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7.11.2007

FRODO AND SAM. THE TWO FACES OF SALVATION

BORN SAVED: Sam it seems was born saved, presumably by being born into an Otherish family -
  • Otherish, no selfishness
  • Sorokin of Harvard in his study of Altruistic Love, "The Ways and Power of Love," found that most Saints come from profoundly loving families. Fogelman in her study of Holocaust Rescuers found the same. The apple does not fall far from the tree.
  • The "Fall" is NOT inevitable. Our environment does it to most of us.

SAVED LATER IN LIFE: Frodo was not saved from Selfishness / Detachment / Divorce-from-others until the final seconds as he hung by his fingers in the volcano, by Sam's Love, limitless Sacrifice / Otherishness -

  • Frodo was Redeemed, his Otherishness bought back from Selfishness by Sam's Love / Otherishness. Sam's Love was Therapy for Frodo.
  • Militant Brotherliness, my name for Nonviolence is this type of Therapy primarily.
  • This was the aim of Gandhi, King, Jesus.... They had limited success.
  • We cannot afford limited success anymore. We are out of time.

THE OPOSITE OF CONSERVATIVE IS RADICAL, NOT LIBERAL

See EFFECTIVE RADICALISM IS INFINITELY DIFFICULT

DIVINE: THAT WHICH NOTHING IS MORE WONDERFUL THAN

Definition - DIVINE: THAT WHICH NOTHING IS MORE WONDERFUL THAN

The Eskimos have 20 words for snow, different kinds of snow.

We in the states take our most valuable FEW words - Love, Divine - and use them for 2,000 inappropriate things. IN THIS WAY WE BLIND OURSELVES.

LOVE is COURAGE is CONNECTION is TRUTH

LOVE IS COURAGE IS CONNECTION IS TRUTH

As I attempt to understand the mystery of Love this is a big step for me.

LOVE - COURAGE - CONNECTION - TRUTH (as Gandhi used "Truth"- Species specific Morality)
  • are never separate,
  • THEY NEVER HAPPEN SEPARATELY!
  • THEY ARE THE SAME THING NEUROLOGICALLY, OR
  • THEY ARE SO INTERTWINED THAT THEY CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD SEPARATELY ONE FROM THE OTHER

7.10.2007

THAT FINAL INSTANT FRODO DIDN'T LET GO THE RING

Well, I just can't think of a clearer image of our madness / blindness / craziness. CRAZINESS!

There is Frodo:
  • Swimming in Brotherhood (Sam, Strider, et al),
  • Awash in the suffering of Selfishness / Exploitation / War / Greed (the Ring and its doing)
  • Etc.
  • ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE WORLD OF THE WONDER OF LOVE / MILITANT BROTHERLINESS
  • ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE WORLD OF THE HORROR OF SELFISHNESS / EXPLOITATION / DISCONNECTION / WAR

AND YET FACED WITH THE FINAL CHOICE -
FRODO IS BLIND TO ALL BUT POWER / STUFF / SUPERIORITY

WE ARE IN THE GRIP OF SOCIETAL MADNESS / BLINDNESS / CRAZINESS / INSANITY

GUARANTEED SEPARATORS FROM THE DIVINE: STUFF / SUPERIORITY / SYSTEMS

The Almighty, God, the Divine is LOVE / LIFE / TRUTH. Right? Soul, Solidarity and Service are the dimenstions of the Spirit in service and unity with, AND FILLED WITH the Almighty Powers. Right?

INSTEAD OF

Simple.

WOULD. NOT "SHOULD!!!"

Jesus was all about WOULD not "SHOULD."

My beloved friend told me how her father told those he taught -

"Hold a pencil in front of you.
Now, "TRY" to drop the pencil.
See?
There is no "TRY."
There is only "DO," or do "NOT DO."

Well, this is why Jesus was all about WOULD. If you followed me you WOULD:
  • Love as I have loved
  • Do unto the least of these as you would do unto me
  • Love the Almighty Powers with entire heart, mind, soul, strength...
  • Love everyone born and unborn as yourself
  • Love your enemy
  • Love the stranger
  • Lay down your life for the least of these

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR "SHOULD"
IN JESUS TEACHING.
"TRY" TO DROP THE PENCIL
YOU HOLD IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF YOU FOLLOWED ME YOU WOULD....

7.09.2007

"MADDEST OF ALL IS TO SEE LIFE AS IT IS AND NOT AS IT SHOULD BE"

"Maddest of all is seeing life as it is and not as it should be." Man of La Mancha

JESUS USED PARABLES BECAUSE THEY ACTIVATE THE HEART

Most speech activates the Head, and in doing so it takes energy that otherwise could go to the Heart, the Kingdom of the Almighty / Love / Life / Truth / Heaven.

MOST SPEECH BLOCKS
HEART / LOVE / SALVATION /
HEAVEN / THE DIVINE

The parables of Jesus can only make sense, can only be decoded by the divine wisdom, insight, brilliance of the Heart.

Using parables Jesus both engaged,
enlightened and strengthened the Heart.

INSEPARABLE ARE JOY AND SUFFERING FOR LOVE.

But when Love is engaged -
INSEPARABLE are
JOY and SUFFERING
FOR LOVE.

WHEN JOY IS ABSENT,
OR SUFFERING IS AVOIDED,
LOVE IS DISENGAGED.

LIFE IS GIVEN TO SPEND FOR GOOD

Well, you have to believe one or the other of these:
  1. God, a sentient being, gave you life, or...
  2. Your Genes gave you life.

Either way...

LIFE IS GIVEN TO SPEND FOR GOOD:
1. GOD IS GOOD AND
WOULD HAVE YOU DO ONLY GOOD
2. YOUR GENES WANT
THE GOOD OF THE SPECIES

OUR REWARDS DIMINISH AS WE
STRAY FROM
SPENDING LIFE FOR GOOD

COWARDS SEEK TO PAY WITH OTHERS LIVES. HEROES PAY WITH THEIR OWN.

COWARDS SEEK TO PAY
WITH OTHERS LIVES.


HEROES PAY WITH THEIR OWN.

ANY QUESTIONS?

7.08.2007

Do we worship false idols?


JESUS' SOLUTION TO LIFE: AGAPE

This is a sermon I heard elsewhere, but the following catches the same informatino very well. From: feed_my_sheep

Do you love Jesus? Do you really love Him? If so, are you obeying His commandments (see John 14:15)? Are you feeding His sheep? Let’s look at John 21:15 again:

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. In the Greek, Jesus asked, "Do you AGAPAO me?" He was referring to AGAPE love... which is God’s love. Agape love is an uncompromising love. It loves whether or not the subject returns that love. It loves even if the subject returns hate. Agape love is an unconditional love. It loves even the un-lovely. It loves those who don’t want to be loved. If you truly love Jesus, feed His sheep.

The word "Feed" in this verse in the original Greek language means to promote the spiritual welfare of Jesus’ AR-NEE’-ON (little lambs). Would any mother give birth to a baby, then leave it to fend for itself? Of course not! When a soul comes to Christ, we need to embrace that spiritual babe and foster his/her spiritual growth. When a new convert (or even a veteran believer) comes to the church, it is imperative for you to wrap your arms around that person and agape them. Lift them up in your prayers. Let them know that somebody cares about them. They may not look or act like the type of person you would want to love... which is even more reason to agape them.

Peter’s reply to Jesus’ question, "thou knowest that I love thee," wasn’t really a direct answer. Peter was saying "Lord, you know that I PHILEO (not agape) you." The Greek word phileo means friendship, fondness, affection or personal attachment. Phileo love is qualified by a relationship or attachment of some sort. It is very conditional. It is not the pure, high AGAPE love that Jesus was asking for.

Sometimes, we’ll love our Christian brothers and sisters... but only if they’re doing what we want them to. We won’t love them if it is uncomfortable or inconvenient for us. THAT IS SIN! Look at what happens in John 21:16

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Jesus repeats his question to Peter. However, this time the word "feed" in the Greek is POY-MAH’EE-NO, which means to oversee or to provide their soul needs. You see, once a baby Christian progresses along the path of spiritual maturity, we no longer need to "bottle feed" them. I like the way Keith Green put it... we’re simply like the curb on the street. We keep them from running off the road. Although the primary responsibility for providing POY-MAH’EE-NO falls upon the pastor, we all play a part in edifying the body of Christ in love (see Ephesians 4:16).

Jesus also uses a different word for "sheep" in this verse. He calls them PROB’-AT-ON, which means sheep but, in its most literal translation, means a thing that walks forward.

The body of Christ does not sit still... we are moving forward, taking the gospel to the world. In order for us to effectively move forward, we must remember to lift each other up in a spirit of love. In fact, if we don’t receive support and fellowship from each other, we can’t walk forward. Not only that, we couldn’t do anything without the "mutual support" of our sisters and brothers.
I heard a minister say that if it was God’s responsibility to hold the church together, that He was doing a "lousy job of it." At first, I found that statement to be shocking. Later, I realised that the truth is, it is not God’s job to hold the church together. It is our job! Look at what Ephesians 4 says:

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) {fill: or, fulfil}

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: {in: or, into} {stature: or, age}

14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: {speaking...: or, being sincere}

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: {blindness: or, hardness}

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

We see in verse 16 of Ephesians 4 that the body is joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies. You supply a little love, the next person supplies a little exhortation, the Pastor supplies preaching... etc. Each one of us has a role to play. Each one has a gift to use. Now, let’s move on with John 21:17

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

This time, Jesus used Peter’s word for love. Jesus asked, "Do you PHILEO me?" Notice that, when we can’t seem to make it to Jesus’ level, He will always meet us where we are. He did the same with the woman at the well, starting the conversation with a request for a drink of water, not with a diatribe about the woman’s sinful life (read the account in John 4:4-42).

Jesus goes on to tell Peter about the sacrifice that would be required of him, closing in John 21:19 with "Follow me." In the Greek, Jesus was telling Peter, "Be in the same way with Me" or "Join/Accompany Me." Remember Jesus taught (and demonstrated) that the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends (see John 15:13).

This is what Jesus did (see John 10:15). This is what He requires us to do... to be perfect (or, complete), as our Father is perfect (see Matthew 5:48). How can we be perfect? By being made perfect in love (see Ephesians 1:4 and Colossians 3:14).

Peter eventually caught on to what Jesus was saying. Jesus met Peter at the PHILEO level in John 21:17, but Peter met Jesus at the AGAPE level in I Peter 1:13-16 as he feeds the body of Christ.

If you love Jesus... if you really love Jesus, you will feed His sheep. As He took up the cross and died for us — when we were His enemies (see Romans 5:6-8, 10) — we must take up our cross daily (see Luke 9:23) and die on it. The cross is the first century equivalent to the electric chair. It’s not a shiny emblem that you wear like a piece of common jewelry. It is an instrument of death. To take up your cross (daily) is to kill the selfish and carnal works of the flesh (see Colossians 3:5-17) and be crucified with Christ... allowing Him to live through you (see Galatians 2:20).

Would Jesus walk over one of His sheep, callously ignoring it’s piteous bleating? No way! Neither should we. Make an extra effort to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to be ready to encourage the hearts of your brothers and sisters in Christ with love and compassion. Help them to walk forward and continue to promote their spiritual welfare (see Hebrews 10:24 and II Timothy 4:2).

7.07.2007

BELOVED BLINDNESS

This insight is still in development but major progress is being experienced by me.

"Blindness" is beloved by us:
  • Conservatives: Beloved is their "blindness" to "the least of these"
  • Liberals: Beloved is their "blindness" to their need to "PAY THE PRICE" for "the least of these"

Blindness is BELOVED by:

  1. We the people because it enables our incalculable selfishness
  2. Corp-Military-Media-Government complex because in turns otherwise troublesome Humans into mailable "consumers" and "corporate drones"
  3. Liberals
  4. Conservatives

Our U.S. blindness is despised by:

  • World-wide terrorists

Our U.S. BELOVED BLINDNESS SHOULD BE DESPISED BY US ALL.

7.04.2007

TERRORISM DIFFERES FROM BUSH POLICY HOW?

TERRORISM

1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.

The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear

Acts of violence committed by groups that view themselves as victimized by some notable historical wrong. Although these groups have no formal connection with governments, they usually have the financial and moral backing of sympathetic governments. Typically, they stage unexpected attacks on civilian targets, including embassies and airliners, with the aim of sowing fear and confusion. Israel has been a frequent target of terrorism, but the United States has increasingly become its main target.

If there were Christians there would be no Terrorists

"If Christians lived according to their faith, there would be no more Hindus left in India." Gandhi


If Militant PeaceMAKERS abounded there would be no more terrorists in the world.

Until Militant PeaceMAKERS abound,
Terrorsts will abound.

WE BETTER GET BUSY.

7.03.2007

BECOMING A SOLDIER IS TO BECOME A DIFFERENT HUMAN TYPE

Of fundamental importance to personal Joy / Heaven in this life is to realize that we have available to us the option of not one, as our culture would have us believe, but two profoundly OPPOSITE states of mind:
  1. Selfishness
  2. Brotherliness / Otherishness

It has just struck me that there is an institution that consistantly and relyably CONVERTS individuals during the course of one's enlistment from Selfishness to Brotherliness (Brotherliness of an important sort). THE U.S. MILITARY does this.

The points here are that:

  1. The choice of Otherishness is one that anyone can make as we see in the choice made by millions in the military;
  2. Otherishness (the READINESS to give one's life for others) is profoundly opposite to Selfisnness as we can clearly see in this mass military "conversion" that ;
  3. WAR, such intensity of commitment, trumps any alternative through its overwhelming Joyfulness / Purpose / Meaning. From movies, imagination and personal knowledge we can see that there was no price that could get Ryan to leave the war (Saving Private Ryan.)

A ONE-SIDED PLANETARY WAR / SLAUGHTER RAGES

The forces of Greed / Selfishness / Mammon / Indifference / Disconnection / Neglect are assaulting the world on every conceivable front with a war-like seriousness of intention and approach of infecting every human heart.

Nowhere in serious opposition is to be found the forces of Love / Life / Truth. Nowhere are there those that:
  1. Face the fact of this global war by the forces of cancer.
  2. See, envision that the forces of Love / Life / Truth can and must fight to win.
  3. Envision that winning is possible.
  4. Begin fighting despite apparently insurmountable odds.

Start, is nothing being done? Oh yes:

  1. Liberal lip service.
  2. Token actions.
  3. Symbolic actions.
  4. Band-Aids

7.02.2007

ATTN MERCHANTS! "UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE..."

In the face of emergency where do you expect to find the good Dr., minister, nurse, soldier? At the emergency helping!

"Unto This Last (1868)," is one of two books to galvanize Gandhi in his early 20's. The thrust of these 3 essays is that nothing less should be expected of merchants. Their goods are the life's blood of society and they should be every bit as morally responsible to "the least of these my family," as are the best of Dr.s, soldiers, nurses....

THE WORLD IS ONE BIG EMERGENCY AND MERCHANTS SHOULD FOCUS ENTIRELY ON "THE LEAST OF THESE" AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS. NOTHING LESS. NOTHING MORE. NOTHING ELSE.

ULTIMATE ADVENTURE; THE REASON TO "BE" "GOOD"

People give their lives for adventure:
* Sky dive
* Scuba dive
* Hang glide
* Fly
* Ski
* Mountain climb....

Why "be" "good" like Jesus calls us to do?

"BEING" "GOOD" IS THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE ; GIVE IT YOUR LIVES! Start Loving

OUR FEELING FOR HYPOCRISY MAY BE LIFE ITSELF

I highly recommend that as I am trying to do, that you connect with your experience of Hypocrisy as a youth; your youth being a time when your Hypocrisy detector was alive and well - full of feeling.

Hypocrisy: The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. An act or instance of such falseness.

In our youth there is a very strong emotion within us when we detect Hypocrisy. No? As young people we have a strong FEELING about Hypocrisy!

Our feeling for Hypocrisy gets amputated as we become socialized as we move through life from our mid teens to mid twenties. Our Feeling for Hypocrisy may be our conscience and morality; Life / Love / Truth are integrated with our feeling for hypocrisy. When we lose one we lose the other.

If our-feeling-for-hypocrisy IS integrated with feeling and morality, with Life and Truth, then this explains why Jesus was so singularly riled by displays of Hypocrisy, as these arise from a loss of Feeling fro Hypocrisy.

"FOLLOW JESUS WORD." Teresa of Calcutta

To the best of my knowledge, when asked how she became who she became, and how she did what she did in her life Teresa said that all she did was "follow Jesus word."

I know of no evidence that at any juncture in her life did she offer any further explanation either in word or action:

  • To my knowledge she never focused on what the evangelicals totally focus on - Teresa focused not at all on PAUL'S WORD: Romans 10 Verse 9: "if you confess 5 with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Bosh.
  • To my knowledge Teresa never focused in her thoughts, words or deeds on the Old Testament, NOT AT ALL!

The same goes for Gandhi, and I think also for Dr. King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Teresa, Gandhi, King, Bonhoeffer... found it sufficient to -

"FOLLOW JESUS WORD."

Duh.

"Flesh" / Selfishness is INFERIOR, NOT "BAD"

SELFISHNESS IS NOT BAD -

My interest here and elsewhere is not academic accuracy or consistency although I believe my work would score quite high on this dimension.

My interest IS how to live a life of extraordinary Joy; how to find that Path and how to avoid the pitfalls and traps.

Although counter intuitive, A MAJOR TRAP is the notion that "Flesh" / Selfishness are "bad." It cannot be true that they are "bad," REALLY, as evidenced by:

  • An entire globe that is Hell bent :-) on embracing the Religion fanatically practiced by the West - "Flesh" / Selfishness.
  • Two hundred years of U.S. pleasure beyond measure without APPARENT hell to pay (let's continue to overlook the American Indians, Coal Miners, Mill Workers, Slaves....) isn't bad; not "bad" in a generally useful sense of the word. In Truth, Selfishness seems awesome!

HERE IS WHAT WE MUST RECOGNIZE: SELFISHNESS IS INFERIOR TO MILITANT PEACEMAKING -

Selfishness is INFERIOR to Militant PeaceMAKING, Otherishness / Love / Life / Truth / Global Connectedness. The proof? Although in our movies we pull the punch in the end as the "guy gets the girl," OUR HERO DOESN'T REALLY GO THROUGH HELL AND BACK FOR THE GIRL. DOES HE!?!?!?! He does it, pay an enormous price in order to SAVE the world, FOR THE INTRINSIC JOY OF IT!!! And

THE JOY OF MILITANT PEACEMAKING
IS SUPERIOR TO
THE PLEASURE OF SELFISHNESS.

Disconnectedness - the Conservative / Republican Sin

I wonder if Conservatives / Republicans / Hawks realize that it is their -

  • Disconnectedness from "the least of these"

- that infuriates Democrats / Liberals; and rightly so.

Democrats may somewhat recognize this.

Lip service - the Liberal / Democrat Sin.

I wonder if Liberals / Democrats / Peacenicks realize that it is their -
  • Lip Service
  • Lack of personal sacrifice
  • Lack of commitment
  • Lack of hard work
  • Lack of willingness to die for their cause
- that infuriates Republicans / Conservatives; and rightly so.

Republicans do not recognize this.

ATTN! "How did you use the time I gave you," Our Father asks.

Ye seekers of Truth / Life / Love be ware!

The gift of Our Father, the "talent" S/He gave us is TIME!
  • Do not burry it in the ground!
  • Don't spend His/Her time worrying.
  • Don't spend His/Her time planning.

Take your best shot! Learn from it. Take your best shot again. Learn from it. REPEAT.

"Ready, Fire, Aim." Tom Peters, consultant. This is a wonderful concept he writes about. Did you ever go to, or see the arcade game where you shoot a streem of water into an opening, and if you can get in enough water in time you win a prize? One could pull the trigger on shot at a time, BUT NO ONE DOES. They use the stream continuously to aim!

Teresa of Calcutta said. "God does not expect us to be successful--only faithful."

BE FAITHFUL!!!! ENJOY!!!!

Inconceivable

"CONNECTION," "WORLD FAMILY" IS THE "GATE"

Selfishness / Sin / Error is the
SYMPTOM.

Disconnectedness / Indifference / Ignorance (of "the least of these") is the DISEASE.


Love / Life / Truth / World Family / Connection / Empathy / Compassion is
HEALTH / CURE

7.01.2007

Organized Religion is beyond recovery

No? Ok:
  • Caucasian is what anyone that sees me would label me, DESPITE THE FACT that I have dark brown moles and other marks on my body.
  • Healthy despite some aches and pains...
  • Bald is what I'd be called despite the few hairs left.
  • Non-athlete...
  • Non-brain-surgeon....

Aside from being trite, the above illustrates a crucial point. The Truth is not to be confused with Purity or Absolutism.

Organized Religion, taken as the "bodies" that comprise it CAN NOT NOW, NOR OVER THE CENTURIES, BE DESCRIBED AS:

  • Healers
  • World-wide brothers
  • Powerful forces of global healing
  • Courageous
  • Army of God

If one were in desperate need of any of the following I, Start Loving, would NOT be the best place to begin:

  • Black Man.
  • Brain Surgeon.
  • Athlete....

We are in desperate need of:

  • Healers
  • World-wide brothers
  • Powerful forces of global healing
  • Courageous Army of God for ALL humankind

Is there a body promising of becoming these (above)?

  • Catholics?
  • Protestants?
  • Evangelical?
  • Jews?
  • Muslims?

NO. We must begin outside any of these bodies. These bodies are beyond redemption.