It's me, mike hillebrecht

Recently in a study group where we have been reading the book The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hahn, a renown Buddhist monk, he made a distinction between the Christian and Buddhist faiths which I found quite enlightening. According to Hahn, Buddhists do not believe in original sin as the Christians do; they believe in original fear. At first glance this might seem strange to Christians, however, it makes perfect sense when you place it within the mission of Jesus, the Christ, and what he proclaims throughout his ministry.

To be clear, the doctrine of original sin in a nutshell is that the first man, Adam, ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, an act which violated the commandment of God. Subsequently, all mankind has been captured in the result of this sin and Jesus is the sole redeemer of humanity who gave his life to rescue us from the pit of hell by adhering to the commandment of God as our second Adam. His death on the cross is the sin offering and final payment for our actions giving him lordship over all humanity. I recognize that there might be nuances within this description which I have not included that you are more than welcome to include, but I’m not trying to write a theological dissertation here, merely offer a sketch which the vast Christian movement has adopted in one form or another.

What then is the original fear which Hahn refers to? Simply put…dying. Here is how he describes it:

“Every desire has its root in our original, fundamental desire to survive. In Buddhism we don’t speak of original sin. We speak of that original fear and desire that manifested in us during our birth and in the precarious moment we took our first, painful breath. Our mother could no longer breath for us. It was difficult to inhale; we had to expel water from our lungs. But if we couldn’t breath on our own, we would die. We made it; we were born. And with that birth, our fear of dying was born along with the desire to survive. And as infants, that fear stayed with us. We knew that in order to survive, we had to get someone to take care of us…”

At the beginning of World War 2, as Nazi forces conducted their blitzkrieg of England, and London in particular, Sir Winston Churchill spoke to his nation and encouraged them with, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” They were fighting for their survival from an invading force and the fear of death from the falling bombs, the fires, or collapsing buildings was the common denominator all shared. At no point were they concerned about any sin they may be harboring and not confessed. Death was their fear.

Consider this for a moment. When God commanded the man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, what was God’s reasoning behind it?

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt surely die.

How does an eternal being, God, declare death to another eternal being, Adam? Is it possible that a change in consciousness is simply the answer? And what was the response from the man to God about why he was hiding?

Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Can a God-consciousness, an eternal, everlasting, life affirming consciousness be thwarted simply by the duality of a consciousness devoted to judging sin or sinlessness? How does the vulnerability of nakedness strip us of our conscious awareness of the eternal nature we have always possessed?

I have written about this previously, but Jesus did not come to take our sins away. He clearly stated, “…I have come that they may have life and that life more abundantly.” Before you think that he came to abolish the Law, recognize that he clearly stated that he came to fulfill the Law, and His death on the cross was, and is the fulfillment of this as our Passover lamb – not our scapegoat.

Almost every Christian believes that the death on the cross is somehow associated with sin, the knowledge of good and evil. Jesus was good, the Romans were evil. Jesus’ cry, “…forgive them Father for they know not what they do,” is as valid today as when it was uttered not because we crucify him by our actions, but because we don’t understand what he represents to our God-consciousness. The Passover lamb, as you will recall, was slain so that its blood would mark the doorpost and lintels to the homes of the children of Israel when the death angel swooped down through Egypt killing the first born in all the land the night before Israel’s release from captivity.

The single most offered command by God throughout the entire bible is “Fear not!” Yet, we gloss over such an injunction simply because we…we…what? Live fearlessly? Hardly. Today, the entire world is cowering in fear, the fear of death from a pathogen! We are reminded frequently throughout the day that we are agents of death if we don’t practice “social distancing” and wear a face diaper. Statistics about new cases and daily deaths from this “disease” only amplify the fear of dying. It matters not that 99% of those who contract the virus survive, it is the magnification of the 1%, mostly old, with compromised health conditions, who drive our fear.

Being young is good, being old is evil. The sin of age is dying so let’s stay young forever. Let us fear the transformation which comes with age and hide its effects with cosmetics, injections, and surgeries. Let us fear the loss of mobility, awareness and sensation. Let us fear that after a life of being independent we are forced to have others care for us, again, just like when we were a child. Let us fear the last moments of breathing this life, a life we have lived fearful of not being able to breath instead of abundantly breathing through the life given us to love those around us.

Is it possible the nature of original sin and original fear are simply two sides to the same coin, and no matter how the coin lands, there are no winners or losers, just God, eternal with all of us?

It’s crunch time. All the things you have been attempting to deal with in your hectic life are beginning to over shadow you and decisions which need to be made are simply falling to the wayside as one interruption after another divides your already over-taxed attention. Frustrated, anxious, and weary you fall back into a mode of seclusion trying to find a remedy, a fix, the resolve to go on.

In a moment of zombie abandonment, you flip through the mind-numbing channels on your television, not seek anything to watch but more an opportunity to tune out. And then with a flip, you hear it: “Let us pray.”

Hold on there pardner! Don’t for a moment think that this entire piece is about how to pray. This is actually a piece about why your prayers aren’t working now, haven’t in the past, and with great certainty, if you continue down the same path, won’t work in the future.

Yes, this is a brave claim that none our your clergy folks are going to present to you for one simple reason: They are having the same issue, but they can’t tell you this because it will tip the balance of power away from them.

Let’s step back for a moment and look back on events which have transpired throughout your lifetime. These global events have been met with prayers from all sides. But fires have raged on, hurricanes have howled, blizzards have stopped us in our tracks, while floods have wiped away all tracks and traces of our presence. But let’s look at some of the biggies which have been happening since man began walking upon the earth. Consider the following passage from the book of James.

Jas 4:1-3 What causes wars and contentions among you? Is it not the cravings which are ever at war within you for various pleasures? (2) You covet things and yet cannot get them; you commit murder; you have passionate desires and yet cannot gain your end; you begin to fight and make war. You have not, because you do not pray; (3) or you pray and yet do not receive, because you pray wrongly, your object being to waste what you get on some pleasure or another.

Now I’ll admit that I don’t like to quote passages out of the book of James because being a grace guy, James is written to an audience which is more law-centric than grace savvy. However, this passage is on point for all that it covers. At first glance, the most glaring issue is that we think that our prayers are designed to satisfy our cravings or desire for things. God is not Santa Claus. God is not your servant, waiting at your beck and call to do your bidding. I know some of you will find this hard to swallow, but you cannot influence God to do something for you today that He has never done in the past for you – even if you end your prayers, “…in Jesus name.”

(Heb 13:8) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Here is the rub: We have no clue what it means to be someone whose character never changes. We look at our short life span and can pick out changes in our nature and our character as we advance toward maturity. There are not many of us who can claim how we were the same person in our twenties, with the same values and ideals we possessed as we do in our retiring years. So, when we are confronted with this next passage, we wince.

(Mal 3:6) For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Notice how the Lord makes reference to the sons of Jacob, not the sons of Israel. Let me put this matter in context by rephrasing it in terms which maybe you can identify with. “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you breed of liars, thieves, impostors, and conniving scoundrels are not consumed.” Pretty accurate description of our issues. Thank God we don’t get what we deserve!

In our brash immaturity, defined by a life which spans 60 to 80 years, we miserably fail in understanding the eternal nature of God. In doing so we think that we are the only ones who are going through this stuff and there have been none other who can possibly understand our predicament.

Isa 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Look, I have been involved in prayer for decades. Intercessory groups, prayer chains, closet God-talkers. However, things have changed in my prayers. I can assure you how you pray, and I pray are at two extremes of what most would call prayer. I have been where you are, pressing in, calling down heaven, storming the gates. Yet, one day it all changed and has been evolving ever since. Let me offer this, not as a story, but as an example of what you have to look forward to.

I was in an intercessory group a number of years ago and like today, it was an election cycle. We had assembled with the intent of proclaiming God’s will for the “chosen” righteous candidate and the opening of the eyes for the public who had been seduced by the enemy through his lies. We tarried, we pressed in, we groaned, we repented with weeping and wailing, we declared the word of God garbed in the armor of God, pleaded the blood of Jesus…you know, the whole arsenal of prayer.

There came a moment maybe two hours into the session when the entire group was fervently in prayer, praying in tongues (yes, we were charismatic) decreeing the Word as it came to us, striking down and binding the powers and principalities. I was lying face down on the carpet, tongues gushing from the well within me, when I heard deep within me a very calming voice say, “Stop this. You don’t know what you are doing.”

The intensity of the moment, the angst and drama which accompanied it, suddenly evaporated and a cloak of peace enveloped me while my fellow intercessors pressed on in their high calling. I lay there for what seemed like hours in this peaceful embrace, quiet, yet listening to the utterances coming from my compatriots. Something inside me had changed and it affected my entire prayer life then, and has held up to this day. This is the point where I bring in the verse which all prayer warriors rally.

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

At this juncture I am going to make a claim that goes against what you have always been told regarding this verse (surprise!). “…groanings which cannot be uttered,” actually means, SHUT UP, STUPID!

Look, here is your issue: you don’t believe that God is omnipotent, all powerful, so you pray for more power; you don’t believe God is omniscient, all knowing, so you feel it is your responsibility to tell him things you believe he doesn’t know; you don’t believe that God is omnipresent, always present, so you call down heaven and the kingdom of God to invade your situation. Because of these three issues, you pray amiss and have not. Let me take it one step further, the god you are praying to is merely a grander, less corrupt version of yourself who you have made as an idol of for your glorious worship and heart-felt supplication. Before you turn aside from me for preaching truth, understand that I have been there and the road of good intentions is often a smooth mirage designed to hide the life-altering potholes which wait to deflate and impale you.`

So then what is prayer? When someone says, “Let us pray,” what are we to do?

(Psa 46:10) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Life comes at you from all sides, top and bottom included. Being still is the last option, right? There are no means available to you to duck, dodge, or deflect what life throws at you. It is going to hit you in the private parts when you least expect it, and while you’re bent over gasping for air, it will do it again simply because you were exposed from the back side. Anything you are able to utter in prayer will be based on somewhere in time to an eternal God who knows what you are going through (omniscient); has promised He will never leave you or forsake you (omnipresent); and who has chosen to place His kingdom of grace and peace within you (omnipotent).

Prayer at these moments is not what you can say to an eternal, immortal God, but what He wants to say to you as the holy vessel for His kingdom on the earth. Prayer, all forms of it, comes down to this simple statement: Be still; God is still speaking.

On the first Wednesday of November of this year, vast multitudes of people will awaken from a dream and wonder what is happening. Dreams don’t only play out in the darkness of our bedroom, but also in the darkness of our mind.

In the movie The Matrix, there is a character named Morpheus. In the Greco-Roman tradition this is the son of the god Hypno, the god of sleep. Morpheus’ task is placing humans into your dreams. On this day in November, after everyone has digested the blue or red narcotic of politics, Morpheus will supplant the desires of some and appoint the desires of others. No matter how you look at it, winning will not be the harmonious event the world is seeking.

Let’s be honest. You’re waiting in anticipation to rub the nose of your opponent in the disgrace of their loss come November. You’ve longed to be proven right about the claims you and the media have made. Superiority is refreshing in a time when everything has been against your perspective. The masses have spoken, and you are now vindicated.

While you gloat in the pride of your triumph, where is the harmony of humanity? How are you breaking the bounds of discord that has infected our community for these past four years?
Face it: you do not have the capability to navigate this tumultuous time of personal upheaval simply because you believe your perspective is correct above those around you and those you have determined to listen to. (And yes, that also includes me.)

Some might suggest that you need to treat the opposition as you might want to be treated in such a situation. I am not a fan of the Golden Rule. Simply put, it is an archaic rule which the opposition doesn’t give a damn about. If you’ve won, the last thing you feel like doing is coddling a loser. If you’ve lost, the last thing you feel like doing is being the doormat of a winner. There is a higher principle which we ignore every moment of everyday. It is a balm and a salve in these irritating times.

“…My grace is sufficient for you.”

Where is the harmony of humanity in the cycle of winning and losing? How does a society of such immense diversity achieve accord if the only metric of success is winning at all costs? If peace, harmony and reconciliation are to be achieved with this generation, what are we not only willing to forego, but challenged to pursue at all costs to violently grasp the trophy of such a grand accomplishment?

“…My grace is sufficient for you.”

Let’s say that your candidate prevailed. How will you respond to those around you who were not so successful? How will you, on the first Wednesday of November, and every day thereafter, interact with those who see you as the enemy, the cause of their failure?

“…My grace is sufficient for you.”

Let’s say that the entire country goes crazy with riots and armed rebellion. If sowing and reaping (or karma) has been taken off the table as a negotiation tactic, how are you going to be able to confront the swarm of protesters who believe the system has minimized, or even overlooked, their position?

“…My grace is sufficient for you.”

The hangover of the morning after will be tumultuous at best. And yet, grace…

We have no clue as to the power grace plays within the pantomime of our political discovery. There are those who profess to have the answers but their fish-like nature surfaces when tackled with the truth of how they can’t control the actions of everyone all the time. They seem to favor “catch and release” as a means to demonstrate their struggle for power as if this is how grace functions. It’s not so long as you feel insufficient in all areas of life.

There are those who profess how this is the most significant moment in the struggle of our nation’s existence. I’m not prone to such hyperbole simply because each moment is fraught with struggles we either embrace or cast aside. Despite what you may believe, there are a multitude of people in this nation who simply do not have a care about the goings on you presently find yourself enveloped in.

There are a fortunate few who have encountered grace and are sufficient, unshackled from the manufactured drama being projected around them. They are not careless or mindless. Living in grace has made them care-free and mind-full. This is not living “the dream,” this is reality, unfiltered and unadulterated. They woke up a long time ago and contemplatively watch the herd plod through the muck and mire of a well-trodden circle of duplicity about the promise of greener pastures.

So on the morn of first Wednesday of November, will you shake off the fog of a dream encapsulated in the red or blue pill, shake off the caked on muck of your vices and admit the truth of your sufficiency through grace, or will you take yet one more lap around the pasture of discontentment guided by the hand from another manifestation by Morpheus? The choice, as always, rests within you.

Over the past week my family and I have had the opportunity to revisit a few movies set in the time of the Great Depression. “Sea Biscuit,” “The Natural,” and “Cinderella Man” are at their heart the classic story of the little guy overcoming great obstacles to capture the hearts and minds of the people. These types of stories used to be “stock and trade” in an industry which often provides more gore, murder, and horror these days.

I bring this up for the simple truth that each of these stories expresses within their genre: Hope.

As Bob Dylan is renowned for saying, “…These times they are a changing…” The societal upheaval we are all experiencing is affecting each of us deep down inside with a sense of helplessness. Loss of jobs and livelihoods, loss of community and home, loss of basic freedoms of expression are draining the life force out of everyone. Doom and gloom scenarios along with end-time apocalyptic theories are becoming the normal conversations for people who have become too focused on the mayhem thrust into our psyche by a manipulative media. Even within each of these movies the “manipulative media trope” is highlighted as part and parcel of the adversarial conglomerate.

Where is your hope for the helplessness swirling about you? This may be found in a deeper spiritual commitment for some, while others find it committing themselves to the betterment of those less fortunate around them. Some find it in stopping the propaganda of despair and re-calibrating their soul through creative arts. Some sing, some dance, some paint, some work in a garden, prune a rose bush or rake fallen leaves. Some read, while others journal their feelings and experiences. Others are led to tear down and rebuild. There are those who cook or bake. Whatever the expression, the goal is simply hope.

Hope is the ability to control and dictate our outcome against seemingly overwhelming obstacles which seem to tear us down. Even if we can’t seem to accomplish it ourselves, being inspired by the actions of another in their quest for hope can raise us up into a different perspective.

Doom and gloom are easy to find and focus upon. Too easy it seems. Difficult is the search for hope, the diamond in the rough, the pearl of great price. Our focus is so often on the past or the future that we hardly give thought to the present and the hope which surrounds us like a multitude of bubbles in a glass of sparkling water, here one moment and then gone the next only to be replaced by another seemingly out of nowhere.

This is important to retain. Hope does not vanish. It reappears over and over again, bubbling up from within us and around us. Its buoyancy elevates the conscious environment about it. Yes, hope is infectious, and no mask can disguise it or keep it contained. This the reason that the purveyors of disaster reporting don’t like it – hope is unpredictable.

So, in these times of duress, bring up a movie where the underdog overcomes. Marinate in the drama as it unfolds and allow its effervescent exhilaration of hope activate your own optimism in the possibilities all about you. Allow yourself to become hope-filled as a counter to your help-lessness. Your story is not complete until you decide it is.

Seed time (cause) and harvest time (effect) is an eternal law on this world. Fruit never looks like the seed. The death of the seed activates the life leading to the fruit. The death of the fruit is what uncovers the seed within. In both the seed and the fruit death is the catalyst towards transformation.

Seeds are the original vehicle of nourishment for the inhabitants of this world. Some seeds create toxic plants leading to non-toxic fruit, while some seeds create non-toxic plants leading to toxic fruit; and the remaining seeds produce non-toxic plants and fruit. Toxicity cannot be discovered in the appearance of the seed only in the life it creates.

Many seeds have evolved to permit nature to disperse them across a vast region. Some seeds must be devoured by animals to permit it’s digestive system to release the protective coating the seed is encased within so that it may grow when it lands on the soil. Other seeds simply land from the place of their origin sustaining the ecosystem.

We look about and can witness change occurring throughout the various seasons of the solar cycle. Seeds and harvests follow this cycle. The change which transpires is the evolution of the seed to fruit. To fixate our gaze at a singular moment in the cycle and expect immediate change is ignorance in how growth evolves. To look at the cycle at its end and declare that nothing is happening and changes must be made is to ignore how the bulk of the work of growth must first be hidden under the earth apparently as death.

Are riots the seeds of change or the fruits of despair? Will real transformation occur without the death of either? What nourishment are these riots providing either as a seed or a fruit? When does toxicity factor into the cycle? At the beginning or at the end? IF this is a non-toxic occurrence, the seed, growth and fruit should feed us, right? Are the riots landing on the soil in a digested form or undigested form? Are the expectations of change merely the fixation on the end of a cycle when dormancy is natural and required to birth new life? Or is there a mutation attempting to re calibrate the cycle for a new expression of growth out of its proper season?

Our unique perception is the only soil these questions grow within. What cycle are you experiencing in the seed to harvest continuum?

Vulnerability.

We come into this world with it and leave this world with it too. From the beginning of time mankind has lived under the daily influence of a sense of being “less than” some other power, force, or consciousness.

We continually attempt to “mask” our perceived nakedness in actions which often cause more harm to us than confront the truth about our condition. These masks can be in the form of education, position, wealth, possessions, and relationships. Each mask offers us protection from our insecurity simply by allowing us to hide from those who do not possess what we have acquired. A bolstered sense of superiority we believe is the remedy for vulnerability.

The biblical record states how the first man masked his nakedness with the foliage of the garden he had been placed within. When the Creator, the ground of all being, sought for the man, the man felt compelled to hide because of his perception of being vulnerable from his actions. This is the plight of all humanity.

Our actions, more often than not, condemn us rather than compel us. How can this be possible? The answer can be found in the Creator’s response to the man when the man was asked why he was hiding. “Because I was naked,” was the response from the man.

“Who said you were naked?”

Who said…
…you weren’t smart enough?
…you weren’t tall enough?
…you weren’t skinny enough?
…you weren’t old enough?
…you weren’t gifted enough?
…you weren’t successful enough?
…you weren’t rich enough?
…you weren’t beautiful or handsome?
…you needed that car, house, dress, coat, shoes, watch, or (fill in the blank)?
…you couldn’t teach, write, speak up, sing, act, draw, paint, engage an audience or class?
…you can’t touch this or be touched by that?
…you aren’t worthy, dependable, valid, honest, pure, charming, accepted and loved?
…you are responsible for the actions of others you have never met?
…you are a product of generations who lacked accountability?
…you are not as innocent as we think you are?
…you must repent for your wickedness?

Ah, yes…repent! This always follows the trail of vulnerability like a pack of wolves following an injured animal to its demise. There is blood spilt in the battle of your mind which must be licked up by the dogs of war while your wound festers into a pool of puss, oozing all over everyone in the form of bitterness, envy, anger, greed and resentment. REPENT, ye sinner!

Bullshit! Who said repentance was crying out to God about how unworthy you were? Again, who said?

Let’s get right down to the nuts and bolts of it. Who said you were vulnerably naked? You did, right? You looked around and decided you don’t look like or have what others around you have and the difference rattled your sense of conformity.

Who said you had to conform, had to fit in or be left out? When you think of who that person was, ask who told them, and keep asking on down the line of history. Eventually you will realize that you have been merely following what other thought you should be doing rather than doing what has been intended of you from the very beginning.

At this defining moment, you will have to decide on whether you are going to continue being a creature of other’s habits or if you are going to truly repent. Repent simply means to change your mind. Its no big theological dilemma. Change or not, its up to you. Secure the mask of your vulnerability and thereby strengthen the hold others have on your destiny, or, embrace your destiny through acknowledging you are exposed, and it doesn’t matter.

Yes, you read that correctly, it doesn’t matter. The first man was naked long before he told himself he was. It was only when he evaluated his action as being right or wrong that he developed the consciousness of “not-being.” None of us have the capability of “not-being” simply because we came from the ground of all being and possess the consciousness of “all-being.” We plainly must stop believing how we are “not…” and just “be,” warts and all. And so, in the words of Forrest Gump, “That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”

“Shame on you!”

Have you experienced this scathing rebuke? How did it make you feel? Who delivered it to you? Was it a friend, co-worker, or was it a family member? How old were you the first time it occurred? Did it become a significant emotional event which you have carried throughout your life feebly trying to overcome the aftereffects?

Shame is a tool of control. It has been used against us for this purpose and we employ it for the exact same reason. We want our ideals to be the only one which have preeminence in any given situation.

Morality – the nature of right and wrong – is the backbone of shame’s destructive tendency. Other’s interpretation of what constitutes “right” is the warrant they serve us when shame is searingly thrust into our consciousness. This is true even when we do it to ourselves.

We live in very fluid times and shame is the rudder which directs the course of events presently. The “Cancel Culture” is the present instrument of shame. However, we should not overlook the great efforts in shame that the other movements, including the government, who have entered into the arena of controlling our actions.

I am well aware how being an old white man there are those younger than me who will attempt to shame me as being privileged, racist, Nazi, potentially misogynistic, homophobic, conservative, liberal, or progressive. Each of these petards, or any other from the quiver of slurs, are used frequently to squash any dialogue before it even begins. Their apparent value in use is just how shame-filled they make the person feel. The side effect is also just how shame-filled do they make those around the person feel too.

Control is about dealing with the masses not the individual. The individual is merely an unsuspecting tool which the agents of shame use to herd the masses who might develop the ability to think independently. Critical thought is often the light which causes the cockroach of shame to scurry into the crevasses of their self-importance.

During world war 2, Germany required all Jewish people to wear a star of David on their clothing as an identifying marker of their heritage. This was employed as a means of casting shame upon a people group within the population at large. It brought with it ridicule and violence from the general population which the government could not fully accomplish with their limited resources. The government merely had to employ the means of public indoctrination of shame to achieve its desires of control. Those who were critical thinkers about the morality of such actions were dealt with appropriately.

In the biblical record, the first occurrence of shame is self-inflicted. The first man, Adam, attempts to clothe himself and then hide after eating the forbidden fruit. When God asks him why he acted in this manner, Adam’s response was because he was naked. How God responds is often missed in grace circles simply because the tradition of God being a judgmental and vengeful deity is so ingrained into our psyche. “Who said you were naked?”

Grace transcends our shame-filled shroud of self-imposed guilt. It cuts right to the core of who we believe we are. It demands that we stand in the truth.

Today, we face a great divide in our nation and across the globe as the perception of a pandemic has been thrust upon us. Governments are attempting to contain the spread of a new contagion they know little about. Control of the populace is the operative means being used to contain the effects of this invisible force. There are competing theories and treatments being presented as never before in how to address this matter, and yet, the narrative being offered has to be controlled also. Social media platforms and MSM outlets are working furiously to ensure that only one voice, one explanation, one treatment and cure is heard by the populace. Self-isolation, social distancing, hygiene and face masks are a reality to our nakedness to this invisible force.

We were told that our efforts to close down the economy by staying home would help to “flatten the curve” of victims needing to use limited hospital resources. As projections of cases never materialized, we began to hear that we were doing this to protect the lives of those who were most susceptible. The slogans, “Stay at home and save a life,” and “Wear a mask so you don’t kill a loved one,” began to filter into our consciousness without any validation of these being statements of truth. We began living in fear of anything or anyone outside of our circle of direct influence. We began to confront our belief in a person being innocent before proven guilty. Additionally, we forced ourselves to confront our fear of dying.

Fear is the catalyst for the use of shame. While morality will be the structure of how it will be administered, fear is the volcanic purging which fuels the shame-inducing event. Agents of shame fear their loss of control. Losing it is a personal death blow. The ego, which drives their identity, seeks the role of authority and it is from this position that uncertainty is forbidden to enter. Death, the ultimate uncertainty, is therefore the greatest fear, the pinnacle of uncontrollability.

The injunction God presented to the man and the woman in the garden was that in the day that they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they shall surely die. Doing the wrong, or evil, thing causes death. However, the fruit is also good and doing good will cause death also once the fruit has been eaten. Good and evil, the basis of morality, causes death across the entire spectrum. Shame is the tool which flails at our nakedness trying to hide our perceived imperfections in ourselves and others.

The next time someone ask you do you have a mask, whether you do or not, consider who told them you were naked and what fear they have been forced to deal with in asking you this question. If you are one who refuses to wear a mask there is no shame in this, despite what society seeks to thrust upon you. You have made a choice and grace honors this just as much as it honors those who feel compelled to submit to a different narrative without careful consideration of truth.

In the final analysis it might all come down to how much of an agent of shame have you been. If you can’t even control yourself how does trying to control others work toward your being the best you can be? Is it possible you can live a grace-filled life that is not ashamed of who you are or of the people around you?

The quest for the meaning of life is fraught with the myopic preponderance of self. “What am I here for?” Understandably, it is difficult to remove our self from the matter of living when purpose seems to be the result of our actions. However, what if life is not, and never has been, about you? What if there is no “you” in the first place, but a “you” in maybe the fifth place, the place of grace? Consider the following:

“ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Gal 2:20

Paul recognized a deep truth about his position and purpose in life. We seem to have lost this truth as we navigate throughout the world. But some might ask, “What truth? I know this verse and confess it frequently.” The truth is not in the saying of the verse or even knowing the location of the verse. The truth is in residing with the knowledge that Christ is living as you.

Tradition has relegated the role of Christ to just a function and title of Jesus of Nazareth. In his book, The Universal Christ, Fr. Richard Rohr makes the following distinction:

“Christ is God, and Jesus is the Christ’s historical manifestation in time. Jesus is a Third Someone, not just God and not just man, but God and human together.”

Paul recognized how Christ is far more inclusive of the entirety of creation than to be housed in the singular manifestation of Jesus. He would claim that Christ in you is the hope of glory. Not in the far-off future but in the here and now. He would also claim that in Him we live, breath and have our being. This is a 24/7 statement of utter dependence. Do you live like this?

God is all knowing, correct? Yet, how often do we assume that only we have the answers? Even when we search for the meaning of life it falls heavily upon our shoulders to carry the burden of discovery. Rarely, if ever, do we relegate our quest to the One who knows for certain. We’ve exalted our “self” into an idol we worship more than the One who created the universe we stand in.

Jesus eloquently depicted this concept in the passage about the vine and the branch. Almost everyone knows this passage and, regrettably, the emphasis in most teachings seems to be placed in the production of fruit. This is not what the message is about since fruit production is simply the effect of being in the vine. Jesus claims that if you are not in the vine then you are as a branch which gets casts into the fire. This is not a reference for to going to hell as many have been led to believe but merely the stark reality where having “self” as an idol which is a lost cause that no one else will appreciate – even at your demise.

Being in the vine, being in Christ, holds a life force of untold riches with naturally producing divine results. The fruit never asks the vine “what is my purpose,” simply because it is the effect of the life within the plant. The branch never asks the vine “what is my purpose,” because the branch is an extension of, and at one with, the vine. This explains the comments which Jesus made of, “My Father and I are one,” and “The Son can do nothing of his own but only what he sees the Father doing.”

God is ever present, correct? That is up until the point we feel that He has left us. But He has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. If Christ is in you, how can God ever leave? Certainly, we have read how Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and have come to believe in some way if Jesus felt this separation then it must be true for us too.

Wrong! Once again we have elevated our “self” idol above the all-knowing God who is ever present. David was pretty clear on this matter in his song when he declared how there is not a place where we can go, either in the heights or depths of this world, or our mind, where God is not already there. If you’re there, so is God, as you.

“Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and body.” This, Jesus declared, is the first commandment. There isn’t a spot of your being which isn’t covered in this commandment to love, and yet, we find it so difficult to do simply because we can’t “grab a hold of” an invisible God. Consider the second commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is something, or someone, you can grab a hold of! Yet, Paul will tell us how if we say we love God but don’t love our neighbor, we are liars.

In case you missed it, allow me to make the connection. My entire premise for this writing has been God manifesting as you. If He has done this as you, He has done it as your neighbor too, since He is no respecter of person. After all, God is everywhere, even in your neighbor. So, loving your neighbor is loving God, which according to the first commandment, you should be doing with all you heart, soul, mind and body. But you may say you don’t like your neighbor. Your choice is simple then: allow Paul to call you a liar so you can hold onto your “self” idol or do what Jesus said and love your enemy. They are both looking for the same end result – love God.

I recognize what I have stated here is difficult for a number of people. For some the thought of loving themselves is impossible. The variety of reasons go beyond the space I have here, but in a nutshell, it comes down to not believing yourself to be worthy of love. This too is an exaltation of the “self” idol. It might not appear like it, however, whenever we raise a standard which places demands upon our performance which can never be achieved, we lose sight of the fact that it is our creation, not God’s, which is holding us in bondage.

Furthermore, we have been trained to keep God up there and out there for so long that even the Hubble telescope is looking for Him. Yet we’ve missed the declaration of Jesus telling us that the kingdom of God is within us. A kingdom only exists where a king resides. Before you think that I am declaring you, me, or anyone else to be GOD, forget it. Our meat sack of a body is merely the earthen vessel which transports the divine flame of all creation. It is a vessel uniquely designed to house and transport the vastness of a Creator who, as you, is exploring and enjoying the interaction of the life of His creation.

So then, if you are looking for the meaning of life, try for a moment to consider that the meaning of life resides within you and is flowing out of your already. Consider that this activity is also happening to the people around you across the globe. Take a moment to connect within where the kingdom resides and ask how all this works and what is your role in Its purpose. Contemplate on what God, as you, has to offer in this realm and ask how you’re to accomplish this. Continue doing this until you experience the rushing of a divine spark burst into a loving flame which consumes you. Then…

“What the hell were they thinking?”

This is probably the most uttered phrase these days. Actually, it seems to almost be an anthem to those who scratch their heads in wonder. Let’s face it, we are standing in some deep manure throughout many areas of our society and what got into this situation, as well as what will get us out of it comes entirely down to how we think.

There is someone who once said that the thinking which got you into a situation is not going to be the same thinking which will get you out of it. Albert Einstein said, “Thinking that doing the same thing over and over and expecting change is the definition of insanity.” These statements are a testament to all of our thinking processes.

Back in the day, when I was teaching at a technical school, I was asked to create a new class for the students which would benefit them in their chosen field of employment. I was given free rein to develop the curriculum and use whatever supporting text required to fulfill the needs of the course. The only concern which the dean had was that whatever I created, it had to fit each of the three different student groups we were serving without having to be customized for any one of them.

I spent several weeks previewing the needs of the employers of our students in an attempt of determine just what would benefit each in the short term but also over the long run. The fact that this had to apply to all three classifications of students made this a rather arduous endeavor.

During this time, I was introduced to some work written by Dr. Edward DeBono who is a world renown expert on creative thinking. Reading through a number of his books, I discovered he had developed a program on how to teach a person how to think and do it creatively. His CoRT program was divided into 6 modules, each having around 10 lessons to explore. The first section was a core module which brought a number of tools to the student to hone their thinking skills and would subsequently be the basis for moving through the other 5 modules of the course.

I immediately recognized how this program was what I was looking for to supplement the students. Most people believe that when you go to school the most basic skill you should walk away with is thinking, right? Regrettably, it’s not. The most basic skill is memorization. This is the only activity that guarantees a student will be able to pass a test. This was true then, and regrettably, still hold up today. Ask a student to think, critically, or even creatively, and they will look at you like bull frogs in a hailstorm…MORE

If you want to see how this proceeded and what the tools look like, click the link below and begin your journey to better thinking.

A Tool of Thought

Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20 MSG)

What is the purpose of it all? A fairly common question often asked in a moment of existential yearning. Motivational speakers will tell you that it is your purpose you are to pursue with passion. Regrettably, they don’t tell you how to discover your purpose except through some claim of, “Do what you’re passionate about and then you’ll know what your purpose is.”

So, we try things hoping just one venture might ignite a spark within us. We go along, sometimes for decades, hoping the path we have chosen is the purpose we have been searching for. Some become so full of themselves in this journey every decision they make is backed by the Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my way.”

Most, however, feel aimless. Wandering without a destination or plan, battered by the winds of change, always one step away from going over the edge into the abyss of despair. They are empty, never even tasting a measure of the fullness they crave. They feel that their life has no value.

The one thing which both of these viewpoints share is the preoccupation with self. Either I have a purpose, or I don’t. It’s all about me, myself and I. I was deposited on this planet with the intent to appreciate in value before being withdrawn. Purpose is the catalyst to appreciation, not only for myself, but from others. Self-centered thinking.

So, let me tweak your perception for a moment. Consider the opening passage from Paul. He comes to realize how “he” doesn’t live this life. Oh, sure, there is a body walking about the earth, but it’s occupied by Christ, not Paul. Does Paul’s claim appear to be any different from, “The Father and I are one,” which Jesus made? No.

How many times have you professed Paul’s claim and yet didn’t believe “yourself” enough to accept there is no longer a “You”? How would you feel if suddenly there came a flash of revelation that your earthly birth was simply the manifestation of God showing off as “you”? Would you and God then be “One” just like Jesus was? Would Paul’s revelation become your revelation? What if “your” purpose was to discover “His” purpose as “you”, how would this unfold? If you and the Father are one, and I and the Father are one, aren’t we then one according to Jesus’ prayer?

If we are the unique manifestation of the Father on this earth, what purpose is there in praying to a God who is up and out there somewhere? If the kingdom is within us, does prayer need to spoken out for others to hear? Can communion with the Father be an internal occurrence known as prayer? If the Father “fills all in all,” can we claim to be purpose-full?

Have you been filled with a purpose which you draw from within, rather than from without? Who is living this life, fully you or you, filled? If there is a purpose in this writing it is to get “you” to recognize how full of purpose “you” are already; “being filled” denotes a lack which an abundant Father finds no purpose in.