Jigsaw

I will share one idea that, as far as I know, is singular to me. (meaning I have never read, heard, or seen the metaphor before) Imagine a snowflake in comparison to snow. In this context, know that science claims there has never been two snowflakes exactly alike. Ever! Since the beginning of time, wherever it has snowed, in all the snowstorms that have ever occurred, each snowflake has been unique. Inconceivable, right? That's what God is like.

Further, if one observes a snowflake, you could watch it land and not make the declaration, "snow."  Even if there were a dozen snowflakes on your front lawn, you wouldn't necessarily say, "snow." But when hundreds and thousands of snowflakes amass, then you confidently claim, "there is snow on the ground." That's what God is like.

Understand, in and of yourself, you are just an aspect of God, like a snowflake is an aspect of snow. You no more equate to being God as a snowflake equates to being snow. Yet, there is no snow without snowflakes. That's what God is like.

When you think in terms of me (snowflake) rather than we (snow) your perception is skewed. This is narcissism. Narcissism allows no room for God. It is the single snowflake declaring it is SNOW! This misperception then leads to mis-takes; as in the phrase, "take two," because you have fouled up the first scene. In this analogy, the director (God) is ever patient with you blowing a scene or misreading your lines. He knows, eventually, you will get it right. That's what God is like.

So, to recap, you are wonderfully unique. You are a miracle of singularity. As important is the understanding that the person beside you is as marvelously constructed as you are. To proclaim you are more than you are (snow) is a denial of that which you truly are. (snowflake) This is self-abnegation. It is at cross-purpose to why you exist. You are here to manifest an aspect of God. You are an important piece of an intricate puzzle. Not the puzzle, a piece. But the puzzle is incomplete without you. That's what you are like.

La Vida es Sueno

The following excerpt is from a lecture by James Russell Lowell given at the Working Men's College in London. (circa 1885) All emphasis is mine.

"There is a moral in Don Quixote, and a very profound one, whether Cervantes consciously put it there or not, and it is this: that whoever quarrels with the Nature of Things, wittingly or unwittingly, is certain to get the worst of it. The great difficulty lies in finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably is, and the great wisdom, after we have made this discovery, or persuaded ourselves we have made it, is in accommodating our lives and actions to it as best we may or can."

I would wish you the best of it, not the worst. That is the intent of G-G-G. To 'accommodate our lives and actions' is to perceive Life as a gift. To be grateful is to employ a spiritual alchemy where we circumvent the cynicism and nihilism currently infecting the West. God is 'finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably (permanently) is.' This is how we influence life. This is how the dreamer awakens.

Faithless

The truth is that my work--I was going to say my mission--is to shatter the faith of men here, there, and everywhere, faith in affirmation, faith in negation, and faith in abstention in faith, and this for the sake of faith in faith itself; it is to war against all those who submit, whether it be to Catholicism, or to rationalism, or to agnosticism; it is to make all men live the life of inquietude and passionate desire.

~Miguel de Unamuno

Facta, non Verba

God has heard you and given His blessing--act! Initiate, engage, move forward. Be the physical manifestation of your prayers.

O God, thy sea is so great
And my boat is so small

Yes, yes, I know. The opening lines from Winfred Garrison's poem speaks to the heart of the matter; you are afraid. You would do all that you boast if not for...

Weigh anchor and set sail regardless. For it is said: "They that go down to the sea in ships; That do business in deep waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonder in the deep." (Psalm 107)

Deeds, not words, is the order of the day.

Conscientious Objector

I recently stumbled across the amazing story of a man named Desmond Doss. It told of his service during WW II. It really doesn't seem possible any of it's true. Yet eyewitnesses, newspaper articles, a TV program, and film footage of him receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman, says it is. I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't heard or read anything about this man before. There was a documentary made about him in 2004, but (alas) we all know how popular documentaries are. Thankfully, a movie titled "Hacksaw Ridge" will be released this November. I don't think you need to wait that long to learn of this extraordinary man. Google him.

Tickle Me Yahweh

God is playing with me. To understand what I mean by this you will have to read All is Vanity (7-4-16) and Interesting or Odd. (8-1-16) The inexplicable keeps happening and it seems as though God wants to rub my nose in it--albeit in an amusing way. The hard part is writing to you about the dynamic. I can imagine your dismissal of my record of events as embellished or untruthful. And that brings me to the undercurrent of why (perhaps) God keeps the inexplicable going. (to reveal aspects of my ego) The initial post (All is Vanity) speaks to the listing of countries as a 'sop to my ego.' It was and I acknowledged it. I confessed my motives. The occurrences since then have been unprecedented--other than the first few months of the blog. (for obvious reasons--every country was new) So here I am (once again) listing new visitors, wondering if you think I am playing games or making all this up. Which is just another manifestation of my ego!

Honduras 8-2-16 Ecuador 8-3-16 Panama 8-10-16 Angola 8-15-16 Tunisia 8-15-16 Cambodia 8-16-16 Albania 8-17-16

ALBANIA--Algeria--ANGOLA--Argentina--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--Bolivia--Bulgaria--CAMBODIA--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--Denmark--ECUADOR--El Salvador--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--HONDURAS--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--PANAMA--Peru--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--TUNISIA--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe.

Ironic, yes? On the one hand share developments and risk being thought a manipulator or liar; on the other, side-step reality for fear I look ludicrous and the series of new visitors improbable. (at best!) So be it. Nothing is quite as healing as a good laugh at our own expense.

Hold Fast

I know who you are. Those that come here. Sensitive by nature, deep thinker, inconsistent in your application of spiritual knowledge. I know you. And I would ask you to remain steadfast, and true. That despite the bullshit that swirls around you, do not become disillusioned. Or disinclined. Or stumble into despair. Hold fast.

The truth is the political system is bullshit. The truth is the religious system is bullshit. And the economic system, the military system, and any other system one could name...they are all bullshit. But the truth is, that truth is but one aspect of the truth. It is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth--just an element of the truth. Hold fast.

Don't you know if you turn away now we are lost? That if you become discordant and disheartened there isn't any remedy? That the lunacy will prevail? That we will be swamped by their lies, their manipulations, their derision of human decency? Did no one tell you? Did they omit that from your teaching? Hold fast.

Here is what I would ask of you. Continue to be the person you would be. The one with the childish dream of equality for all. The one with the aspiration of a better tomorrow. The one with the naivete to believe they could change the world. Yes, be that. And hold fast.