I have never been so wealthy, because these last four weeks , from trying to do good, I was poor and helpless. My first five decades I had material wealth that makes me cringe with regret. These last four weeks I have had the wealth of community such as I never imagined I would live to see. Part of it is lds. I could never share their origin beliefs in my soul. Not possible for me. Nor would I want to. But as my teacher Jesus said, they will know you by how you love, and these folks love. They are denomination was seems to be producing loving people such as I have never hoped to see. Part of it is living among those who have not embraced our cultural ways , our worship of material wealth. Here in this part of the country the true economy is profoundly different, deep opposite. In my Northern sophisticated life the first, second, third, fourth lines of defense are money. Here in the country South Part I have been in those lines of Defence are neighbors, friends, strangers who you know and don't know. These folks are so much more Rich than we poor over privileged Northerners. So much more wealthy. And, hear this, we Northerners endure our economy for the pitiful Pleasures it gives us. The economy down here that I have witnessed is intrinsically joyful. Infinitely more than we Northerners, there is intrinsic worth and what these folks do. Growing stuff. Feeding folks. Helping folks. Serving folks. Building Community with folks. Flow is a concept that every video game programmer knows. Mahalo csikszentmihalyi University of Chicago found that the human being is the most gratified when it is totally absorbed in the challenge, Pursuits, for which she or he has adequate skill, like a video game, but those whose whole life is like that AR living a life that makes a difference to their neighbors, a positive difference. The most joyful population he and his researchers found in the world was a farming community off-grid, out of all communication, in the northern Italian Alps. That's what I've been in these last 4 weeks. Tens or hundreds of years ahead of us. Perfect? Oh my goodness no. The only thing that shouts louder than their protests that they are not racist or bigoted as their racism and bigotry. That must change. For their very Souls that must change. But they are way ahead of us sophisticated Northerners. Their economy is infinitely more Rich, more sustainable , more Godly. Part of the ugliness that they do evidence, may be a large part, is out of the fear of the ever more powerful Northern Elite crushing all that is Good, Godly, Christlike , that they have. It is understandable that they would act out hateful, in horror and Terror. had I not been poor, vulnerable, helpless because I was trying to help others, I would never have encountered this. What a Divine gift. What a divine blessing. I will be infinitely wealthier because of this, forever.
10.17.2016
6.26.2016
Show me a group that is completely devoted to serving the least of these and I'll show you my church.
Show me a group that is completely devoted to serving the least of these and I'll show you my church.
1.13.2016
New York Times: U.S. Church Puts 5 Banks From Israel on a Blacklist
12.25.2015
Fifty Churches Just Offered Safe Haven to Central American Refugees Facing Deportation
12.22.2015
Among the greatest affirmations I have ever received, from someone the other day: "You are a true faithful Christian Jew and Muslim, you are an example of being a human being."
Among the greatest affirmations I have ever received, from someone the other day: "You are a true faithful Christian Jew and Muslim, you are an example of being a human being."
12.07.2015
***** "James, please backup your bold statement that you find Muslims infinitely more Christlike than you find Christians to be." My reply: " I .........
***** "James, please backup your bold statement that you find Muslims infinitely more Christlike than you find Christians to be." My reply: " I don't make "bold statements," that is, I do not make the mistake of minding the business of others, what they think. I sometimes share what I have come to understand. You said please, so I will take a moment and share some additional thoughts. Until several years ago I never thought about Muslims, which means, that I took the Hollywood line, the media of line, which simply replaced what it did to Native Americans and about 60, 70, years ago started doing the same thing to Muslims, demonising them, making them subhuman targets. When I began researching, thinking, observing, and paying attention to my own personal encounters, I arrived in summary at what I shared above. Probably every day I personally encounter a new, for me, Muslim. Regarding this, and the other things I'll share here, I'll share what I understand to be Christ-like characteristics. You are welcome to agree or disagree. This is not a topic on which I intend to debate with you or anyone. Out of courtesy, I am simply replying to your question. In the Muslims I encounter I encounter profound modesty, and humility. Where I would expect to find Western Christian rage at being so savagely terrorized, raped, pillaged, exploited, humiliated, subjugated, raided, looted, destroyed... by the West these decades, I find deep generosity, hurt, peacefulness, acceptance, hurt and forgiveness. When I reflect on history it becomes much more striking to me. It is the Western so called Christians that perpetrated slavery in the Americas, that waged two world wars, that firebombed Dresden, and Tokyo, that delivered colonial terrorism to the Congo, to Vietnam, to Algiers, to Afghanistan, to Iraq, to Yemen, to India, that note to civilian cities in Japan unnecessarily.... It is the West that lives by the sword by any and every objective measure by many many many orders of magnitude. I could go on. Be well friend. One of my heroes is Gandhi and he arrived at the similar conclusion, I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."
11.10.2015
***** breathtaking. Must must must read. Pope Francis speaking to a group in Italy.
"The reform of the church then... means ... grafting yourself to and rooting yourself in Christ, leaving yourself to be guided by the Spirit -- so that all will be possible with genius and creativity."
10.03.2015
Must read: "I think he is speaking to all of our consciences, and we all have to then search ourselves to see if there are ways that we can do better."
10.02.2015
***** pic. I bring you Good News. You'll experience this life as heaven, tho materially it will be hell, if you......
I bring you Good News. You'll experience this life as heaven, tho materially it will be hell, if you live, every breath, these three commandments: 1. Love Creator (Loving), 2. Love your Brother (exactly everyone)... with your whole mind, your whole soul, your whole body, your whole spirit. 3. There is no number 3, 4, 1000.... The churches are lying to you. For 2000 years they have been lying to you. There is only 1 & 2.
9.25.2015
9.24.2015
***** Francis: "Business... can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good”
Francis: "Business... can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good”
***** "Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our hearts grow numb.... Jesus gives the answer. He said.......
***** "Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our hearts grow numb.... Jesus gives the answer. He said to his disciples then and he says it to us now: Go forth! Proclaim! The joy of the Gospel [ do unto others ALL you would have them do unto you ]is something to be experienced, something to be known and lived only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away."
