Religion

God…etc.

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

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Some people have difficulty conceiving of God, of believing in God. I know. Here is my conception of God, borrowed from Jung. He said, “God is the name by which I designate all things which cross my willful path violently and recklessly, all things which upset my subjective views, plans, and intentions and change the course of my life for better or worse”.

To which I will add, God is the magic in the moment, the spirit in the spritzer. Goosebumps when we know something extraordinarily unusual and unique is happening. The inner knowing in a situation that would otherwise behoove us. The bird that lands close to us during our most desperate moments. A sudden coincidence that we cannot explain. The colour of the blossoms that catch our eye, the scent of the flowers that suddenly overpower us. The fresh breath of a child as they grasp and hold us without expecting. The pictures just sent from my daughter of her son playing languidly in the beach sand. The lingering moment between sunset and darkness that stirs something within our souls. That is God, and then some. Perhaps those reading could add to this in the comments? That would be nice, and another gift from God.

Is that sort of God difficult to believe in? I don’t think so. To me, that’s just the type of God I need! The one I have been longing for.

And in the end, if you still have difficulty believing, ask God — as a pure act of faith, which just means having great hope really — to reveal himself/herself/itself to you in some special way… he will, if you are open to it and looking for it. The little bird in my description above was just one of many ways he did for me. I feed the birds from my patio. Each spring the Junco’s leave for cooler weather in the deep forests. Each fall they return. One morning, in particular desperation I asked God for a sign, anything, to know that he cared, that he was there. I walked into my living room and there flew down onto my patio the first Junco, returning from the summer. I gasped with unbelief, but soon grasped the belief, the sign. That is beyond coincidence. That’s GOD. If he did it for me, many times, he can for you. Just ask! What have you got to lose? Nothing.

P.S. When Jung was asked one day if he “believes” in God, he answered, “I don’t ‘believe’, I KNOW! (that God exists), because of his life-long experiences. At this stage of my life, I can say the same.

Begging Jesus?

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

It’s been MANY years since we’ve seen Jesus. Like over 2000 years.

I wonder why? If he was who he sort of claimed to be, then why hasn’t he shown himself in the meantime? Present day Christians need to believe it all on FAITH, after 2 thousand years!

If Jesus was who he seemed to suggest he was, based on the biblical accounts, then for sure he would have manifested in some tangible shape form or imagination since then, wouldn’t you think? Ok, one could argue that he has appeared in many non-tangible ways, such as through miraculous healings and so many new church building funds being successfully provided (!).

Christianity is a lifeless religion today. The founder was very charismatic. For sure. But, since he died, ok, ascended to heaven, there has been very little to support his cause. Paul of Taursus was the last one to supposedly see Jesus. Well, that was 2 thousand years ago as well!

Jesus died, was apparently risen and showed himself as such. That’s been hotly debated and challenged. Christians divided have started countless sects, countless denominations, even started many war’s between them and others. I don’t see LOVE in all that division. Where there is division, there is no love.

If Jesus really was who he thought that he was, one would assume he would have reappeared since then, and really given people a life-blooded reason to believe! But he hasn’t been able to reappear, leaving a lot of confusing Church doctrine asking people to continue to believe. Jesus was Jesus. Christianity is our interpretation of his life’s purpose.

That said, Jesus did preach a good word, about love and compassion. THAT is his enduring legacy. He was an amazing man, with an amazing message, promoting love and compassion. Nothing else. Just that, however, is HUGE.

Love, and compassion. Probably the most humanitarian and important virtues that our world needs to value, embrace and live.

 

 

Love

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

  • The Christian religion describes love as this:

“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13) and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 31, Lev.19:18)

  • The Islamic religion describes love as this:

"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. " (Sunnah)

"Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." (Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13)

Mohammed is said to have said:

"Seek for mankind that of which you are desirous for yourself, that you may be a believer; treat well as a neighbor the one who lives near you, that you may be a Muslim [one who submits to God]." and "That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind."

  • The Buddhist religion(s) describe love as this:


    Buddhism involves the complete renunciation of oneself in order to take on the burden of a suffering world. The strongest motivation one has in order to take the path of the Bodhisattva is the idea of salvation within unselfish, altruistic love for all sentient beings.

These are just a few of the many religions around the work, but I think it is safe to say that the ideal of most religions is the propagation of love—to show compassion and tender care towards others. Even Humanisms “Manifesto” states:

Humanism…affirms…the greater good of humanity…(is) inspired by compassion…values in human welfare…(is) committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity…(is) concerned for the well being of all.

Simply reading these passages my stir ones heart to feel love and compassion towards others. Those ideas resonate with something inside our hearts and minds that is real—we just know that it is, and that it is a good and wonderful thing…and that it is something we want to do, to act upon, to reach out to touch the hearts and minds of our fellow human beings…for about 5 minutes a week—and that’s if we go to church every week! The rest of us think that way about 5 minutes a MONTH, if that! The rest of the time we go around killing each other, figuratively or literally.

Why is that!? Perhaps it’s not our true nature to love people that way? Perhaps our nature is mostly selfish? Perhaps that’s what we really are in essence? Does that give us an excuse, then, for not acting in a loving way towards other people? In fact, it DOES!

It does, but is that ok? Of course not! As Hal David wrote in a famous Burt Bacharach song, “

“What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing
That there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love-
No, not just for some
But for everyone…”

And so how do we DO that? How do we love our neighbours? Indeed. What is needed is a fundamental transformation from deep within our psyche. How do we achieve that? We cannot in a million years achieve it. Effort is futile. It can only be seen, realized, comprehended. We already have it! It’s already there. How do we see it? In some sense, that is a gift. I think the key is simply to be open to receiving it—by opening our hearts and minds to the possibility. Do that, and it will come. This is something like Buddhist “Enlightenment”, Christian “Christ Consciousness” or New Age “Cosmic Consciousness”. Once achieved (although it cannot be “achieved”) a profound, selfless love for others ensues.

The statement creates questions, raises objections, demands clarity. Let’s address those my friend. Join me.

T.