your concept of God.


Dovian Primadoxy #2:
"The Corporal Acts of Mercy," or what we should all be helping to do, not because "The Bible tells us to," but because we are decent, compassionate human beings:
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the Homeless
5. Visit the sick and the lonely
6. Visit the imprisoned
7. Bury the dead

 
Dovian Primadoxy #3:
"The Spiritual Works of Mercy" or, those things which help us and help others in matters of spirituality:
1. Instruct the ignorant (Teach those who wish to learn)
2. Counsel the doubtful (Help others through crises of faith)
3. Admonish sins (Help people stay focused on those things which bring them closer to the Divine, and help them avoid those things which separate them from the Divine)
4. Bear wrongs patiently
5. Forgive offences willingly
6. Comfort the afflicted (This is similar to visiting the sick, but in spiritual matters)
7. Pray for the living and the dead


Dovian Primadoxy #4: Read, contemplate, UNDERSTAND, share.
Very few things have been more detrimental to the "Word of God" than the taking of a single passage, removing it from the subtleties of it's original language and context, and bandying it about (whether spreading it as gospel truth, or using it as a weapon) as if it's true meaning was fully understood.
All scripture should be examined and understood through the lens of the teachings of Christ. Does it agree with his message of love, compassion, and forgiveness? Does it move you closer to God (Love with a capital "L"), does it move you to be a better person (love yourself), so that you may be a better steward to your planet and your fellow mankind (love your neighbour)? Does it fill you with love and joy, so that you want to share it with your fellow man in a way that is meaningful?

Dovian Primadoxy#5: Any attempt to define God, limits God.
Do not pretend to know God's mind. Do not seek to judge in God's stead. Only seek to share God's heart. That is, love without restriction or condition, be compassionate beyond your comfort level, and forgive, even in the face of the unforgivable.


Dovian Primadoxy #6: God became man so that man could become God.
God became man in the form of Jesus of Nazareth so that "He" might perfectly experience being one of the human beings that he created. Jesus lived among us, as us, with all of our human faults and frailties. The Bible gives us a cleaned up and abbreviated version of his life (nobody ever talks about the time Jesus got dysentery) up until the very end. At that point, we reach a crossroads; Jesus teaches us everything we need to know to attain the Kingdom of Heaven (to become one with God again). The price for giving us this ultimate enlightenment is for him to experience ultimate suffering. He took on the extreme of the human condition to give us the extreme of the Divine condition. 


Dovian Primadoxy #7: In seeking God, so does God seek you. The journey and the destination are one.
Once we begin to realize that we and God are one, the real journey of life begins. As we move toward the Divine, we begin to feel the Divine more within us. As we love more, we will attract more love. As we are more compassionate, so will others learn compassion. As we forgive more, so the more will there be forgiveness in the world. These things are the Light of God.
As this realization grows, so will our awareness of the world around us. We do not get caught up in some touchy-feely, hippy-dippy, warm and cosy (and insulated) Divine Wonderland; instead, we begin to feel the pain of the world. This is the awareness of the suffering that we have spent most of our lives trying not to see. Once we have seen it, we cannot unsee it, so it drives is closer to the Divine within. And as we get closer, we are able to be even more loving, more compassionate and more forgiving. With these things, we are able to affect positive change in the world. Be the Light of God.


Dovian Primadoxy #8:
You do not have all of the answers.
Neither the Book nor the telescope will provide you with all of the answers. If you look for God with an open mind and an open heart, you will find Science. If you look for Science with an open mind and an open heart, you will find God. The two are not mutually exclusive. Where a scientist sees the Big Bang,there is also God saying "Let there Be Light." Where the Scientist sees evolution, there is the grand mythology of creation found the Book of Genesis. Where the Scientist sees the dinosaurs, there too is God telling Job of the Behemoth and the Leviathan which came before him.
Be of open mind and open heart. This universe is a big place. No book can contain all of it wonders, no map can chart all of its amazing vastness.  


Dovian Primadoxy #9:
The New Atheism movement is every bit as problematic as the Religious Fundamentalism that it opposes.
New Atheists are themselves Fundamentalists in their own right. They are every bit as self-righteous in the surety of their "knowledge" that "there is no god," as the Religious Right is in their surety in the absoluteness of their God. This sort of attitude from either side is so much more part of the problem than it is part of the solution.

The Hollow Man

The Hollow Man
by Aaron Michael Dove
18 March 2014

                I was sojourning in the hinterlands east of a land that was once called Eden when I came upon two young men; one was tending his crops, and the other tending his to his flock. It was the heat of the day, so I stopped and sat down upon a flat rock. As I watched the young man bundling his harvest efforts, I idly traced circles in the char that seemed to cover a portion of the stone upon which I rested. The young man, finally taking notice of me, stopped his work, and came to where I sat. “Good day,” I said by way of greeting. “Hot day,” he replied by way of observation. “Short day,” I answered, by way of prophesy. “What’s that?” the young man replied, “It is still summer for one more day,” he mused questioningly. “The day will be longer for some than others,” I finished, definitively. I looked over his shoulder at his herdsman companion, and a dark cloud passed overhead. Its shade brought relief to one, scorn and accusation to another. I kicked the dry dirt at the base of the stone where I sat, and knew that the next time I sat on this rock, the ground would be wet, with rain… or something worse.

As the afternoon wore on, I watched the two men go about their tasks. As I watched the young farmer go about his daily task of pruning and reaping, and picking and bundling, he seemed to take pride and joy in the day and in the work, despite the mid-day heat. The herder by contrast, sat sullenly under the summer sun, watching he his sheep and goats without interest as they grazed lazily on the hill. He seemed to take no joy from either the quality of his livestock, nor the ease of his chore. I wandered over to where he sat, and offered him the wineskin that I had earlier been offered by his companion. He took it and drank healthily from it. “Easy there friend,” I warned, “It might be that your companion will want this back more full than empty.” At the announcement of the wine’s origins, he spat it out on the ground. “I would rather die of thirst than drink the fruits of my brother’s hand.” He hissed vehemently. He kicked dirt over the wine as it soaked into the ground. The deep ruby wine, mixed with the dust, then mud, and for a moment, looked like blood. Another dark cloud passed overhead.

Smoke rose up from the other side of the field, from the area near the rock that I had sat on earlier in the day. I called it to the goatherd’s attention, but he shrugged his shoulders and made a gruff sound. “Just my brother offering his precious sacrifices,” he sneered sarcastically. “All of his offerings burn and burn, till they are nothing but dust on the wind. But not mine. No, no, no. They smolder and burn until they are a charred mess, not even suitable for the common table, much less for the festival tables.” He sulked off a ways “God curse you brother!” he shouted. “I wish you were dead,” he mumbled as he walked off and sat on a low pile of loose stones, kicking one to the ground. “Be careful what you wish for my friend,” I said softly to myself. The air turned chill as the sky darkened.

The summer thunderstorm passed as the sun went down. I had retreated to the nearby village for shelter, knowing that I would find no peace with the two brothers. The night was quiet. Too quiet. As if all of the people were afraid to dream, and all of the creatures of the land were made mute. I sat, looking out the window toward the east, toward where the brothers had been. The dark seemed darker in that direction, and an infinite sadness fell across my thoughts.

A number of years later, on the road to Damascus, I met a hollow man. He walked alone and in silence. The kind of silence that follows a summer thunderstorm at dusk. The kind of silence that fills your memories with sadness. I noticed a mark on his head, as though he had been burned. He carried a stone in one hand, idly thumbing a dark brown stain on it as he walked. Other travellers, both those going our way, and the opposite, seemed to steer away from the man; not in the way of one repulsed by someone, but as one compelled by instinct simply to give something else a wide berth. I walked alongside the man in silence for some time, heading east. The sun hung low in the sky, and it would be time to rest soon. But not for this man. No, some days are longer for some than others, I mused, and for this man, this hollow, hollow man, it was a very long day indeed.

 

LOVE ≠ LIKE or "How I came to Love Satan"

When I was a child, my mother used to tell me (on appropriate occasions) "I love you son, but right now, I don't like you very much."  I came to understand fairly early on that just because she was unhappy with me, did not mean that she didn't love me.
  We are called by the new covenant to love our neighbours. Oh how hard this is to do. Sure, we say that we love everyone, and that is great at an intellectual level, but is it what is really in  your heart?
Love cannot be given falsely of the heart; and prayer cannot be given dishonestly. If your heart is in a false place, "lay down your offering and go and make peace," then return with your prayers. If you have a grievance with someone, and you can do something about it, set aside pride and ego, and go and try to make peace. If they receive you, great! There is peace. If they reject you, then "knock the dust from your sandals" and know that you have honestly tried. If you cannot make peace with that person face to face, then go to confession and reconcile your heart in truth, and let God handle the rest. Then, and only then can you honestly pray for, and with peace.
  Sometimes we are blind to our grievances. We think of our spouse, or our family, or our co-workers, or our friends, or our neighbours. We make our reconciliations and we feel good about it and ourselves; but when the 5 o'clock news comes on, we curse those misguided puppets in Washington, or those dirty Taliban, or that awful dictator in Africa. In our hearts we genuinely hate them, but in our minds we are blind, because they are not an immediate part of our lives (in some cases they are, but the idea is still the same). Can we in good concious say that we fulfil this New Covenant of Love once we recognize this in ourselves?
  Who among us can genuinely, with unconditional love and with the best and most honest intentions, pray for the politician on the other side of the isle? Who can pray for the murderous dictator, or the terrorist bomber? Who among us can pray for Satan, who is arguably the source of all of the evil? Perhaps if we prayed for the politician, cooperation and bipartisanship could be found. Perhaps if we prayed for the dictators or the terrorists, they might have a change of heart and not set off that bomb or slaughter that village. Perhaps if we prayed for Satan, the Adversary, maybe, just maybe, (like the Grinch who stole Christmas) he would have second thoughts and his heart would begin to heal.

The Journey of the Divine Within

  The journey that the Divine Within  (which is you) wants to go on, may not be the journey that the ego (that which you think is you) wants to go on. Submit to the journey of the Divine Within. Only then, at the end of it all, will be able say that you truly lived; that you said "YES!" to the mysterie of life.
AMD+G

"That's not being a Christian... that's being a Pagan!"

Rant Mode //ON//

There has been some whining recently about a comment that Pope Francis made regarding failed Christians behaving like pagans. Now apparently, offended neo-pagans everywhere, who had purportedly been lauding the Pope for his liberal-mindedness are retracting their peripheral support, crying that he "diss'ed" them. Well, he really didn't, and I will explain momentarily, but in the meantime, don;t you think that there is enough crap going on in the world that you don't need to actively look for, and even create things to be offended about?
At his General Audience last week, Pope Francis made a scriptural reference (Matthew 5:47-) that related Christians unwilling to humble themselves and get to work making peace in the world with pagan Romans, and arguably the Jewish priests, of Christ's time; NOT with the modern era neo-pagans of today. If he was dissing anyone, he was dissing Prosperity Gospel ministers and those who think themselves too good to get down in the streets and do something.
Pope Francis as arguably the best thing to happen to Christianity since Christ himself. A lot of things are going to change. Some things aren't. But at least he is out there making an effort. Not sitting at home bitching about something taken out of context and without perspective.
Now, with that said, let's put all of the BS aside and get to work leaving this world a better place than we found it. That is a big enough job.

Happy Holy Days to all, and to all a good night.

Rant Mode \\OFF\\

In the presence of intelligent evidence, there is evidence of intelligent presence.

Lectio Divina 20 Nov 2013

MATT 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."

I have been under so much stress lately.  My dad, school, unemployment; it has all be overwhelming at times. I realized that I spend so much time being caught up in all of my problems, in the problems of the world, that I often lose sight of what is really important. God. Christ. Jesus. Sure I know that He is there, but sometimes I forget that He is above and outside of all of my problems, and if I would just let go for a moment, and allow myself to totally and unconditionally trust Him, like a child trusts his father and mother, then I might... just might... experience a  moments peace.

And speaking of trusting like children, my own children play a role in all of this. Since my depression started setting in a year or so ago, it has been hard on the kids. I am occasionally volatile, and will obsess over the smallest things, allowing them to turn into a raging storm. And there have been times where my kids have born the brunt of this rage. But when it is over, and the clouds have passed, they come back to me and tell me that they love me. They love me, no matter what. Like God loves me, no matter what. +Lord, I pray I never take that for granted.+

For more information on the practise of Lectio Divina, please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina

Or, a video introduction to the practise by one of my favourite priests:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DxaGZqprrs 

+In nomine patri, et filii, et spiritus sancti, Amen+

"If someone should take your shirt, give to him your cloak as well..."

This was an amazing story. I would like to think that I would have the personal integrity to respond in this way; but I seriously have my doubts.

Jessica Eaves was shopping in Guthrie, Okla., earlier this month when her wallet was pinched. She spotted the man she suspected of taking it in a nearby aisle and wondered what to do next. "As I saw him, a scripture came to me from Luke, which basically says 'If someone should take your cloak, you should give them your shirt as well,''...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/25/jessica-eaves-grocery-store-samaritan_n_4164691.html?utm_hp_ref=christianity

On Nikola Tesla...

  An acquaintance of mine once accused Tesla and his work of being of the Devil. This comment came a scant few days after a conversation we had, where previous to it, he had never even heard of the man. If anyone should be held accountable to the Devil and his work, it should be Edison and JP Morgan (Yes, Thomas Edison, and JP Morgan of JP Morgan-Chase.) Tesla was only ever interested in creating and distributing energy in a way that was synergistic with nature and mankind alike. His inventions could have, and would have changed the very course of human history, if it had not been for the likes of the men mentioned above, who were more interested in the almighty dollar than in what could be of benefit to mankind as a whole.Shameful really. My son Patrick is very interested in Tesla's work, and I hope that he holds on to his dream of completing what Tesla started.

From my cold, dead fingers...

   And see, herein lies the dilemma... If you believe in God, then it is assumed that you believe in the covenants of "You will not murder" and "Love your neighbor." This means NO KILLING (except in the most extreme of circumstances, and then even that is wide open for Biblical debate.) Guns were originally developed for the sole purpose of taking human lives in warfare. They did NOT start out as animal hunting weapons.

However, we as Americans (particularly) are a Gun Culture. We built this nation of the backs of Colt, Smith, and Wesson. We LOVE our guns. We love showing off our guns. We love bragging about our guns, and we love shooting our guns. What's not to love? They are cool looking, they go BANG, and they instill us with a sense of power that we would not otherwise have. The power to take another life with minimal effort. The power of, in short: GOD. 

Yet, we gun owners don't often think of our guns in that way. We tend to think of them as expensive (and dangerous if not treated with respect) toys. Not really any different than a motorcycle. But the fact remains, and we know it at least at a subconscious level, that they are killing machines.*

So no, owning a gun is not a "God given right." It is, in fact, entirely contrary to God. There is nothing about a gun that says "Love, peace, or brotherhood." That we use the justification of self-defense or even civil-defense, does not change the fact that guns are contrary in every way to the love of God. That we live in a world that is so contrary to the love of God that we need these devices is the real crime, and the real issue. It is that issue that needs to be addressed first. When it is solved, there will be no more "need" for guns.

That being said, I think I will clean my swords today.

*I am specifically talking about hand-guns and assault rifle, not hunting rifles.

Book Review: The Exorcist's Handbook, J. McCarthy

This review is from: The Exorcist's Handbook (Paperback)

   I was very disappointed with this book. After having read the first few chapters, and glanced through the rest, it appears to be geared toward the "magick" practitioner, placing all of it's emphasis on the power of the practitioner and his/her rituals and talismans, rather than on the power and providence of Deity. The most disappointing thing that I found was its complete, and thoroughly rude dismissal of the Catholic Church's Roman Rite. It is obvious that Ms. McCarthy bears no love for the Church, but they are the leaders in this field, and I can give personal testimony to the effectiveness of the Roman Rite. It does NOT, contrary to Ms. McCarthy's assertions, "bore the s*** out of demons."
This book would have been great when I was in my early twenty's, and practicing magickal rites. The methods in this book would have completely fit in with my mindset at the time, and had I pursued these kinds of activities, I would likely have found myself dead or insane. Now that I have matured both religiously and spiritually, I find the practices in this book dangerous and irresponsible. Real "Demonic" forces will laugh at the idea of a magicians "personal power" and will shrug off all of the trinkets that you depend on to protect you. Faith in Deity alone is your only defense against true Demonic forces. Anything else is either extra-planar (which this book might prove useful in addressing), or psychological delusion (on both the part of the "possessed" and the "exorcist". My other significant disagreements lay in the idea of their being no "good or bad consciousnesses, only consciousness." This may be true at some deep level, but to Demons, it is complete bullocks. If you are not prepared to deal with "evil," then you are not prepared to enter this arena. On the subjects of angels: true Angels cannot be bound, nor manipulated against their will. They are manifestations of God's will. Anything that is bound that claims to be an Angel, is a liar; either a Demon (who can appear as an Angel) or a deamon.
Certainly there are other entities out there, other than Angels and Demons, and perhaps this book will be found to be useful in combating the malign intentions of some of them, but this reader would advise grave caution, and MUCH more research, even into the practices of the Holy Catholic Church, before deciding to engage in any such activities. If fact, one would be well advised indeed to read up on the subject, put the books down and say "Hell no, I think I will leave this sort of thing to the professionals."

http://www.amazon.com/review/RAI30YKGDDV9Z/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=193399391X&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

The ineffability of the para-normal experience

The problem with super-natural, or rather "para-normal" experiences and mystical experiences alike, is that there are rarely witnesses other than one's self. And if there were, they likely find themselves reluctant to discuss or disclose such matters, for fear of how the public will receive them.

Individuals who have such experiences often find them ineffable; unable to be put into words that can adequately describe the experience. This makes all the more difficult to discuss it with others. Like a picture of a sunset or a panoramic view of a beautiful landscape, the paper image, like the words, can never quite do the experience justice.

Another problem occurs, even among one's own peer groups, who claim to be open to such experiences. I have known people who, despite  a professed belief in the para-normal, scoff at the experiences of others. It is much easier to accept your own experiences as real, than it is to accept the experiences of others. This dichotomy has a couple of sources - 1. Until a person is comfortable with such experiences; until the experiences are no longer "para-normal," they will run into a wall of resistance when hearing the experiences of others. 2. Some people are unwilling to give up their position of elitism, their exclusivity. They find it hard to accept that others can have similar, or worse, even more profound experiences than themselves. This is the Ego at work. I have seen this played out, even in discussion groups on the subject.

So what is the recipient of such experiences to do? If they are lucky, they will have a true confidant to whom they can honestly disclose such experiences to. The best kind of person is one who will be supportive, and simply listen, making no judgements. Perhaps ask the open ended question or two, to help the person work through it.
The other thing that a person can do, is to journal such experiences. This allows them to record the experience, and their own thoughts about it to a totally unbiased recipient. It also allows the person to go back to that experience later and review it, perhaps to glean some wisdom from it.

Too often are experiences had, where they are left unrecorded for posterity. Imagine if you can the great wisdom that would be lost to us if people like Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Rumi, Nostradamus, or Madam Blavatsky had not recorded their experiences for us to later read. Certainly, in can, and should be argued that these mystics did not write their experiences down with the idea of becoming famous by them. They recorded them for their own use and edification. It is important that one write honestly and in the moment; journalling for one's own sake, and not for the sake of others.

Mystical, or super-natural experiences do happen. The historic record bares this out as truth. But truth, like reality is subjective. If you have had, or are having these experiences, they are you truth. It is not for others to judge the validity  of them. The only truth lies in your interpretation of the events, and how they may or may not affect change in your life.

Heaven or Hell?

  I heard my priest say that you do not have to be Catholic, or even Christian, to be saved. That Jesus came here to save us all, and it's not our religion that matters, but how we treat ourselves and others. What matters is that we are GOOD and DO GOOD. He asked the congregation if they knew Protestants who were good, I mean *really* good, people. There was a reluctant murmur and a small show of hands. He asked if they knew good Baptists. Nearly dead silence. "Come on now, half my family are Baptist's, and some of them are genuinely good people." This solicited a bit of uneasy laughter from the crowd, but I think they were starting to figure out where he was going with this. Know any good Buddhists? Good atheists? He went on to say that it is easier for Christians to get into heaven, because they are taught a doctrine of compassion and forgiveness, whereas most of the rest of the world operates on a "me-first" basis.

  Now I imagine that this is going to cause no small amount of theological sphincter puckering (the air sure got thin in the church I was in during this part of the sermon.) over the "FAITH vs. WORKS" issue. And while I don't completely agree with the statement, I do agree with the sentiment.

  I think the point that he is trying to make, and it seems to echo Pope Francis' sentiment, is that our God is an all loving, all compassionate, all forgiving God. If you are a good person, you are not going to Hell.  Hell is reserved for those people who willingly separate themselves from God. Who willingly separate themselves from LOVE. There are millions upon millions of Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Wiccans, and yes, even Baptists (etc., ad nauseam) who are, deep down in their heart-of-hearts, good, loving, compassionate, forgiving people, who I simply cannot believe are destined for The Pits. God knows who his own are. They are His choice, not ours.

A Question of Spiritualities

If you are reading this, you probably already read my blog, and have a fairly good idea of my theological bent. But it occurs to me that I know little or nothing about most of my friends. So, I would like to open up this dialogue by asking some questions. I would consider it a great personal favour if you answered them as thoroughly as possible. It is my desire to have a better understanding of the wide and varied, and wonderful spiritual paths of my friends.

"Remember, this is for posterity, so be honest." - T. Rugan

What, if any spiritual/religious path do you follow?
What do you consider to be the spiritual aspects of your religion?
How do you obtain spiritual peace/satisfaction through your religion or spiritual practices?
Do you believe in a Higher Power/God/or Gods?
How do you relate, in this world, to your idea of a Higher Power/God/or Gods?
How does(do) your Higher Power/God/or Gods relate back to you and to the world?
What is the desired final outcome of your being here on Earth? What do you believe happens next?
How does that belief influence the way you operate in this world?
Is there anything else you would like to add to this discussion?

Church and State

I saw a post this morning that read; "Pass the 28th Amendment: The Complete removal of the Church from the State," and it got me to thinking: It can't be done.
There is no Church and State. The Catholic Church has no office or authority in the U.S. Government. The Baptist Church has no office or authority in the U.S. Government. Nor do the Mormons, the Pentecostals, or any of the other nearly 41,000 sects of Christianity. Neither does the Church of Scientology, Wicca, Chuthulu, or Bob. So, which Church has office or authority in the US Government? There is none. What we have is people. People who are elected officials (meaning one way or another, you had a hand in putting them there), and people are members of various religious denominations... or not. They are people who hold the values of their particular religion or non-religion, and those values are going to affect how they manage things. By asking for a complete removal of "Church from State" what you are really asking for is to vote in only atheists &or humanists into office. If you don't like your Conservative Christian congress(wo)man, then do what is necessary to vote him/her out of office. Otherwise, if you want the complete removal of religio-spiritual influence from all government agency, you had better get started on those AI robots. Let me know how that works out for you.

Where my forgiveness ends...

I saw a post tonight by a friend applauding the abolition of the death penalty somewhere, and a rallying cry to everyone to keep fighting against death penalty laws.
I am of mixed feelings on this front. I do not believe that we as human beings have the right to take another human being's life, even in cases that "warrant" the death penalty. I also believe that "if you kill them, they can't learn nothin'" And, I believe in the words of Jesus of Nazareth when he said "Forgive them seventy times seven times." To a point...
When 3 immigrant workers entered my Ant and Uncle's produce stand in central Florida in the mid 80's, gunned down the friend-of-the-family clerk, and took my Aunt and Uncle in the back room and shot them execution style for the nominal amount of money in the register, my unforgiveness meter jumped straight to 491, and there it has sat for 30 years.
The clerk, by the grace of God and the benefit of being morbidly obese, survived five bullets to the torso, consequently, being able to positively identify the killers.
I do not know if those men have made it through the system to "the chair" yet. And I don't dare ask. All I can do, at moments like this when the maelstrom of rage starts its slow churning in my heart, is ask God for correct judgement on those men's behalf, and for forgiveness for my weakness.

Pray in Secret...

Does the Lord not say to keep your prayers and charities secret? That the Father will know his own? Then why do you wear your prayers and your charities on you sleeve, like some badge of honour? Do you so desperately seek the approval of man that you disregard the advise of God? Or do you seek to prove to man just how holy you are? This is the path of Pharisees and Sadducees, not the path of followers of His Way. Go back in your closet and shut your door. Pray in the silence of a space occupied only by You and God. Then come out and show the world HIS worth by example, not YOUR worth, by a list of things that you do.

The Bible is only the beginning

  Have you ever read a really good book? One you put down at the end and say, "Wow, that was amazing!"? And it stays with you in your imagination? Now, imagine if you had actually been there. Examine every aspect of it. Every sight, sound, smell, feeling, emotion, impression. Imagine every perceptic at work. Suddenly the book doesn't quite do it justice now does it? Like a photograph of a beautiful landscape, or a Stephen King novel, made into a movie. It just is never quite as good as the original work.
  Well, the Bible is kind of like that.

What does it mean?

"It is not just the Jesus Seminar folks that call into question the authenticity/authorship of certain (and I daresay, MANY) of the NT writings. But that doesn't really matter now does it. It is the CONTENT... it is the MESSAGE... that must be understood. Once you can break through the literary barrier, you move into the realm of a very direct, very personal relationship with God, that will supersede all arguments about who wrote what, and what it might or might not mean." +amd.g+

Why God? Why?

Every day I hear people ask "Why does God let bad things happen in the world?" And I hear him reply: "Why do you?" Complacency and apathy are mortal sins. Not because the Church tells us so, but because they will KILL US. 

Look, a long time ago, God used to get involved. Sometimes in really good ways (Angelic and personal visitations, the Exodus from Egypt), and sometimes in what we consider not-such-good-ways (Sodom and Gomorrah), but always with our best interests in mind.  He gave us rules to live by. But He also gave us Free-will,and we chose, by-and-large, not to live by His rules. So, as per usual, things got just about as bad as things can get. So in keeping His promise of not wiping the Earth clean and starting over, He gave us an example. An example of how to live, how to love, how to treat one another, and how to treat ourselves. He gave us Him in Our form. The perfect melding of the the Creator and the Creation. He gave us ALL we need. All we need now is to accept the gift and live by the example.

+amd.g+

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+