Light of the Nations
Telephone: 812-837-9976
E-mail: info@lightofthenations.org
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Light of the Nations
by Bruce David
(***Because of the complexity of this subject matter, it cannot be resolved by bullets or sound bites. To be of value when responding to something of this magnitude requires an in-depth examination of the multitudes of perspectives related to this issue.)
As people come to learn more about our organization, Light of the Nations, one of their main interests is in how we bridge the gap between science and religion.
The following will address this question in context to all peoples and religions, but at the end, we will also provide links to additional writings where emphasis will be given to “Wholistic” Judaism, the spiritual approach that has become our discipline of choice for advancing in our life growth process.
Upfront I would like to say that while I am universally, love/life oriented, I treasure the Jewish understandings and traditions that have guided me to develop my universal life connection. And still today, these same Jewish traditions and practices play a significant role in positively influencing my life choices.
Adopting a “Wholistic” approach to Judaism was a vital aspect of attaining my current level of understanding and I encourage everyone to adapt their own religious, spiritual beliefs, and/or life philosophy, so that they will also be choosing for a loving universal approach that will provide the best possible future for us all. Everyone’s preferred religion and/or life philosophy should guide them to a healthy, loving place for life to grow. Any life path we follow should lead to enlightenment / increased life awareness … to an embracing of our connection with each other, our world and beyond, and reverence for our precious gift of life.
We are universally love/life oriented individuals who recognize the validity of the Jewish path as a way to advance our life growth process. By assisting us in achieving a more consciously aware and mindful version of our “self,” this approach benefits us, our loved ones, our people, all peoples, and our world. “Wholistic” Judaism is Sustainable Judaism.
When it comes to science and religion, one of the first questions people ask is:
Do you believe in Intelligent Design or Evolution?
Our answer is that we believe in “Intelligent Evolution,” that there is an Intelligence influencing the design and energy flow of our universe and existence, and that one aspect of this incorporates an evolutionary life growth process.
Questions we need to look at:
God or no God? How accurate are the things we have been taught to believe? As imperfect human beings how “right” can we actually be about anything? What are the implications regarding the existence of an Intelligent, Powerful Being? Is there a workable path that will allow us to advance together in our efforts to help improve the quality and health of our lives, those of our loved ones and our world?
“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein
How to Describe the What It is That Is
No matter what name you give it, or how you choose to address the definitive “It,” most people, including scientists, agnostics and religious and/or spiritual people of all faiths, believe that there is an incredible energy infusing, and perpetually influencing, the existence of our world and universe.
Based on the complexity and interwoven interconnectedness of the energy that permeates everything we know of, and the way everything continuously functions together in synchronization to allow life as we know it to exist, this Amazing Force has an invested interest in our world and the life process.
“The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life.
It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation.” Michael Jackson
As individuals develop an understanding of the magnitude of complex designs involved in the life growth process, and the mechanics of their operating as an elaborate system of more than remarkable coincidences, one that is continually influencing our lives and everything else we know of throughout existence, this LifeForce, for religious and /or spiritually oriented individuals, takes on the characteristics of an Intelligent Entity.
Whether they are scientists or not, this is the primary issue that separates atheists, agnostics and religious/spiritual people. It essentially comes down to what degree someone believes that there is an Amazingly Powerful Force interactively engaging with our world and lives.
Atheists for the most part believe that we are the accident/result of some type of cosmic explosion and evolutionary process. (It would have had to be an accident because anything else would imply purpose.) Some scientists believe that an innovative Force began and established the laws of nature in the beginning, but now allows the universe to evolve without interference. Religious/Spiritual people believe that there is a Mystical Force, with awareness and purpose, influencing existence. Agnostics are not sure what they believe.
Who Believes that there is an Invisible Force Influencing our Lives?
Many young people, and others, are uncomfortable believing that there is an invisible, powerful force influencing their existence.
Do you believe in the possibility of an invisible energy force influencing your existence?
Recently I was looking at the Wind Map web site, a sky view from above looking down on the flow of the wind currents over the land.
Underneath this image, in referring to the wind, it stated:
“An invisible, ancient source of energy surrounds us—energy that powered the first explorations of the world, and that may be a key to the future.”
Here are scientific people who believe in the possibility of an almost undetectable energy that, beginning from a time long, long, long ago, has influenced (and is continuing to do so) our world and existence. Interesting!
Of course we know that we all believe in seemingly undetectable forces influencing our lives and existence, right?
Do you believe that there might be a second seemingly invisible force, one that starts with the letter “G,” that is positively contributing to our existence, and that without it, we wouldn’t exist as we do?
We believe in gravity don’t we?
Since we’ve seen it with the wind and with gravity, now the question becomes:
Where do we draw the line on believing in invisible forces influencing our world and our lives?
People of all religions believe in an invisible Force influencing our lives. Scientists, atheists and all educated people recognize that there is a happening energy permeating all of existence.
The question all these people would like answered:
“Is there an Intelligence manipulating all this energy?”
“I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.” Socrates
The First Stage, the One that Created our Universe
Regardless of what we call it, pretty much everyone agrees that something powerful happened, either a “creation” (birth) or “explosion” (Big Bang), which led to the existence of our universe.
As a result, everything we are currently aware of is part of this energy that encompasses our universe and existence. We, like all of nature, as well as our entire environment, also appear to be part of a natural life recycling process.
How It All Began
At some point, this Energy Force reached a stage of existence where “It” was capable of creating or manufacturing visible levels of matter, as we know it today, and “light,” to the configuration of a universal reality of substance.
The “Big Bang” fashioned, or possibly gave birth to, an innovative dimensional materialization, and a unique expression of being. This colossal transference of energy instituted the pioneering era of our creation, a seemingly atypical, distinctive phase of tangible representation for the cosmic essence of our universe.
Over people’s varying perceptions of time, whether divinely inspired and/or through evolutionary energy development, this energy progression led to the expansion of a celestial environment of galaxies overflowing with planetary bodies.
“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” William Blake
Earth – The Chosen One of Planets
An apparently unique aspect of this collective planetary experience was that for as much as we know of so far, only one worldly environment, Earth, would include seemingly endless variations of “living” creatures and life forms.
At least visibly, by partially distinguishing its existence from the dark energy/matter of a cosmic womb, perhaps comparable in many ways to other forms of life giving birth to a physical essence, Earth emerged as a newborn world/seed entity planted in a biosphere garden.
People – The Chosen Species of Earthly Life Forms
Out of the incalculable variations of “almost” unimaginable life forms that cover our planet’s surface, depths and skies, there eventually emerged a species with abilities far beyond those exhibited by most of the other varieties of life.
Most of these “life” forms would possess varying degrees of self-realization pertaining to their existence. The more advanced will have discovered that their conscious awareness extends beyond their actual physical body.
Whether blessed by a Creator with the unique advanced abilities of our own individual life species, or, although seemingly beyond any realistic possibility, just materializing in evolutionary human forms as a stroke of good fortune or incredibly amazing “luck” as the result of an accidental cosmic explosion, we all should agree that manifesting as what would appear to be the most advanced species on our planet, offers us a wealth of opportunity, and responsibility.
“We are the miracle of force and matter making itself over into imagination and will. Incredible.
The Life Force experimenting with forms. You for one. Me for another.
The Universe has shouted itself alive. We are one of the shouts.” Ray Bradbury
It is estimated that the human physical form is made up of approximately 100 trillion cells and that each of these cells individually operates on the level of a fully functioning city. Got that? This implies that there is so much going on with our corporeal makeup (ex. - body, mind, heart, organs and breath) that we have minimal control over.
Yet, as somewhat intelligent, mobile beings, humans were given the opportunity to experience life in ways that most of the other life manifestations could not.
Even though humans are basically composed of the same cells and energy as other life forms, we additionally seem to possess a degree of conscious self-awareness along with the ability to process a small percentage of the interactions relating to our existence.
“In essence, String Theory describes space and time, matter and energy, gravity and light,
indeed all of God's creation... as music.” Roy H. Williams
Humans are “chosen ones.” We won the biggest life lottery just by being humans. Out of everything we know of, what other life form would we rather be other than human?
Being human is a precious life gift and we should embrace it us such.
Something From Nothing – Finding Light in the Darkness
One of the more recent scientific discoveries offers an acceptable compromise for alleviating some of the discord relating to science and religion. This new twist to our perception concerning the composition of our universe provides us with an opening for getting past many of the difficulties that have previously hindered our growth.
Not so long ago, astronomers, and other scientists, believed that there was only empty space between the stars and planets. “Nothingness!”
Recent studies now seem to support the existence of yet another invisible celestial material. Scientists primarily refer to this substance as dark energy and/or dark matter. This “hidden stuff,” supposedly makes up 80% - 96% of our entire known/unknown universe.
Similar to the astonishing estimates that venture that up to 95% of our underwater ocean life still remain unexplored, the overwhelming bulk of our universe is also waiting to be discovered.
The residual “mass,” which is only a miniscule 4% of our extraterrestrial existence, is composed of all the “matter” that we know of, in the forms of planets, stars, and other physical life manifestations, including our own.
This consists of all the mountains, oceans, deserts, land, trees, people, animals, and all things with substance on our planet, including our world. This also comprises everything that we can see in space. Plus, Earth isn’t even as big as a single drop of water in the cosmic, celestial ocean. Think how small that makes us. Almost irrelevant! Almost…but not!
Think about this. All the things that together make up our solid, visible universal reality make up only a tiny fraction of our cosmos. The awe-inspiring preponderance of elements that compose our existence are essentially invisible to us.
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
When someone is subjected to an eye examination, based on his or her percentage of limited, or missing, sight, a person may be classified as visually impaired or blind.
In our situation, based on our extremely minuscule percentage of visibility, it would seem almost certain that humans, on the whole, would be classified as “visually impaired.”
But my how quickly things can change!
What for so long was accepted as “nothingness,” in the blink of an eye has unexpectedly become the prevalent component of our existence.
The invisible isn’t quite as imperceptible as it used to be.
The information now available to us from this insightful discovery, might additionally suggest a viable theory for unifying our human perceptions, one that we can incorporate into our efforts to develop a workable blueprint for unity.
This concept is very relevant to our universal viewing of creation because it gives credence to the possibility that the “nothingness” before the birth of our universe also included this dark matter/energy.
If there were any “space,” this would seem be a logical assumption. Even in “nothingness,” something must fill the maybe, not so empty, space.
This fresh data inclines us to recognize and consider the two foremost viewpoints for determining our personal choice relating to the events that occurred during the epoch of celestial initiation, the creation of our universe that many refer to as the “Big Bang!”
“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Arthur Conan Doyle
“In the beginning,” either there was already a consciously aware, Intelligent Energy Force in existence, or somehow, the presence of a substance(s), such as dark matter/energy, evolved to explode and create an entirely functional universe of light, colors, shapes, forms and dimensions, beyond our capabilities to count or comprehend. This accident would somehow eventually develop to include a planet capable of supporting life, including an atmosphere for retaining the air for the life forms to breathe; and a life growth process, along with the elements and a natural recycling process necessary for life to propagate; and including consciously aware humans.
Objectively viewed from this perspective, the clock-like configuration and precision timing of our continuously and actively running existential timepiece, the pocket watch of universal existence, would seem to require the skills of an extremely advanced, expert Watchmaker.
“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clockmaker.” Voltaire
The seasons move in harmonious synchronization for the Force which set the celestial timepiece in motion.
Professional Expertise Required
This is comparable to recognizing that our garden/world would call for the expertise of a gardener. The ground needed to be prepared, and the seeds had to be sowed. The plants and animals needed water and depended on light for their growth. They also required oxygen and nourishment.
This particular garden spot appears to have been well tended to, some would say, even lovingly cared for. Looking at appearances, it certainly seems that Something, and/or some cellular regeneration process, is evidently making an effort to grow a garden world.
Besides a watchmaker and gardener, comparable cases could be made for the necessity of an artist. Colors and patterns beyond number distinguish the life masterpiece of nature’s canvass, unsurpassed beauty ensuing from the talent and palette of the supreme Artist.
Viewed in this way, our universe appears to function on the blueprints of its Architect and the intentions of the Force which established the foundation on which it is built.
And the list goes on and on. We can see aspects of Intelligence and Skill manifesting in practically every profession and in the workings of our lives, world and universe.
The moon marks the months as the sun counts the days, time, life and death, all interwoven into a cosmic tapestry.
“The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed
can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.” Charles Dickens
To meet all the infinite and diverse needs of a functional universe, and the immeasurable requirements of inestimable life forms on an emerging garden world, would require expertise, knowledge and abilities on so many levels.
This is true on the cosmic scale as well. Somehow, all the intricate pieces of a universe, both the visible and invisible, on myriads of limitless levels, had to precisely come together for everything to manifest in the way that it has.
“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” Lao Tzu
In a discernable way, there has to be an Energy Force of some kind that is influencing the growth of existence from sub-atomic particles, and smaller, on up.
Do you believe in miracles?
“Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you.” Jon Bon Jovi
A miracle is most often defined as: “Beyond our realm of understanding,” or a “statistically unlikely occurrence,” so we will use these as our guides for determining whether different events are truly out of the ordinary happenings.
Based on these criteria, is the existence of our planet a miracle?
The odds of winning a huge lottery are 1 in millions.
So what are the odds of one tiny planet, out of the billions of galaxies, some with trillions of stars each, being “chosen” as a life growth place, and the only one that we are currently aware of that has life as we know it?
Does this meet the criteria for being a miracle? I think so!
But it doesn’t stop there.
What are the odds of all the universal conditions needed for our planet to exist as a garden/world all coming together to manifest our reality?
Probably greater than the following example:
Without outside interaction, could all of existence come together on its own to create our world and universe? This would include accidently developing into the equivalent of a super, advanced functioning computer, far superior to anything we can even begin to comprehend by today’s standards, one capable of printing out something the size of a universe. It would also need proficiency beyond the most advanced art programs capabilities for creating limitless varieties of 3D/4D shapes and forms while blending limitless numbers of colors, and dimensions. Additionally, it would also necessitate the power and skills to project them beyond the computer itself where they would manifest individually with working organs and senses that allow them to live their lives as a semi-independent life form. At the same time, this accidental explosion would also have to provide a life environment for meeting the specific requirements of these life forms including seasons, sun/light, air, water, food and land for their growth?
Based on all the above, it seems logical to assume that there is a powerful Intelligence influencing the growth of our garden world and our lives. This makes sense, right?
Once we recognize the existence of yet another invisible energy source influencing our lives we can move ahead.
“It is impossible to account for the creation of the universe without the agency of a Supreme Being.” George Washington
Why Prayers? Praying to an Invisible Energy Force? What’s the Point?
I have heard many people ask about the difference between “praise” and “thanks?”
To me, “praise” is recognizing and acknowledging the extent and magnificence of creation (and its Creator), while “thanks” is gratitude for our part in it.
For those who do recognize this Force as actively involved with our lives, and appreciate just how rare and precious our life gift is, is there a problem with attempting to communicate our gratitude for the opportunities and abilities we have been given?
Since we have been given the ability to communicate with and understand others, it would seem logical to surmise that there may be a way for us to establish communication with Intelligence greater than ours.
This is what God is about for those who perceive that this life/energy Force is directly connected to our life growth process. We, and everything else that we know of, are manifestations of this amazing energy.
Once we have attained this level of awareness, where we recognize that all the “stuff” of our universe and world didn’t just happen, we can start to comprehend how far beyond us the Creator/Programmer of existence is, and how all its different parts, including us, are part of the makeup of this always happening life growth process.
Yes, there is design to this life growth process, and yes, there is Intelligence behind it. And if we are able to communicate, it should be, too. If we are capable of thinking and understanding, It is, too, only on a much more advanced level.
Our awareness right now leads us to realize that while we are in our current physical entity, we are only one temporary manifestation, one energy essence that is continuously interwoven with everything else throughout existence.
To say thanks in the best way we can to show our appreciation for our gifts is to do so in love, to open our hearts in gratitude for our precious gift of life, along with all our senses and abilities. To do this, we use the special fun abilities we have been given to sing, dance and celebrate, while the ideal way to do this is to be connected with our natural life essence and be present in the moment.
Once we understand how fortunate we are to be here because of this invisible Force, Power and Intelligence influencing our lives, world, and universe, we want to show our appreciation, and through our actions to show how thankful we are by sharing our gifts in peace while positively contributing to the healthy growth and well-being of life on our planet.
The “ALL” is way beyond religion, but religion can provide a path for increasing our conscious awareness and being mindful of the preciousness of our existence. Religion is beneficial when it guides us towards enlightenment/advanced conscious awareness, an understanding of the interconnectedness of us all and our responsibility to maintain our world and lives as healthy parts of this life growth process.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw
Searching for Truth in an Imperfect, Ever-changing World
How true something is can often be based on the “truth” of its impact and ability to influence others. If people “believe” something to be true, it can affect their actions, both positively and/or negatively, whether or not it is actually historically or factually accurate.
We saw a perfect example of this not so long ago when we found out that there really isn't a brontosaurus (dinosaur). Like myself, I am sure that most of us "believed" that this dinosaur existed. We were all so positive that the brontosaurus had lived on this planet, that our minds had incorporated the existence of this creature as a fact and allowed it to become a reality in both our society and in our shared worldwide knowledge base. Now, it turns out that we were wrong. We all really put a good one over on our-selves!
Examples of our Human Limitations
The force of Existence/God and Time - These are seemingly invisible/imperceptible forces of existence that physicists can’t yet explain.
They are always happening and encompassing all, (possibly past/present/future), yet still remain beyond our realm of comprehension.
“We think we have solved the mystery of creation. Maybe we should patent the universe and charge everyone royalties for their existence.”
Stephen Hawking
Whether it is science or religion, no one has a monopoly on truth. Everyone’s perception of life is extremely limited, even more so when we try to understand and appreciate perspectives from the past, and/or foreign places, religions, languages or cultures.
Because of these and other factors, there will be much of other people’s lives that we will have difficulty relating to. There will be things that don’t seem to make sense, especially to people living extremely fast, contemporary life styles, and who lack the time and/or energy to deeply navigate the depths and dimensions of existence on all the many levels of our reality. And this includes us all. The demands of our lives keep us way too busy!
As such, based on our own limited abilities and perceptions, we cannot hope to know or appreciate what others are basing their understandings on, and how these influence their lives. We cannot be the “thought police!” We should only view people by their actions and whether their choices are positively or negatively affecting our lives and world.
So be patient with religious and/or spiritually oriented people and others. None of us has life figured out any more than the scientists do. The main thing is that everyone should be trying to make the best choices they can based on their circumstances, and that as long as people are still evolving towards achieving a more advanced version of their self, while attempting to positively contribute to a healthier world for us all, everyone should be given room to grow.
The best any of us can do is to try and understand how all the different types of “things” we encounter determine our reality and belief system, and to find a way of interpreting them in ways that will benefit our life growth process and existence.
"Religion is essentially the art and the theory of the remaking of man. Man is not a finished creation.” Edmund Burke
Finding Common Ground
The goal of most mainstream religions, as well as scientists, is to better understand who and what we are, how we ended up here, and where we are headed.
Another ambition of religion should be to assist those they influence in achieving a state of enlightenment where people are 1) consciously aware of our connection with the Force influencing our existence and the preciousness of our life gift, and, 2) actively engaging with this state of mindfulness to positively contribute to the greater good, a healthier, happier, safer, saner world for us all.
“While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation.” Maya Angelou
A Viable Blueprint for Unity
Part of advancing in our goals requires finding common ground that will allow us to live peaceably together. This is particularly relevant when it comes to bridging the gap between religion and science. We must agree to a workable solution that allows everyone to choose the path they find most helpful in advancing the growth of their own particular being, as long as they are not doing so in a way that is harmful to others.
Our goal here should be to obtain the essential knowledge and wisdom to develop a comprehensive spiritual/scientific model to meet the needs of those who recognize the existence of an Intelligent, Advanced life form, and those who don’t.
Even before the initial activation of our current conception of the universe, whatever “else” existed back then, that which was beyond our human capabilities to totally integrate with the mental abilities of our corporeal, physical systems, still remains off our radar screen today!
However, the vastly diverse ranges of views concerning this “unknown” run the gamut of rationalizations, from the Presence of a Super Powerful God Entity, to “nothingness.”
This collaboration should be acceptable to, and meet the basic, livable needs of, the seemingly infinite numbers of views that compose the wide-ranging spectrum of religious, and /or non-religious, opinions that abound.
The fundamental premise for the proposal being advanced here is that it is in our best interest relating to the essential aspects of our lives, those that are paramount to us all, to join together and participate in this planetary renovation, and revamping, as a means of extending the continued health and existence of life on Earth.
We should adopt a world concept mold from which to cast a planetary visualization of sanity and health, one that would access the soul and/or humanity in everyone.
Sculpting our connection in this manner will either encourage us in our desire to fulfill the will of this conscious Entity, or to find the humankind traits of compassion and/or rational reasoning in those who question the existence of such a Being.
Our intention is to promote a wholly inclusive plan for guiding humankind towards linking to a worldly life platform. A component of this all-embracing endeavor will entail constructing and generating a global passageway, one that will integrate our individual perceptions, data and experiences, and permit us to move forward together.
Time for a Quick Check!
Are we all still on the same page?
Can everyone embrace for the most part, at least with a qualified acceptance, the premises established by this position as to how we reached this stage of creation?
In our quest for unity, does everything we have shared so far still fit into your understandings and philosophy pertaining to life?
Let’s move on!
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Carl Sandburg
Can We All At Least Agree To This?
We Need To Find Common Ground To Move Forward.
Other than if someone wants to claim their ignorance as an excuse, there just isn’t any way for us to avoid coming to grips with the dilemma threatening our planet’s condition, or the unhealthy situations confronting us relating to our lives. We have to come face to face with the reality of, not just our “state” of affairs, but also our “world” circumstances.
“Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation.” Albert Schweitzer
If someone genuinely wants to get to the heart of the matter, this is it.
For all people, at least in our current physical manifestation, this is what it ultimately comes down to!
This is the bottom line for the survival and well-being for the majority of life, the definitive choice that every one of us has to make for ourselves.
You can probably tell that I think it is a “biggie!”
And your right, I do!
That is why I am suggesting this approach.
When considering your answer, I first encourage everyone to look deep within and try to find your most noble and decent self.
Seek out, and get in touch with, the loving, caring person you were when you unselfishly did something for the greater good, and because it was the right thing to do.
Seriously, don’t omit this step! Please take just a moment to remember and process your psychological and emotional state of being resulting from this deed.
Once you have discovered this compassionate characteristic within your own personal being, allow yourself time to reconnect with the wonderful memory of this action, to savor its positive emotional impact, and the sense of genuine contentment it brought you. Hopefully it will bring a smile to your face.
Now, as we proceed, please try to maintain your connection with this heartfelt aspect of your life. Sustaining a comparable state of awareness will be extremely beneficial to us in our ability to relate to the tumultuous circumstances we will encounter as we move into life’s secreted corridor.
“We who in engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension.
We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Life’s secreted corridor
This is the veiled passageway of “self” that so many people avoid.
And no wonder!
There are mirrors everywhere, reflecting the exactness of our existence.
Although vague and dusty in spots, their reflections emulate the complete unabridged spectrum of our entity’s memories and physical actions. Our light and darkness uneasily coexist in this timeless cobweb of space, where people far too often become trapped in the webbing.
Succumbing to their own personally private web of cerebral entanglement is the primary hindrance that prevents most people from overcoming this mental impediment and moving forward with their life.
This is the highly volatile place where the tightly knotted intermingling of rationality and confusion create an uneasy psychological bond.
Regardless of its limitations, and ours, it is from here that we must process the information, both mentally and emotionally, to make the decisions that motivate our unique individual.
At this juncture, we will find the immeasurable range of our conflicting aspects, the gamut of elements that somehow fasten together to determine and portray our exterior existence to others, as they struggle for control of our psyche.
It is also here that the deafening echoes of both our silenced, and compellingly vocalized, screams continuously reverberate off the walls of our fragile and perplexed consciousness. These are the surround sound vibrations of over the top noise that continuously discovers ways to penetrate even our strongest soundproofing efforts.
Strewn everywhere we look is the broken glass of our shattered hopes and dreams.
It becomes immediately clear that there doesn’t appear to be any way to follow this path and realistically expect to avoid being inflicted with some cuts, and without enduring some pain.
Lastly, it is here that we encounter the fatalist version of our reality, where we sometimes secretly concede that it might already be too late, for our world, and for us.
Care to step inside? It’s a scary place!
But it is also the only access way to knowing if there is the possibility for change, to finding out if we still have the ability to learn and grow, whether there really is any hope for a time when people can enjoy their lives while living peacefully together?
It’s what most all of us want, isn’t it?
But, how bad do we really want it? What are we willing to do to help achieve it?
This is the place that, for better or for worse, will bring us closer to our “truth.”
Ready to proceed?
Let’s move ahead!
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Barriers to Our Being
The “greater good” will not require us to make sacrifices that are offensive to our moral values or vital to our spiritual essence. However, it may require that we show some flexibility in our belief systems in order to demonstrate our love and commitment to the overall well-being of all (the Creator’s) life.
Barriers to Our Being… Connected to Being… Apart or A Part of “It All!”
Don’t limit our connection to the ultimate LifeForce, and each other, by totally basing our understandings on the physical expression of our existence!
We don’t all have the same understandings as to whether there is, or isn’t, a God; or in our relationship to this Entity, if there is one.
At one time there was a social game called “telephone.” People would sit in a circle and someone would think of something and whisper it to the person next to them. From there people would go around in the circle with each one whispering, and supposedly repeating the precise message, to the next person just exactly the way they heard it. In the end, it was usually quite humorous to see the difference between the message the last person received from the one originally sent.
It is probably much easier, for anyone who has ever played the game “telephone,” to appreciate how there might be some confusion as to why people, even those who claim to adhere to the same, basically, identical, brand of religion, have so many different traditions and diverse perspectives in the ways they believe. They also have countless, dissimilar, approaches to how they practice and relate to their religion of choice.
And remember, these are the ones that adhere to the same fundamental belief and base their faith on a shared history.
This wouldn’t seem to bode too well for attempting to bring peoples everywhere together in our effort to reach an understanding that will be acceptable to us all and that would allow us to live in peace. Think of all the many complications and differences that are sure to ensue when people don’t even share a common foundation.
Our upbringings are all different. The stories and teachings of all our unique heritages have been passed down for centuries, “adapted” all along the way. These changes were made by imperfect humans like ourselves, people who probably didn’t always hear, comprehend, or accurately remember, the way that something actually happened.
Who among us has a perfect memory?
“Ahhh, yes! I remember it well!”
An attribute of being human is that each and every one of us has our own experiences, perceptions, sensory awareness and understandings as to how we perceive our world and place. Many “messengers,” consciously or unconsciously, most likely believe that they developed a better understanding, or insight, relating to an “original” communication that they received, and tailored their own retelling of it as such.
We don’t necessarily hear words, or feel other people’s actions, in the same way as the person they were emanating from meant them. Anyone who is or has been married, or is in a close relationship, will verify just how true this can be.
“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” Ambrose Bierce
Searching for the Perfect Solution Starts with Doing the Research
Perfection requires a faultless-ness level of accomplishment.
That’s Just Not Going To Happen!
But imagi-nation(s) of a perfected reality,
followed up by actions intended for the well-being of humanity,
can balance the “Scales of Life” in our favor
and rally us round to living contentedly as neighbors.
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
George Bernard Shaw
Fixing the Whole in Our Lives
Let’s face it! We are “imperfect beings” trying to create a “perfect” union, or at least a workable one.
I get it, so I’ll make the first concession.
If not “perfect,” at least let’s aim for something maybe a little closer to it, especially in the area of creating a safer, and healthier, life place for all the families of the world and us.
Trying to put this all in perspective means that we are basically at the end of a millenniums old game of “telephone,” one that for thousands of years has had billions of people trying to remember and share what it is they heard.
Plus, I feel safe in saying that many of these individuals were not giving the messages that they heard, or the words of wisdom that they conveyed to others, the proper attention they deserved.
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” Plato
Either way, we would like to hope that all of us would be open to recognizing the possibility that some alteration may have taken place in all forms of religious sharings as they were passed down through the generations.
Because of this, and for the greater good, as we move ahead this should encourage us all to be willing to allow a little leniency on our own perceptions, as well as the interpretations of others.
I read once where it said that not even 1 % of the world’s population believes exactly the same way.
From the perspective of those who sincerely believe that their choice of religious/spiritual practices and/or life philosophy are the only true, correct, and acceptable way, this means that things could get very interesting for the other 99% of us.
Quite understandably, if this were true, the theory of probability would project that there is an overwhelming possibility that no one we know, or us, will be among the one percent.
What's more, just being members of this fallible, and not fully evolved, human species, strictly limits our abilities to be 100% absolutely correct in any of our life choices.
For this reason, we should all try to take it a little easier on one another, cut each other some slack, and join together to improve our situation.
Approximately eight billion different people, all with their own languages, customs, and understandings, and all we have to do is get everyone to agree to cooperate and work together to create a better, healthier, safer, saner world. Great!
Well, let’s start with the simple tasks first!
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” John F. Kennedy
One of the first things we must do is address the conflicts, miscommunications and misconceptions relating to all the diverse views of the multitudes of religions that separate groups of individuals from most of the other people in the world.
While doing this, we need to acknowledge that most often it is sincere individuals who typically advocate all these diverse views. These people mostly believe that they are involved with trying to do their best to create a superior version of humanity, or who are attempting to live (and love) life to the fullest, according to their own, current, personal understandings.
“Millions of men have lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies;
but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality
and creation profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit.” Ansel Adams
Disagreement and Imprisonment of Our Souls
Barring None – The only way to achieve freedom for any of us to strive to achieve freedom for us all.
Since the cells of our bodies, and other life forms are basically the same, to end the discord and friction we will all have to accept a suitable energy chord of collective synchronization, compromising and comprising a harmonious measure that “plays for us all.”
We have to find an acceptable option that will enable the majority of peoples to live, or at least coexist, together in peace. This means that there has to be a place for all people, regardless of whether they do or don’t believe in a higher Intelligence, or if their view of such an Entity is different from yours. Got that?
How do we do this?
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
To begin with, we have to take the step of “acceptance.”
This affirms our understanding that a major priority, and one of our critical goals as a part of life on Earth, must be to sustain and preserve our planet.
We all need this world in order to live, and we accept that we need to take care of it in order to provide a healthier and safer environment for our friends and families, and for the children of generations to come, to live.
How do we do this? Good question!
It would seem that the most logical choice for seeking direction would be observe and learn from the other life manifestations that surround us. The overwhelming majority of life forms grow and bloom to their fullest potential in healthy environments where they are properly nourished and have their needs met.
“Our bodies are shaped to bear children, and our lives are a working out of the processes of creation. All our ambitions and intelligence are beside that great elemental point.” Saint Augustine
As restricted as we are by our physical forms, and the limited amount of information currently available to us, it still seems that the best choice would be to use our efforts to meet these requirements.
For instance, all of our species needs uncontaminated air to breathe, clean water to drink, and different types of food, nourishment and shelter.
If we would like to think that there is a greater good, this would mean that we really do need to do something about air, land, space and water pollution and managing our resources.
We need to find a balance that would provide us with: fruit trees and fields for crops; oceans, lakes and bodies of water in which species of fish and ocean life can thrive, and provide clean water for us to drink. We also need to fine-tune ourselves to living and growing at a more natural life pace.
Living our lives to the fullest, and in what most would agree is the best way possible, is about priorities.
While my own personal first priority is to grow spiritually in my efforts to connect with and develop a better understanding of the intelligent and powerful Entity that I feel influenced and guides our universe, I accept that this is not going to be the same for everyone.
For this reason, the following set of choices are being set out as guides that should be acceptable to all individuals who are sincere in their efforts to create a better world, and are open to the idea of accepting that everyone else’s path is not going to be the same as theirs.
We need to find common ground that we all can accept as a viable alternative, and the best workable option for obtaining our goals.
“The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
Can we all just agree to this?
Looking at the condition of our world, the answer is “Obviously not!”
If not though, then we need to ask ourselves, “What is the problem?”
If you find that you personally cannot accept the ideas stated here you may want to ask yourself, “What is the difference between you and a consciously aware/enlightened individual?”
What is it that is keeping you from recognizing and appreciating just how special and precious life is, how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience our lives in these forms, and how much better it would be for everyone if we could be healthier, safer and enjoy our time here more?
“To connect with the great river we all need a path, but when you get down there, there's only one river.” Matthew Fox
Linking our Future to Our Past and Present Realities
The basis of this effort isn’t just about words. It is an attempt to connect on an elevated psychological/emotional/heart plane beyond language, to arrive at a communal space that will allow all caring people to bond together and coexist in peace.
As such, this is for all those individuals who either recognize, or don’t identify with, or might possibly believe (that should cover it), that there might be some form of powerful and influential Entity, Force or Energy capable of having an influence on the development of our world and universe.
Based on the myriads of multidimensional aspects of space, time and dimension, the interwoven characteristics and complexities of planets, seasons, climates, natural wonders of nature and the interconnectedness of life at the minutest level of existence, some might also believe that this Entity possesses knowledge and abilities far beyond those of which we are presently aware.
If people think that the odds of winning the major lotteries are hard enough, multiply all of them times each other and it still wouldn’t be enough to match the odds that creation, and earth, happening the way they have, was just something that occurred by chance.
(Note: If you decide that even this vague reference to the possibility of something else beyond our limited understanding is too much of a stretch for you, when only the existence of just such a powerful Intelligence would provide real significance and purpose to our lives, then you have basically chosen to accept a version of reality that limits our options for this life and our future.
As such, the best we can hope for is that you can somehow find a humanistic technique of sorts that will persuade you to be a good person regardless, and that, hopefully, you won’t interfere in our attempt to improve the quality of our shared world).
Most people also recognize that while there are both, positive and negative, good and bad, nurturing and destructive elements that exist as part of the make-up of humanity and nature, that our best hope for creating a world in which we and our children would like to live, is to focus our efforts on achieving a place where people can live together in peace and have their needs met.
In order to achieve this preferred aspiration, we need to take steps to provide the necessary nourishment and care that will enable us to attain this reality.
“There is not a truth existing which I fear... or would wish unknown to the whole world.” Thomas Jefferson
On forgiveness:
Together we will forgive those who did, or did not, intentionally mean to cause us to be upset or harmed in some way, whether physically, emotionally, psychologically, etc., as long as we can now both acknowledge together that we are sorry that our understandings of the situation are/were so different, and that neither of us wants it to escalate into disrupting our life connection in the way it has again.
Understanding the importance of overcoming our problems for the greater good, we all agree to try to resolve our differences in a healthier, safer, more constructive way in the future.
It is not the same as an apology, but, hopefully, it is close enough to allow us to move forward with our lives.
Instead of viewing differences as good and bad, let’s scrutinize them as knowledge and ignorance.
Knowledge applies to those with the wisdom to understand the value of saving our home/world, and to be an actively involved, in positive and constructive ways to developing a healthy, life growth environment for all peoples.
Ignorance is associated with the negative, destructive forces that continue to abuse and destroy life, those who haven’t yet learned the value of this precious treasure, or the possibly one-time opportunity we have right now to experience it.
Sadly, when judged on the scales of life, we can determine which of these is most impacting our existence by the extraordinary heaviness of the weight on our world body, and our own.
Despite the good intentions, and genuine concerns and involvement, by so many loving, caring, well-meaning people, it is very obvious that the anti-life forces are painfully more dominant right now.
This negative and destructive energy continues blindly surging forward towards an illusory fate, while choosing to remain unaware that such actions are leading to the demise of our planet’s health and its life forms.
With modest resistance, the destruction of our home/world is continuing at a devastating rate.
Relating to our human existence, the old adage is true. We can make our own heaven, paradise, here on Earth, or we can burn in our own self-inflicted “hell!”
“Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.” Albert Schweitzer
We are always going to have our differences with others. None of us is exactly the same. Still, we will always share our life connection and a joined planetary fate. Because of this we must learn to be more accepting of one another and to find common ground that will allow us to join together in our efforts to save our planet as a healthy place for our children and life to grow.
There are steps we should take if we want to attain an enhanced version of life, both for ourselves, and others.
Light of the Nations
Telephone: 812-837-9976
E-mail: info@lightofthenations.org
7777 South State Road 446
Bloomington, IN 47401
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