Love

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.

The Irony of Life

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment
There was a very beautiful blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see all the world, I will marry you!!!’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”. The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked and, although would never admit to another, repulsed her—she hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at him for the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him…and secretly in her heart she knew there must be someone “better”.

Her boyfriend left in tears….and a few weeks later wrote a note to her saying: “Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.”

This is how the human brain often works when our status in life changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

As for this “One Man”…I remember and am very grateful for those who remain beside me. Thank you all…may God bless you.

Nationalism

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

 

Today is “July the 4th”, or “Independence Day” in the United States, celebrating their independence from Britain in 1776, when they established themselves as a totally separate country and “Nation”.

A couple of days ago here in Canada we celebrated something quite similar, “Canada Day” which also involved Britain historically, back in 1867, when we became an official “Federation”. Unlike the United States, however, we remained a part of Britain, but were officially recognized as being a separate “Dominion” of theirs, and then in 1947 as a separate “Nation”. That was reason enough for us to celebrate, but the reason why the American’s make such a huge celebration out of their Independence compared to ours is because they severed their ties with the British in one dramatic fell swoop back in 1776, whereas Canada didn’t reach the same level of independence from Britain until 1982!

Both holidays celebrate the concept of “Nationalism”, and that’s what I want to talk about.

Nationalism is a political term, which basically means devotion to one’s country. Dictionaries define it more precisely, emphasizing that it most often means excessive devotion, loyalty or patriotism to one’s country, where citizens see and pride themselves on being unique and separate from other nations or all nations entirely, and will valiantly defend their right to be so (independent).

So now we have a whole world full of countries, full of people who celebrate and pride themselves on being part of a separate and unique nation!? Each country is cleanly divided from other countries, physically with borders and intellectually with political ideas, and various social customs. So, that makes you and me different than Americans, Americans different from Brazilians, Brazilians different from Iranian’s, Iranian’s different from Iraqis’ (yes, they are quite different), Iraqis’ different from Saudi Arabians, Saudi Arabians different from Germans, Germans different from Britains and so on and so on and so on.

Is this not a whole lot of division? And what does division and Nationalism cause between people—no, between human beings? Division creates strife, disagreement (my country is better than your country etc., etc), discord and even war. Is this division—nationalism and all that goes along with it, something truly good? Does it help to create unity between human beings? Does it foster humanities most valued character-quality: love? Should we celebrate something that separates and divides us—you from me if you live in another country—that divides us even to the point of killing one another in the name of this precious thing called “Nationalism”? I think NOT, but, I welcome your opinion.

 I discuss some ideas related to this in my essay’s, “On Belief” and “On Opinion”.