As Human Beings, we share a few common beginnings and a few endings as well, such things bind us together despite ideological or physical differences. As manifest persons within a manifest Universe, we exist in relationship to absolutely everything else. Surly there is a connection between ourselves and every other human being that has ever lived. The relationship is very real and personal, weather or not we choose to acknowledge it or desire. Every single one of us has been given the gift of judgement, in lieu of perfect knowledge. We each exercise some limited power to create the world around us, and to create the world as it lives within our beliefs. We practice judgement upon one another, and within many other facets of our lives where decisions are being made. Countless decisions are being made every day, and for most of these decisions we seem to have little to no influence. I can not make up your mind, I can at best offer up a few arguments, but I have not the authority to demand your attention. Such are our innate limitations, we have not the capacity of perception to be aware of everything that goes on. Even in our immediate environment there is much which passes beneath our notice, but is none-the-less a relevant part of our reality. Life is work 24/7, although much of it is unpaid work. Even while you sit at the PC and read, or play a game, work is being done. If your heart muscle fails to work, you will die my friend, so clearly you are doing some work even if we do it unconsciously. The simple act of putting food into our mouths and chewing is labor intensive, although if we did not make the food ready-to-eat ourselves, much of that work was done by someone else. And even though we believe that most of the people who have worked to make our meals convenient have been rewarded for their effort, we still owe them a bit of gratitude which can not be valued in terms of money. We should at the very least, grant some recognition to all those people who contributed some labor to make our lives more comfortable. Although in practice some people are rewarded too much and others not enough.
As individual persons, I think that we do not have the power to choose to exist in an unconscious state indefinitely. Therefore we do not have the power to choose our own end, nor can we choose an end for someone else. Although surely we will all suffer a mortal end, perhaps there is some truth in believing that another kind of life begins. And there is a measure of manifestation, which remains entirely invisible to us, and for the most part undetectable by even the most sensitive scientific instruments. Perhaps we do continue to manifest within the universe in some way long after our physical remains dissolve into dust. Such beliefs lend themselves well to optimism, I don't think it harms us in any way to believe in our own durability. However it is perfectly clear that the Earth and Sun were not made to last forever, even if we hope for the possibility of a resurrection to everlasting life. Some stars have already passed away, and we depend on that passing, we are formed of the remnants. The solid Earth could not be born without those prior deaths, but the end comes gracefully to the substance of creation which continues to take on new forms. All of that physical stuff that we know as our own flesh and bone, has been here as a part of the Earth since the Earth was formed. As I have said, we share a few beginnings in common, evidently even the Universe itself is a born thing and that is one thing. We are nothing more than potential until the moment that we are realized within creation, but the possibility of us is still something which we consider to be very important. We think our role as observers is the thing which grants purpose to everything else. I don't think its wrong to believe in our own importance, it's even good for us; but as we begin to think of ourselves as more or less important we begin to err. The smallest events are still a significant part of the greater whole, without that small part the whole would be incomplete. As self-aware creatures we often give some consideration to what we or others deserve, although what Humanity deserves altogether could as easily be defined by the least fortunate of us. In some way our fate has been bound together by a common heritage, in a way that defies all possibility of separation.
In mortal life we experience varying degrees of separation, and many perceive that they are separate from God's presence. Often this is because the person thinks of God as a physical person much like one of us, and clearly there is no such person present upon the face of the Earth. I think that there may very well be one great creator and/or physical person who is God-like to us within the Universe. We ourselves are creators in some way, but we do not believe that we are Gods. I think that there can never be more than one, upon which we all depend. Dogs and cats may worship us, but having the prayers of many followers has no power to elevate us to Godhood. For all that we are or can become, we can never become like God, God is unique. Perhaps even the great creator of heaven is an individual person who depends upon God in the same way that we depend upon God. Perhaps we have a multitude of peers and companions within the Universe, of whom we are not aware. Some with more or less power, more or less knowledge, more or less authority, and some very much unlike human beings. But for a few notable exceptions, such persons seem uninterested in conversing with us. To the best of my own knowledge, no such person has ever offered to guide and govern our species, we have been left to govern ourselves.
For my own gratification, I know that I am loved, in this I believe myself victorious. I think it is enough to know that I have been loved, I do not need to be sure of anything else. In due course of time, perhaps we will gain the capacity and opportunity to learn the fullness of truth. Any decision that I make today, I might make differently in the future from a more knowledgeable perspective. Or we might always be subject to some kind of limitations which prevent us from gaining perfect knowledge, we have to make the best of the personal experience that we have today. If i choose to trust or doubt the authority of another human being today, perhaps I will gain a vantage to view the matter more clearly. I have been taught or learned of many beliefs and quite often these things seem to conflict with one another. Our most noble ideals seem to conflict with actual human behaviour, but perhaps there is some way even ignoble deeds may be justified. I humbly submit that our world is a perfect place just the way that it is, if only we could be aware of every condition we would see it. But who says that it's not possible to improve upon perfection? In a popular song by the Talking Heads, David Byrne sings that, "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." I say that we are citizens of the Universe and citizens of Heaven today, and this is not a place where nothing ever happens.
I think that God's Kingdom must be characterized by Unity and Inclusiveness. None that have lived may ever be forsaken by God, God must sustain us because that is God's purpose. It's not God's intent to punish or judge, and no one can ever be removed from God's presence. To the best of my understanding, God is present everywhere within the Universe, and everywhere upon, within and above the Earth. We could not experience the gift of consciousness if it wasn't so, we are entirely dependent and we always will be. I have said that we share a few things in common which bind us together forever and ever, this is what I believe about us and our place within creation. If you are not at peace in the moment, just wait for it, it's on the way.
As individual persons, I think that we do not have the power to choose to exist in an unconscious state indefinitely. Therefore we do not have the power to choose our own end, nor can we choose an end for someone else. Although surely we will all suffer a mortal end, perhaps there is some truth in believing that another kind of life begins. And there is a measure of manifestation, which remains entirely invisible to us, and for the most part undetectable by even the most sensitive scientific instruments. Perhaps we do continue to manifest within the universe in some way long after our physical remains dissolve into dust. Such beliefs lend themselves well to optimism, I don't think it harms us in any way to believe in our own durability. However it is perfectly clear that the Earth and Sun were not made to last forever, even if we hope for the possibility of a resurrection to everlasting life. Some stars have already passed away, and we depend on that passing, we are formed of the remnants. The solid Earth could not be born without those prior deaths, but the end comes gracefully to the substance of creation which continues to take on new forms. All of that physical stuff that we know as our own flesh and bone, has been here as a part of the Earth since the Earth was formed. As I have said, we share a few beginnings in common, evidently even the Universe itself is a born thing and that is one thing. We are nothing more than potential until the moment that we are realized within creation, but the possibility of us is still something which we consider to be very important. We think our role as observers is the thing which grants purpose to everything else. I don't think its wrong to believe in our own importance, it's even good for us; but as we begin to think of ourselves as more or less important we begin to err. The smallest events are still a significant part of the greater whole, without that small part the whole would be incomplete. As self-aware creatures we often give some consideration to what we or others deserve, although what Humanity deserves altogether could as easily be defined by the least fortunate of us. In some way our fate has been bound together by a common heritage, in a way that defies all possibility of separation.
In mortal life we experience varying degrees of separation, and many perceive that they are separate from God's presence. Often this is because the person thinks of God as a physical person much like one of us, and clearly there is no such person present upon the face of the Earth. I think that there may very well be one great creator and/or physical person who is God-like to us within the Universe. We ourselves are creators in some way, but we do not believe that we are Gods. I think that there can never be more than one, upon which we all depend. Dogs and cats may worship us, but having the prayers of many followers has no power to elevate us to Godhood. For all that we are or can become, we can never become like God, God is unique. Perhaps even the great creator of heaven is an individual person who depends upon God in the same way that we depend upon God. Perhaps we have a multitude of peers and companions within the Universe, of whom we are not aware. Some with more or less power, more or less knowledge, more or less authority, and some very much unlike human beings. But for a few notable exceptions, such persons seem uninterested in conversing with us. To the best of my own knowledge, no such person has ever offered to guide and govern our species, we have been left to govern ourselves.
For my own gratification, I know that I am loved, in this I believe myself victorious. I think it is enough to know that I have been loved, I do not need to be sure of anything else. In due course of time, perhaps we will gain the capacity and opportunity to learn the fullness of truth. Any decision that I make today, I might make differently in the future from a more knowledgeable perspective. Or we might always be subject to some kind of limitations which prevent us from gaining perfect knowledge, we have to make the best of the personal experience that we have today. If i choose to trust or doubt the authority of another human being today, perhaps I will gain a vantage to view the matter more clearly. I have been taught or learned of many beliefs and quite often these things seem to conflict with one another. Our most noble ideals seem to conflict with actual human behaviour, but perhaps there is some way even ignoble deeds may be justified. I humbly submit that our world is a perfect place just the way that it is, if only we could be aware of every condition we would see it. But who says that it's not possible to improve upon perfection? In a popular song by the Talking Heads, David Byrne sings that, "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." I say that we are citizens of the Universe and citizens of Heaven today, and this is not a place where nothing ever happens.
I think that God's Kingdom must be characterized by Unity and Inclusiveness. None that have lived may ever be forsaken by God, God must sustain us because that is God's purpose. It's not God's intent to punish or judge, and no one can ever be removed from God's presence. To the best of my understanding, God is present everywhere within the Universe, and everywhere upon, within and above the Earth. We could not experience the gift of consciousness if it wasn't so, we are entirely dependent and we always will be. I have said that we share a few things in common which bind us together forever and ever, this is what I believe about us and our place within creation. If you are not at peace in the moment, just wait for it, it's on the way.
