“Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is
justice.”
H. L. Mencken
Prejudices
Friday, January 14, 2022
January 14, 2022
A PERSONAL
RELIGION
I begin life with no say in the matter – a seed and an
egg – planted in my mother’s womb. It’s as simple as that. I end life with little say in the matter – dust and bone –
planted in the under-ground – in mother earth – in a tomb. And in between those two moments – birth and death – I
can become conscious. About: life. About: the gift of life. Why me? And I spend my life figuring - chasing – and doing more figuring – about family,
work, religion, relationships, commuting, weekends, sports, reading, education,
exercise, etc., etc., etc. Life. Love. The
different people I have met. Relationships…. Discoveries …. People I like….
People who have taught me so much…. People who are fascinating, different,
interesting …. Life. Love. Light. I search for meaning – to become enlightened. I look into religions for deeper
understandings – turning corners – a second, third, and fourth looks -
and many times – where I have been before seems so, so different – than before - the older I get. Christianity …. Judaism …. Muslim …. Buddhism …. Hinduism
…. Atheism …. Ideas …. Nuances …. Challenges …. I spend time thinking that religion is ideas, systems,
theology, teaching, organization. Jesus. I discover Jesus as a person – not just a word or words
in a Bible – but as word made flesh – dwelling among us – a person – a presence
to wrap my life around. “Religion” – as someone described it: “It’s what you wrap
your life around.” Jesus: Life…. Light….
Love,,,. Jesus: the one who promises to be there after I become
dust and disappearance – distance – when I am on the other side of the tomb.
The anchor is a symbol of hope – hope that our ships
will reach shore – hope that we’ll get
to our harbor.
Faith is the call to pull up anchor and launch out into
the deep.
Faith is the call to leave all – lift our anchor – and our
nets – and to set sail with the
carpenter.
Faith is a journey
- a voyage – to the other side – to what we can’t see – into the unknown
– sailing through the eye of the needle – into the great unknown.
Then in the middle of trip – in the middle of a storm –
Jesus is sleeping through it all. Jesus
is sleeping while we are afraid and awake. What about his promise to be with us
all days – even to the end of the world?
Anchors away.
The history of the world for many is a history of migration
and movement, pulling stakes and anchors – and seeing sail for newer shores.
Taking a risk – trying something new – entering a new
field – that’s the stuff of adventure – discovery.
Leaving home for college – for the military – for a new
job – in a far country – can be a scary question.
Death is the ultimate voyage. We take nothing with us. We swim naked into the
great unknown – plunged into the dark waters
- tossed by the great waves – surrounded by all those others who also
died that day.
Faith is the only anchor.
Faith is our hope. Jesus went before us and in these days – this Jonah
arrived on the shore of eternity – the Risen One – still with us all days.
“We are not bitter, not because we have forgiven but
because there is so much to be done that we cannot afford to waste valuable time
and resources on anger.”
Govan Mbeki
[Johannesburg Weekly
South Africa]
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
January 12, 2022
PRAYER AND ILLUSION
Spending time in prayer can be a great illusion.
People who pray or people who don’t pray, as well as
people who make inward fun of people who pray, can be
involved with a great illusion.
People who pray have a unique opportunity to be in touch with this illusion.
People can do that.
Better time with God can do that.
Better becoming quiet, becoming
still, becoming empty, becoming closer to God, can help me see who I am in
comparison to God.
People who become close to God can say some strange and
nasty things about themselves when this happens, One reads words like “worm” or “nothing” or “lowest of the low,” or “l am
the greatest sinner”, etc.
A pebble looking at a mountain feels small. A drop of
water falling into the ocean gets lost. A great violinist is not noticed. It’s the music – the opening of one’s ears
and eyes and hearts – becoming lost in the river of the music – as it flows –
and we are all becoming one.
It's the same as being in the desert. One can experience illusion … or maya or feelings that one is lost.
On a mountain, in the ocean, in the desert, one can
become face to face with God. One can
also become face to face with the devil.
The fight is on.
Temptations are illusions – illusions to greatness and to
grandeur - to see rocks as bread or the
ability to leap to greatness without any effort. The temptations Jesus was
hit with in the desert can hit us as well.
The desert tells us all. It’s death without water.
Nothing grows. Sand can become
the stuff of silicone chips – but that takes work – work – and the cooperation
of thousands. Sand can become soil for food – lots of food if we are willing to
work and cooperate with nature.
Pausing to pray – to get away from it all, to be in the presence
of God - can still turn us some of these things to reality – but beware:
illusions can remain illusions – and we don’t even know it.
In a vision I heard this clearly whispered: Study those who sing the most, but are free of criticism or praise. Following that advice, things turned out just as I suspected: Istarted spending
more time with birds.