These are two questions that have been going through my mind this morning and they have become real questions. How many people in this world believe that they are above the law? It is obvious to me that there are a lot. You ask how I can say such things for there are a lot more who are honest and upright in their dealings with other people. Laws are written for our benefit. They are written to give us a means of knowing where we stand in relationship to each other. In reality, laws are not, nor have they ever been required. But, because man cannot control himself, laws are necessary. If we believe that we don't have to abide by human made laws, what about the natural laws that are God's laws?
There are a number of people in my life who have said to me “I don’t accept your credentials, your ordination or believe that you have done the work that was necessary for you to receive a college, university or have done the work that has lead to a PhD degree. In fact, they say, “that they don't believe that I went to University in the first place.” They think that all I have claimed is nothing more than illusion. The laws of the state or country I live in, or lived in, have made laws that permit colleges, universities and seminaries to issued degrees to students that are recognized by every other state, province and country in the world. Who or what gives some people the right not to accept what the law has deemed as proof of study and experience?
It is not a question of whether or not a person can prove that they have done the work; it is the fact that it is believe that some people are above the law and will not accept the truth. I have found that in my life that there are far too many people who have the same kind of thinking that I have described above. The real question is why? Why can’t the truth be accepted?
Friends, you and I are not above the law. When a college, university or seminary issues a degree, honorary or not, we must accept the truth. We must accept that the person did do the work necessary and is well qualified for the degree(s) they received.
When an ordained minister ordains a person, people should accept the person’s ordination without question. If the government of a state, province or country have made laws that give a college or university the right to issue degrees, or an ordained minister the right to ordain a person who are we to question them?
I have gone on about whether we are above the law because I want all of us to take personal responsibility and to accept truth as it is/was given to us. To believe that not all people make claims that is a total fabrication. There are natural laws that govern us and guarantee that we can never get away with any errors in judgment in this - physical world. We are accountable for every decision and act in our lives. We make errors in judgment, and we must be willing to make amends for them, here, or we will make amends in the here after.
I am also thinking about all the people who have never gone to college or university; people who have dropped out of school before completing the fifth grade. I also wonder about those people who totally disregard and belittle the work and experience of those people. Those people have gained experience in life that is far greater than all the degrees in the world. [The school of hard knocks.] The question becomes, who are we to judge other people’s education and life experiences?
Folks, we have a decision to make, and that decision is about whether we are to be a little more trusting and caring of others. To live within the law and believe that laws are made for us, not against us. We need to give others the benefit of the doubt and accept them as who they are, and that they have done the work they have claimed.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Tolerance
Being tolerant of other is not an easy task. Intolerance is a plague on humanity. No one is free from it. We all partake of intolerance at one time or another, and there are natural laws that apply to intolerance that should make us sit up and take notice of our actions. One natural Law is the Law of Cause and Effect, another is what you sow, you reap.
If you sow intolerance, you will reap intolerance. If you sow hatred, you will reap hatred. If you kill, you will be killed. If you think that you got away with dishonest illegal actions and you have fooled a lot of people, you didn’t. You will reap the consequences in one way or another.
Intolerant acts cause a great deal of heartache and suffering that has lead to drug use, alcoholism, wars and suicide. You may say that intolerance is OK at times. It is only a response to other people’s action or fear. Oh?
Intolerance generates negative karma. Karma is the effects of a person's actions that determine their fate in this life and the next incarnation.
Even ministers have to deal with intolerance in their life. They are supposed to tolerate the actions of others even if they believe that those actions are “stupid”.
Intolerance in this world is what causes all of the problems. Religious intolerance is one of the greatest.
What about a nation’s intolerant of their neighbor, just because of difference in language, a different culture, or arguing over a few feet of their national borders?
Is there anyone who can provide the answers to all of the intolerance in this world? Well, maybe one and you can guess who it is - yes its God. But is God a human being? If God is would He be able to put up with all of the intolerance of His people?
No human on this earth can put up with intolerance. We are taught from birth that we are somebody and we MUST defend who we are. And it doesn’t matter who the other guy is. Sound familiar?
I hope that you are better able to tolerate others. And I would like to have you think about just how much others affect you in your daily life and whether or not you’re able to live a life of tolerance. It’s our personal responsibility to do so.
If you sow intolerance, you will reap intolerance. If you sow hatred, you will reap hatred. If you kill, you will be killed. If you think that you got away with dishonest illegal actions and you have fooled a lot of people, you didn’t. You will reap the consequences in one way or another.
Intolerant acts cause a great deal of heartache and suffering that has lead to drug use, alcoholism, wars and suicide. You may say that intolerance is OK at times. It is only a response to other people’s action or fear. Oh?
Intolerance generates negative karma. Karma is the effects of a person's actions that determine their fate in this life and the next incarnation.
Even ministers have to deal with intolerance in their life. They are supposed to tolerate the actions of others even if they believe that those actions are “stupid”.
Intolerance in this world is what causes all of the problems. Religious intolerance is one of the greatest.
What about a nation’s intolerant of their neighbor, just because of difference in language, a different culture, or arguing over a few feet of their national borders?
Is there anyone who can provide the answers to all of the intolerance in this world? Well, maybe one and you can guess who it is - yes its God. But is God a human being? If God is would He be able to put up with all of the intolerance of His people?
No human on this earth can put up with intolerance. We are taught from birth that we are somebody and we MUST defend who we are. And it doesn’t matter who the other guy is. Sound familiar?
I hope that you are better able to tolerate others. And I would like to have you think about just how much others affect you in your daily life and whether or not you’re able to live a life of tolerance. It’s our personal responsibility to do so.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Law of Personal Responsibility
The Law of Personal Responsibility is a primary natural law that can guide us on our spiritual path.
Accepting the law of personal responsibility wipes out self-pity, resignation, passive endurance, smoldering resentments against the injustices of life, and the masochistic game of harping on one's case against life.
Yet this apparently hard law is the most hopeful, encouraging, liberating, and strengthening truth of all truths. It enables us to resolve whatever problem we may have. It opens up life with all its rich possibilities. It forces us to see things in their true light and, uncomfortable as this may first seem, it leaves us with a lot more self-respect, integrity, and hope than the helpless resignation to circumstances life is supposed to bring about without us doing. It makes defeat unnecessary because it also removes, among other things, your childish illusion of omnipotence, which is just as unrealistic as the illusion of being life's passive victim. Accepting our own limitations and the limitations of others increases our power to direct our life meaningfully.
The law of personal responsibility is the guiding principle in the search for the root of our obstructions. Contemplating the fulfillment or the lack of it in our life gives us a blueprint of the areas where an inner corresponding attitude is responsible for either. This approach is diametrically opposed to the usual way, but it is indeed a reliable and truthful one that must always lead to results, provided we go deeply enough and are truly honest in the endeavor.
Whenever we arrive at a juncture on the path from which there seems no way out, or where we cannot see how to change, how to resolve the problem, we can be quite sure that we have not yet found an important tool to unlock the door, no matter how profound previous insights and changes may have been. A total insight always shows the way out. Thus, recognitions can be differentiated. Are they of the kind mentioned here? Or are they merely leading to them? The former always give a sense of joy, liberation, hope, strength and light. They infuse new energy into our system. The latter may have a temporarily debilitating effect on the personality. The former enable us to recognize the most unflattering facts about ourselves without in the least diminishing our sense of worth and integrity -- on the contrary, this sense increases. The latter type burdens the insight with guilt.
When we have experienced the difference between these two types of recognition, we can protect ourselves from hopelessness, or at least realize that the hopelessness is in itself a sign that the way out has not yet been found. Rather than weakening us, the hopelessness can then be an incentive to surge on with all our vigor until the real way is open.
When we finally see that an unfulfilled longing or painful conflict of long standing is the result of an inner attitude with concomitant behavior patterns, we are no longer a helpless tool in the hand of fate. If such an attitude is completely seen, observed in action, and accepted for what it is, we may still be unwilling to give it up -- for whatever reasons and misconceptions -- but at least we see a vitally important connection between our inner life and the outer manifestations of it. It is then possible to embark on a special search for the reason why we so stubbornly hold on to a destructive attitude.
Accepting the law of personal responsibility wipes out self-pity, resignation, passive endurance, smoldering resentments against the injustices of life, and the masochistic game of harping on one's case against life.
Yet this apparently hard law is the most hopeful, encouraging, liberating, and strengthening truth of all truths. It enables us to resolve whatever problem we may have. It opens up life with all its rich possibilities. It forces us to see things in their true light and, uncomfortable as this may first seem, it leaves us with a lot more self-respect, integrity, and hope than the helpless resignation to circumstances life is supposed to bring about without us doing. It makes defeat unnecessary because it also removes, among other things, your childish illusion of omnipotence, which is just as unrealistic as the illusion of being life's passive victim. Accepting our own limitations and the limitations of others increases our power to direct our life meaningfully.
The law of personal responsibility is the guiding principle in the search for the root of our obstructions. Contemplating the fulfillment or the lack of it in our life gives us a blueprint of the areas where an inner corresponding attitude is responsible for either. This approach is diametrically opposed to the usual way, but it is indeed a reliable and truthful one that must always lead to results, provided we go deeply enough and are truly honest in the endeavor.
Whenever we arrive at a juncture on the path from which there seems no way out, or where we cannot see how to change, how to resolve the problem, we can be quite sure that we have not yet found an important tool to unlock the door, no matter how profound previous insights and changes may have been. A total insight always shows the way out. Thus, recognitions can be differentiated. Are they of the kind mentioned here? Or are they merely leading to them? The former always give a sense of joy, liberation, hope, strength and light. They infuse new energy into our system. The latter may have a temporarily debilitating effect on the personality. The former enable us to recognize the most unflattering facts about ourselves without in the least diminishing our sense of worth and integrity -- on the contrary, this sense increases. The latter type burdens the insight with guilt.
When we have experienced the difference between these two types of recognition, we can protect ourselves from hopelessness, or at least realize that the hopelessness is in itself a sign that the way out has not yet been found. Rather than weakening us, the hopelessness can then be an incentive to surge on with all our vigor until the real way is open.
When we finally see that an unfulfilled longing or painful conflict of long standing is the result of an inner attitude with concomitant behavior patterns, we are no longer a helpless tool in the hand of fate. If such an attitude is completely seen, observed in action, and accepted for what it is, we may still be unwilling to give it up -- for whatever reasons and misconceptions -- but at least we see a vitally important connection between our inner life and the outer manifestations of it. It is then possible to embark on a special search for the reason why we so stubbornly hold on to a destructive attitude.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Lessons ?
Hello all:
Like so many people, I have attended many different denominational churches in my life, setting through sermons that were, for the most part, uplifting and inspirational. When I have talked to the minister later on, they told me that they believed that their sermons had their origin in God. Sermons on friendship, pride, the Ten Commandments, the Pauline Epistles, life situations in general or just lessons that the minister believed he/she were inspired to give.
The majority of those ministers used Bible verses to emphasis their sermons. They took verses from both the Old and New Testaments and often combining them to get their point across. They took lesson from their own life, their family, and the life of men and women they have known or from the lives of historical people. They took lessons from men who fought in the various wars and conflicts in the world. Those ministers took the time to prepare a sermon that they believed that their congregation needed to here. Sermons on subjects that were impressed upon them by God or the Holy Spirit from the writings of various philosophers and men of high education like Aristotle, Plato, Einstein and others.
Some ministers have said that they had prepared a sermon on one subject, only to be impressed to talk on another subject at the last minute. The wording of their sermon they believed was from God. They truly believed that they were being taken over by God to deliver a sermon that was needed by someone on that particular Sunday morning or maybe several people in the congregation.
You may have read some of the articles on this blog that have reminded you of a sermon that you have heard, and believed that they are directed directly at you. If so, then they have done their job to remind you of something in your life at that time, or to get you to think and spur you into action to do something about a possible problem in your life, or personality. The subject of the article may help all of us stay on our spiritual path.
God bless
Like so many people, I have attended many different denominational churches in my life, setting through sermons that were, for the most part, uplifting and inspirational. When I have talked to the minister later on, they told me that they believed that their sermons had their origin in God. Sermons on friendship, pride, the Ten Commandments, the Pauline Epistles, life situations in general or just lessons that the minister believed he/she were inspired to give.
The majority of those ministers used Bible verses to emphasis their sermons. They took verses from both the Old and New Testaments and often combining them to get their point across. They took lesson from their own life, their family, and the life of men and women they have known or from the lives of historical people. They took lessons from men who fought in the various wars and conflicts in the world. Those ministers took the time to prepare a sermon that they believed that their congregation needed to here. Sermons on subjects that were impressed upon them by God or the Holy Spirit from the writings of various philosophers and men of high education like Aristotle, Plato, Einstein and others.
Some ministers have said that they had prepared a sermon on one subject, only to be impressed to talk on another subject at the last minute. The wording of their sermon they believed was from God. They truly believed that they were being taken over by God to deliver a sermon that was needed by someone on that particular Sunday morning or maybe several people in the congregation.
You may have read some of the articles on this blog that have reminded you of a sermon that you have heard, and believed that they are directed directly at you. If so, then they have done their job to remind you of something in your life at that time, or to get you to think and spur you into action to do something about a possible problem in your life, or personality. The subject of the article may help all of us stay on our spiritual path.
God bless
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pride
Pride can be a terrible thing. It destroys friendships, breaks up families, and causes strife between people and even cause’s people and countries to go to war with each other. Pride has been known to breaks up villages and towns and even churches into various factions. Pride can over power a person's sense of right?
In the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 13 verse 10 it says “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom”. Webster’s Dictionary describes contention as “A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement.” This statement says to me that if a person says something that is taken by another person as being contentious, a problem will be generated, and the problem is often just misunderstanding. The person may not have intended to express a contentious attitude but the other person took it that way, and this is where both people have to get together and sort things out.
If an apology is in order, then it must be made, even if one of the two people doesn’t believe that one is necessary, the other one does. What does it take for a person to apologize even if they believe they did nothing wrong? Just few words! Just a few words, that melts away the problem and sets things right. Or the individuals involve need to talk so that the misunderstanding can be resolved once and for all. Both individuals must be willing to do this whether an apology is made or not. The friendship has been saved and everyone is happy.
However, some people do live by their pride, and takes everything that happens in their life all wrong. They may not see it that way, but that is the way things are for them. We are not to judge others, but to always give others the benefit of any doubt. Prideful people have to eventually come to terms with their problem, and change their way of thinking so that they don’t suffer the consequences, which can mean being an outcast in midst of a crowd.
I have known several people in my life that have been so prideful that they find fault with every one they come in contact with. These people, when we first meet them, are some of the most delightful people you could ever meet, and then look out, they find all your faults and make sure that everyone else who know you and them learn of your faults. I always ask why. I really don’t understand people like these, except, maybe they are here to point out our faults and push us to make changes that we need to make.
A little pride is important in us for it gives us pride in a job well done, especially to perform at our jobs with the highest degree of perfection. This makes for a company product that makes sales and keeps us working. So there is nothing wrong in having pride in a job well done.
There are many people who give of their time, money and talents to help other people in what ever capacity that they believe they are needed. Pride when used properly can make the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, sloppy and perfect, etc. Pride is described as:
• A feeling of self-respect and personal worth [A good thing]
• Satisfaction with your (or another's) achievements
• They seem to have a trait of being spurred on by a dislike of falling below their standards
• Unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem
What is a person to do?
I suggest that the person:
• Take a minute to think about your relationship to others and what it has done for your friendships(s)
• take a minute and think about your and their way of thinking try to look at other people with a little respect
• try to over look other people’s short comings
• try to see the good in everything and every body
• be ready to apologize for any kind of misunderstanding whether real or imaginary; whether on your part or the part of the other person
• And forgive your self and the other person
• When told that you are wrong, think about it and be ready to make things right, whether you believe it or not
Pride does not have to destroy friendships, breaks up families, and causes strife between people and even cause’s people and countries to go to war with each other. Pride doesn’t have to breaks up villages and towns and even churches into various factions. Pride, proper expressed, is a good thing.
In the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 13 verse 10 it says “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom”. Webster’s Dictionary describes contention as “A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement.” This statement says to me that if a person says something that is taken by another person as being contentious, a problem will be generated, and the problem is often just misunderstanding. The person may not have intended to express a contentious attitude but the other person took it that way, and this is where both people have to get together and sort things out.
If an apology is in order, then it must be made, even if one of the two people doesn’t believe that one is necessary, the other one does. What does it take for a person to apologize even if they believe they did nothing wrong? Just few words! Just a few words, that melts away the problem and sets things right. Or the individuals involve need to talk so that the misunderstanding can be resolved once and for all. Both individuals must be willing to do this whether an apology is made or not. The friendship has been saved and everyone is happy.
However, some people do live by their pride, and takes everything that happens in their life all wrong. They may not see it that way, but that is the way things are for them. We are not to judge others, but to always give others the benefit of any doubt. Prideful people have to eventually come to terms with their problem, and change their way of thinking so that they don’t suffer the consequences, which can mean being an outcast in midst of a crowd.
I have known several people in my life that have been so prideful that they find fault with every one they come in contact with. These people, when we first meet them, are some of the most delightful people you could ever meet, and then look out, they find all your faults and make sure that everyone else who know you and them learn of your faults. I always ask why. I really don’t understand people like these, except, maybe they are here to point out our faults and push us to make changes that we need to make.
A little pride is important in us for it gives us pride in a job well done, especially to perform at our jobs with the highest degree of perfection. This makes for a company product that makes sales and keeps us working. So there is nothing wrong in having pride in a job well done.
There are many people who give of their time, money and talents to help other people in what ever capacity that they believe they are needed. Pride when used properly can make the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, sloppy and perfect, etc. Pride is described as:
• A feeling of self-respect and personal worth [A good thing]
• Satisfaction with your (or another's) achievements
• They seem to have a trait of being spurred on by a dislike of falling below their standards
• Unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem
What is a person to do?
I suggest that the person:
• Take a minute to think about your relationship to others and what it has done for your friendships(s)
• take a minute and think about your and their way of thinking try to look at other people with a little respect
• try to over look other people’s short comings
• try to see the good in everything and every body
• be ready to apologize for any kind of misunderstanding whether real or imaginary; whether on your part or the part of the other person
• And forgive your self and the other person
• When told that you are wrong, think about it and be ready to make things right, whether you believe it or not
Pride does not have to destroy friendships, breaks up families, and causes strife between people and even cause’s people and countries to go to war with each other. Pride doesn’t have to breaks up villages and towns and even churches into various factions. Pride, proper expressed, is a good thing.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Compassion
Compassion is described in Webster’s Dictionary as: 1. A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering, 2. The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.
No other person in history has had more compassion for others than Jesus the Christ. He never judged anyone. It was his purpose in life to prove to humanity that God is a God of love. Jesus even sat and eat with publicans and sinners. In Math 9:10 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples”. [Publicans are defined by Webster as 1. The keeper of a public house, (A tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals.)]
We as Christians and/or Spiritualists are supposed to be compassionate towards one another, which is in direct relationship to our principles. We believe in the brotherhood of man. This tells us that we are no different than any other person on earth. We cry, we eat, we sleep, we work, we play, we get angry, we fight verbally and physically, and then we die.
We are even taught by our parents to be compassionate towards others. We are not to fight over meaningless things, verbally or physically when additional civil conversation can bring about clarity and understanding.
We are to love one another as God love us (John 13:34). When we look at the words of Jesus we understand that we are indeed to be compassionate and loving towards others. But someone said “but we are only human” and being human the word compassion is rarely used or thought about – but we all know about it. There are consequences to not being compassionate. If we have no compassion, the judge will reward us by placing us behind bar for the rest of our life.
It is not a question of whether we believe that the Bible teaches us how to be compassionate and loving people? Loving and generous and being responsible for our daily actions and decisions – part of our responsibility.
Do we fear that if we read and study the Bible that we will succumb to its teachings? Will we have to admit that we are sinners – and not compassionate people? Do we believe that we inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve through just being human? Few of us, if any of us rally think about these things.
Most people on earth don’t accept the Bible or its teachings. Other people may have their own way of worshiping God and they don’t want anyone telling them that they are wrong in their beliefs and the way that they worshiping God. They don’t want anyone telling them that they must set aside their beliefs and accept the teachings of some other religion.
Some people may even believe that all “Christians” are among the most finical people on earth. When Christians read the Bible, they believe that they are reading the absolute word of God and every word in the Bible is absolute truth. They really believe in the teachings of their minister and the creeds and dogmas of their church. They will often tell you that God, and the Bible has saved them from a life of crime and drugs.
What these people are saying may be absolutely true for them. We just don’t know anything about their life. They could have been raised in the slums of New York City or Toronto, L.A. or Chicago. Or raised in an extremely poor family where they had to fight every day of their life, just to survive. Who are we to judge them? We, as Christians and/or Spiritualists, are taught to be compassionate toward these people, our brothers and sisters. Working together to help the poor and infirm, too achieve a little wealth and prosperity in their lives. We are here to learn and to grow spiritually working for spiritual enlightenment; working our way back to the presents of God, the Source of all Creation, Infinite Intelligence.
We are all generally hear to live a life that is disciplined and compassionate, that we do practice our principles of Spiritualism and the Laws of Nature – which are God’s Laws. Why, is it only because we are caught in the web of human life?
We look at others as a contrast between what we are and what we want or don’t want to be. If another person does not do the kinds of things in their life that we believe in, we are not to go about, gently or even harshly, to try and change them.
As I have thought about this word compassion and the Bible, I thought about the story that Jesus told about a man who was traveling to a remote city. The man had to pass through a very dangerous area along the way where the chances of him being molested were very high. As the story goes, the man was beaten and robed by bandits, and left on the roadside to die. It was only after a kind and compassionate man, who was passing along the way, stopped to help the dying man. How many of us would do the same? How many of us would have the compassion to stop and help another person – even on the streets in the slums of New York City? Or would we pass them by with the belief that some one else would help them because we fear for our own lives? We may not even care because it is not someone we know who was injured, or even a friend or family member. Where is our compassion?
The Bible and its teachings have provided us with the meaning of compassion and how we are to live in brotherly love one with another.
No other person in history has had more compassion for others than Jesus the Christ. He never judged anyone. It was his purpose in life to prove to humanity that God is a God of love. Jesus even sat and eat with publicans and sinners. In Math 9:10 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples”. [Publicans are defined by Webster as 1. The keeper of a public house, (A tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals.)]
We as Christians and/or Spiritualists are supposed to be compassionate towards one another, which is in direct relationship to our principles. We believe in the brotherhood of man. This tells us that we are no different than any other person on earth. We cry, we eat, we sleep, we work, we play, we get angry, we fight verbally and physically, and then we die.
We are even taught by our parents to be compassionate towards others. We are not to fight over meaningless things, verbally or physically when additional civil conversation can bring about clarity and understanding.
We are to love one another as God love us (John 13:34). When we look at the words of Jesus we understand that we are indeed to be compassionate and loving towards others. But someone said “but we are only human” and being human the word compassion is rarely used or thought about – but we all know about it. There are consequences to not being compassionate. If we have no compassion, the judge will reward us by placing us behind bar for the rest of our life.
It is not a question of whether we believe that the Bible teaches us how to be compassionate and loving people? Loving and generous and being responsible for our daily actions and decisions – part of our responsibility.
Do we fear that if we read and study the Bible that we will succumb to its teachings? Will we have to admit that we are sinners – and not compassionate people? Do we believe that we inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve through just being human? Few of us, if any of us rally think about these things.
Most people on earth don’t accept the Bible or its teachings. Other people may have their own way of worshiping God and they don’t want anyone telling them that they are wrong in their beliefs and the way that they worshiping God. They don’t want anyone telling them that they must set aside their beliefs and accept the teachings of some other religion.
Some people may even believe that all “Christians” are among the most finical people on earth. When Christians read the Bible, they believe that they are reading the absolute word of God and every word in the Bible is absolute truth. They really believe in the teachings of their minister and the creeds and dogmas of their church. They will often tell you that God, and the Bible has saved them from a life of crime and drugs.
What these people are saying may be absolutely true for them. We just don’t know anything about their life. They could have been raised in the slums of New York City or Toronto, L.A. or Chicago. Or raised in an extremely poor family where they had to fight every day of their life, just to survive. Who are we to judge them? We, as Christians and/or Spiritualists, are taught to be compassionate toward these people, our brothers and sisters. Working together to help the poor and infirm, too achieve a little wealth and prosperity in their lives. We are here to learn and to grow spiritually working for spiritual enlightenment; working our way back to the presents of God, the Source of all Creation, Infinite Intelligence.
We are all generally hear to live a life that is disciplined and compassionate, that we do practice our principles of Spiritualism and the Laws of Nature – which are God’s Laws. Why, is it only because we are caught in the web of human life?
We look at others as a contrast between what we are and what we want or don’t want to be. If another person does not do the kinds of things in their life that we believe in, we are not to go about, gently or even harshly, to try and change them.
As I have thought about this word compassion and the Bible, I thought about the story that Jesus told about a man who was traveling to a remote city. The man had to pass through a very dangerous area along the way where the chances of him being molested were very high. As the story goes, the man was beaten and robed by bandits, and left on the roadside to die. It was only after a kind and compassionate man, who was passing along the way, stopped to help the dying man. How many of us would do the same? How many of us would have the compassion to stop and help another person – even on the streets in the slums of New York City? Or would we pass them by with the belief that some one else would help them because we fear for our own lives? We may not even care because it is not someone we know who was injured, or even a friend or family member. Where is our compassion?
The Bible and its teachings have provided us with the meaning of compassion and how we are to live in brotherly love one with another.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Life
I am often asked “why God allows us, to do the things we do to each other?” I look at the person who is asking me the question and I asked them what they are talking about. They say that they are talking about all the wars and all the killing that goes on, and the huge number of people dying each day from accidents, cancer and other diseases, and even the challenges of just living a “normal” life? I am asked about the children “why do they have to die so young?
As I think about how to answer the questions above, I can’t help thinking about the words of Shakespeare who said, “the world is a stage, and we are the actors.”
If we accept Shakespeare’s words as having some kind of truth to them, then the answer to the questions about why all the ups and downs in our lives, and why so many are dying is answered. You and I are here to play our part and when it’s time for us to leave the stage, we do. It doesn’t matter how young or how old we are or whether we are healthy or sick we have done our part and it’s time for us to leave – stage right. When you think of life in this way, it makes greater sense about the happenings in our life, and we are able to take a more enlightened look at our life and our place on the stage of life.
You may ask about the Hitler’s, Casers and dictators who have ordered so many people to be killed. But they are here to play their part even if that part is to bring chaos and strife into a world that is struggling to be at peace. Why? Their part is to show humanity a contrast between what is and what can be – good verses evil. To bring the human race to a point of knowledge that will, one day, produce peace and harmony by showing humanity that there is another way – and it is not their way. Their part was to remind us that history repeats itself, and that we are the only ones who can break the ever changing repetition.
Then you may ask why did he/she have to die so young? Why from such a terrible illness? Why, for no apparent reason? Why was that child allowed to get so close to the water that they fell in and drowned? Why did that child get away from its mother hand and run out into the street to be hit by a car? Or simply got sick one day and died. Again, we have entered this world to play out our part on the stage. We have given of ourselves to our loved ones; to the hundreds of people who have known us, to history, to those who care for our physical and emotional well being. Even the doctors and nurses who have taken care of us during our illness play their part in the care of the sick that needed their expertise. But! But! You say. It seems that we still don’t understand the why.
I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely; but to say that we are here to do our part. We may be on stage as a prop attendant to make sure that the actors have the proper back drop for them to play their part as a military man, a doctor, lawyer, mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, street cleaner, janitor, sick child or even a sick elder, etc. etc.
We are indeed here to play our part on the stage of life until we are ready to leave.
As I think about how to answer the questions above, I can’t help thinking about the words of Shakespeare who said, “the world is a stage, and we are the actors.”
If we accept Shakespeare’s words as having some kind of truth to them, then the answer to the questions about why all the ups and downs in our lives, and why so many are dying is answered. You and I are here to play our part and when it’s time for us to leave the stage, we do. It doesn’t matter how young or how old we are or whether we are healthy or sick we have done our part and it’s time for us to leave – stage right. When you think of life in this way, it makes greater sense about the happenings in our life, and we are able to take a more enlightened look at our life and our place on the stage of life.
You may ask about the Hitler’s, Casers and dictators who have ordered so many people to be killed. But they are here to play their part even if that part is to bring chaos and strife into a world that is struggling to be at peace. Why? Their part is to show humanity a contrast between what is and what can be – good verses evil. To bring the human race to a point of knowledge that will, one day, produce peace and harmony by showing humanity that there is another way – and it is not their way. Their part was to remind us that history repeats itself, and that we are the only ones who can break the ever changing repetition.
Then you may ask why did he/she have to die so young? Why from such a terrible illness? Why, for no apparent reason? Why was that child allowed to get so close to the water that they fell in and drowned? Why did that child get away from its mother hand and run out into the street to be hit by a car? Or simply got sick one day and died. Again, we have entered this world to play out our part on the stage. We have given of ourselves to our loved ones; to the hundreds of people who have known us, to history, to those who care for our physical and emotional well being. Even the doctors and nurses who have taken care of us during our illness play their part in the care of the sick that needed their expertise. But! But! You say. It seems that we still don’t understand the why.
I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely; but to say that we are here to do our part. We may be on stage as a prop attendant to make sure that the actors have the proper back drop for them to play their part as a military man, a doctor, lawyer, mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, street cleaner, janitor, sick child or even a sick elder, etc. etc.
We are indeed here to play our part on the stage of life until we are ready to leave.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)