My Role In Your Life
You pray to me to help you catch the bus on time. To smile on you so you draw the right card on the river. To make a certain plan or a certain day work out right. You pray to me for a lot of things, and most commonly it is with a request. Infrequent lately are the days when you simply say hello. Just a little thought to say that you remember me. Not that it makes that much of a difference. Not in regards to what you ask.
What makes you think that I am concerned about your poker game? What makes you think I am concerned about your picnic? Does it ever occur to you that virtually everything that you would have me give you includes me taking from someone else? And what makes you think you deserve it more?
This world of mine has rules. Rules and laws that every thing in that wold interacts by. Everyone has to follow. You have known what many of these rules were for centuries. Your sciences teach you more of these rules every day. As you learn more of these rules and how everything effects everything else, you should realize how unlikely I am to grant a simple whim of yours. No matter how much you love me or I love you.
This entire world is a complex organism. Everything playing its part to keep everything else in motion, like one great body. My primary concern is obviously for the body, for the body is mine. Within this body is where you operate. As a society I have given you the means to thrive or the means to destroy each other. I have given you the laws that govern how and when you can do either. Now I hear cries that the innocent suffer and I should intervene. Why? Your people suffer at the hands of your people. Why should I interfere? This is your choice. But some of the innocent pay the price. So? Can your toe complain when your whole body succumbs to cancer because it didn't take any part in smoking? No. Neither does it get preferential treatment simply because the other parts of the body didn't care about it. I told you that what you do not find within you will not find without, how else but as I have just explained would I have meant it?
Why do you cry out that I don't do something spectacular for you? If I help you catch that bus, that means I interfered with my own well designed world just for you. Is that not spectacular? Do you claim to deserve more? I wouldn't if I were you.
I don't tell you not to ask me for miracles. I just tell you that you know the rules and can't expect that I will simply toss them out at your request. What should you ask for then? Guidance. This I give all of the time. Ask me to guide you to help yourself within the rules that have been set. If you listen, here I will help you. Here is where the miracles can take place, when you make something of yourself without bending the rules. And when you ask for this guidance, ask with sincerity. Worry about what you are asking for, not what names you use when you ask for it. If you ask for guidance I will give it, whether you aim your request at Jesus, Buddha or a giant Furby. If you ask for miracles, the same result can be expected whether you ask Allah, Amaterasu or Papa Smurf. Know your intentions, be sincere in your request, and know that while I love every one of you, I rank few of you above or below any of the others. In daily life, you are oh so important to me. In a combative stance against my other children, you become the minority.
Behave well. Live well. Say hello more than you say please, and be Blessed in me in all of your endeavors.
What makes you think that I am concerned about your poker game? What makes you think I am concerned about your picnic? Does it ever occur to you that virtually everything that you would have me give you includes me taking from someone else? And what makes you think you deserve it more?
This world of mine has rules. Rules and laws that every thing in that wold interacts by. Everyone has to follow. You have known what many of these rules were for centuries. Your sciences teach you more of these rules every day. As you learn more of these rules and how everything effects everything else, you should realize how unlikely I am to grant a simple whim of yours. No matter how much you love me or I love you.
This entire world is a complex organism. Everything playing its part to keep everything else in motion, like one great body. My primary concern is obviously for the body, for the body is mine. Within this body is where you operate. As a society I have given you the means to thrive or the means to destroy each other. I have given you the laws that govern how and when you can do either. Now I hear cries that the innocent suffer and I should intervene. Why? Your people suffer at the hands of your people. Why should I interfere? This is your choice. But some of the innocent pay the price. So? Can your toe complain when your whole body succumbs to cancer because it didn't take any part in smoking? No. Neither does it get preferential treatment simply because the other parts of the body didn't care about it. I told you that what you do not find within you will not find without, how else but as I have just explained would I have meant it?
Why do you cry out that I don't do something spectacular for you? If I help you catch that bus, that means I interfered with my own well designed world just for you. Is that not spectacular? Do you claim to deserve more? I wouldn't if I were you.
I don't tell you not to ask me for miracles. I just tell you that you know the rules and can't expect that I will simply toss them out at your request. What should you ask for then? Guidance. This I give all of the time. Ask me to guide you to help yourself within the rules that have been set. If you listen, here I will help you. Here is where the miracles can take place, when you make something of yourself without bending the rules. And when you ask for this guidance, ask with sincerity. Worry about what you are asking for, not what names you use when you ask for it. If you ask for guidance I will give it, whether you aim your request at Jesus, Buddha or a giant Furby. If you ask for miracles, the same result can be expected whether you ask Allah, Amaterasu or Papa Smurf. Know your intentions, be sincere in your request, and know that while I love every one of you, I rank few of you above or below any of the others. In daily life, you are oh so important to me. In a combative stance against my other children, you become the minority.
Behave well. Live well. Say hello more than you say please, and be Blessed in me in all of your endeavors.
posted by Wanderer at 7:28 PM
10 Comments:
I quite agree with you Lisa. About Papa Smurf and the other issues. :)
The primary thought process and reflection that led to the thought processes I tried to put into words there was in regards to the various Holy Wars, religious politicing and any other competition that involves the idea of praying for your side to win. What in the wold would lead anyone to believe that they would be so special as to be chosen over a large number of other people? That there life would be made better at the cost of others? It seems that too many religious folks spend too much time considering themselves to be the "favorite child", somehow more special than anyone else.
Very well written. May I quote?
I've often thought I pray/meditate not to 'change deity' but to change me.
I'shalom
Seraphim
Feel free to quote anything you find here, but if you do I would appreciate at least a brief reference to me that you have done so or a link to the post you take it from. I hate when people debate what I have said without me being aware of the debate.
no worries. I'll link back to your blog, but can't really see what there would be to debate about?
Peace
Seraphim
Mostly that was to clarify a position I held that resulted in an argument with someone else on his blog. Since I said I didn't mind you quoting me, I had to point out what the difference was in my opinion in case he is still reading my blog.
dear fred, oh, I'm sorry wanderer or should i say Papa Smurf...?
i guess you would understand anyway, no matter what name i called you...or even if i left this message on an entirely different blog i guess you would receive it and reply to me...
names are important...directions are important...and i would hope anyone trying to contact me would use the name that i gave them...sincerely, your friend, arthur b roberts (?)
Arthur - In this you imply a limitation to God. (Perhaps in leaning with my last post.) If I was the only person you could be talking to (i.e. the only one in the room) then I would know that it was to me that you spoke. Regardless of what you said. In this vein, then, the name isn't important. What the name means to you when you use it is more important. If I know the name you use is viewed as insulting in your mind, that makes a difference. If I know it is the most beautiful name one might have, in your perception, that also would make a difference.
Lets look at it in another light. If I never told you what my name was. If I intended it that way, that you shouldn't know. Would it matter what you called me? Certainly not to me. I am the one who refused to tell you how to address me. So, then comes the question: Does anyone know what God's real name is? Even to you Christians, Jesus isn't the answer. (To this question anyway.) Jesus is the name his mother gave him, which indicates he had one prior to coming down and doing the whole "Birth thing." What was that name? "I am." Isn't a name either. It is a description of the definitive boundaries, or lack thereof, to himself. Does God even have a name? Probably not. Why would he need it? If you can direct your thoughts in prayer to a higher power, don't you give God credit for know that would be him?
I agree that direction matters. I don't think I argued that. My position has always been thus: If we both head north right now, we can both eventually reach the same place, at the North Pole. The paths that we take to get there would be completely different, but the destination would be the same. Tell me, if God is everywhere, how there can be only one right way to get where he is?
Wow, that last question is tough and it may take a while to answer it so I'll come back to that later, maybe on my own blog...
But other things you said (by the way, it's been a while since we had one of these fun "discusions", i missed them!) What is his name? Go to what Christians and Jews believe that "God" told Moses at the Burning Bush. Moses asked him which god should I say sent me. To someone living in that place at that time, especially with an Egyptian background, this was a very valid questions. There were literally hundreds of different possible answers (others in the room?) and "God's" answer of "I am who I am!" was basically a statement saying that of all those so called dieties (mind you I speak as a Christian here and commenting on Hebrew Scripture) He was the only one that actually existed. So yes, I AM is not His name. But it was what he told Moses to call him, at least according to the beliefs held by billions of Christians and Jews.
Jesus was not the name given by his mother, it was given to his mother by the angel. Jesus Christ, or Yashua Hamasheah, literally means "the salvation of I AM" And as the Christians believe, there is no other NAME in heaven or earth by which we are saved.
Now, I have to go off line and try to write a story or two that address that mind boggling question you asked me. Good one, buddy!
Your friend, ABR
by the way,
it took a few pages, but i think i may have come close to beginning to answer that question of yours. check out my blog...Dawn is Coming.
Arthur - Oddly, I wouldn't disagree with the concept that the God who spoke was in fact all of the other ones. Of course, I would disagree that meant that the others were false. Of coures, I speak from a non-christian standpoint.
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