God Doesn't Row

Einstein remarked, “The most important decision you will ever make is whether you live in a friendly or hostile universe.” Spiritually, if we live in a hostile universe, then no matter what we do, there really isn‘t any hope for us. The hostile universe is dominated by a “score keeper” God, holding that we are full of sin, so all we can do is the best we can, knowing that when this flesh fails the piper will be paid. Forgive the language but this lacks something without it: “Life is just one big shit sandwich, believing in God just means you get fries with it” pretty much sums up the hostile universe point of view.

But what of the friendly universe? When the Carpenter delivered the Sermon On The Mount, he summed up our relationship with God simply with the words “Our Father.”  The friendly universe then builds on a basic criterion: we are all connected, equal in His eyes regardless of circumstance or station, “the realm of Heaven roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding; open to all who earnestly seek.”

We have all been touched by sin, however in the friendly universe we Live on the Spiritual Basis, knowing in our heart of hearts, that we are forgiven as soon as we ask. The key being that we truly wish to change and grow spiritually, so past transgressions no longer bedevil us or are repeated. Forgiveness is meaningless however if it is only sought as a means to avoid trouble. For forgiveness to be operative we must desire to change with all our heart, finally realizing that though willing, the flesh is weak, we must have help and that help comes from “Our Father.”

Now, if we had to wait to be “pure” to become worthy of God’s love none of us would make the cut. To be clear: we are worthy right here right now; all that is required is a wholehearted commitment to seek a relationship with God. How is this done? Through prayer, service and meditation coupled with willingness and an open mind. When approached this way the path of our enlightenment naturally unfolds before us, but we must continue in the work. Visualize it this way: It is you and God in a rowboat and God doesn't row. His hand is on the tiller and we row with our back to the direction traveled, our eyes fixed on Him, lest we become fearful and try to steer the boat by pulling a little harder on one oar or the other, resisting God’s guidance. If we ultimately lose faith and grab the tiller He will not fight us, but He will not row. Lacking our demonstration, our rowing, our little boat is left to the mercy of contrary currents and swirling eddies of self-centered fear, ultimately directionless even though our hand is on the tiller. The good news is as soon as we retake our seat and pick up the oars, He will resume the tiller and though we may be fearful and trembling, we grow by once again demonstrating trust in the infinite, rather than our finite selves. Oh, and He brings much better sandwiches.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, #Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti,

 

30 Years Ago Today

Forgive me, but today's post is of a personal nature. 30 years ago today my life changed in a most dramatic way. Though at the time I didn't see it, but such is usually the way of such things. I was living of the world but not really in it, existing in a haze of self imposed intoxication, focused only in self, shut off, by choice, from all that truly mattered, all that was of real value, oblivious to the truth.

I was a young man, intelligent to the point of narcissism, sure of myself as only the clueless and spiritually immature can be. I found myself at a point of crisis, self imposed but a crisis none the less. Bereft of answers or direction I reached out in a way that was contrary to all I thought I believed and two men that I had never met before arrived at my home, bringing the good news I so desperately needed but didn't really want. But I did not want to continue the way I was traveling so I followed suggestions, did things like make coffee, give rides to people I had just met to gatherings of other like minded individuals and did I say I followed suggestions?

As my intoxicant befogged mind began to clear I saw, for the first time, that all the trials and tribulations in my life had one common denominator, a central point of chaos and disharmony, that point was me and my thinking. I had been living on the basis of my will and my life reflected it. So it was suggested I find a new basis, a spiritual basis for living that would solve all my problems.

So I embarked on the most wonderful journey of all, that of self discovery. There have been many wrong turns and mistakes along the way, but oh what a ride, every day a holiday and every meal a banquet, if I am right sized and committed. Those "suggestions" given me by those who knew all those years ago still working, a plan for living that really works.

And to all those who have walked with me on this road of happy destiny, whether it was for only a little while or from the very start, thank you. I carry you all in my heart, my thoughts and am grateful to you for having been a part of my journey. So, onwards through the fog, a day at a time, hand in hand with Him who has all knowledge and power, no longer of the world but in it with my head in the clouds and my feet firmly planted on the ground for that is where life happens. Oh, and I still follow those "suggestions".

See ya around the coffee pot.

Theoretical Skiing

Intellectual discussions of spirituality can be interesting, even invigorating, but have no real value without demonstration. Consider: someone decides to become a snow skier. They read books and magazines on skiing, attend lectures and seminars, learn about snow and meteorology, purchase the latest skiing attire and have custom skis made. Are they a skier? To the casual observer they seem to meet the criterion, they “know” all about skiing and have all the latest and best gear. Except they have never actually skied. Now, a seasoned skier would not be fooled for a moment, they would listen and know in short order that their “knowledge” was all theoretical, none of it based on actual experience. Clearly, being a lodge or “bench” skier has its advantages: they never get hurt (as long as they don’t insult an actual skier) and they stay warm and dry with minimal wear and tear on their gear and wardrobe. The only problem being the point of skiing is to ski, to experience all the wonderful things on the slopes they have only read or heard about.

Now most folks who decide to ski, do in fact hit the slopes. Spiritually however many choose to remain in the lodge, convinced that self knowledge is sufficient, taking the slopes unnecessary. Both cases of bench warmers demonstrate the same truths: Self knowledge avails us nothing that faith without works is dead and they wish to enjoy a certain reputation they know in their heart they don‘t deserve. Knowledge has little or no value until it is put into action/demonstration, for when we lack the faith to put what we “know” to work, we allow fear to dominate us. For faith to be vital we must leave the lodge and hit the slopes, and just like the beginning skier, regardless of how much we “know” we are going fall, make mistakes and end up a little sore. 

So we step out in faith and demonstrate over the challenges and difficulties of life, relying on a Power Greater Than Ourselves to provide what we need, employing prayer, meditation and constructive action to solve all our problems, proving the theoretical. Oh, and never ski on old wax.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, #Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti,

 

Somersaulting Through The Eye Of A Needle

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25). Well, I have yet to see a camel small enough or a needle big enough for this to happen, so I surmised, wrongly, that it meant being rich was something to be avoided. Yeah, didn’t make much sense to me either. Let’s look a little deeper. Context being king; *many cities at the time of this saying were surrounded by high thick walls with large gates to facilitate traffic in and out of the city. At night the large gates would be closed and small gates opened, these gates were known as the needle’s eye. So perhaps a clearer translation would be: It is easier for a camel to pass through the needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Camels could be brought through the needle’s eye, but it required unloading them first. This is the crux of the teaching. Camels don’t care what they are carrying, rocks or gold makes no difference to them, only that it eventually comes off, the sooner the better.  In this the camel seems wiser than us. Whether we are rich in physical possessions or not, we carry all sorts of baggage, impediments to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Selfishness, hubris, spiritual pride, condemnation, bigotry (overt and subtle), hatred, self-centeredness, fear in a hundred guises are all examples of “possessions” that keep us locked in the bondage of self. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have become willing and ready to be free of this bondage, setting aside our possessions, performing the work daily to become and remain “poor in spirit.”

Poor in spirit does not mean poor spirited, conversely it means we have unburdened ourselves of our baggage by a simple reliance on “Our Father”, turning in all things to Him who has all knowledge and power, finally realizing the truth of our connection and birthright as children of a loving Creator.

So if you are trudging the road of happy destiny weighed down by your possessions, cast off your pack and leave it by the side of the road, become truly poor in spirit, weightless, cart wheeling through the needle’s eye, somersaulting into the Kingdom of Heaven.
*Note: not all Bible historians and translators are agreed on this interpretation.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, #Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti,