Watering The Seeds Of Life In Your Soul
A Word on the Immature at heart, the Godless who allow flesh and desire to rule their world, the unconditional Love and Meaning that God has waiting for us in our soul, and embracing Non-Christians.
God speaks in signs. For some of us, He is really quite audible and clear. For many of us, it takes concerted effort to see the signs he lays out. For all of us, it requires nothing but faith to believe in His Eternal Presence. He is there, and we just have to seek Him.
When I was first saved — and well, that is always a loaded statement — I was brought this level of what I can only call Panoptic Bliss. It’s as if the naivety I once had for the world was gone, and the fear of man’s judgement dissipated, and the Spirit of the Lord was visible to me. Now, I am not meaning to be mistaken for some ultra-wise man, because I am not. What I am getting at is that when you know that God not only exists, but plays a vital role in your existence, your fear of the worst things in life are gone.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When you are a child all you know is what you see, what you are told, and the innocence of the world. A grown man knows that there is much more he does not understand, and surrenders his being to the Unknown — the Unknown that is Good. There are entities, things, beings he cannot reconcile in spoken or written language. Sometimes this is channeled through speaking in tongues, but everyone knows that only builds spirit for the tongue-speaker; no one else in the room receiving the benefit.
When a boy grows in age, but not in wisdom, he dooms himself to the flesh, the corporeal, the worldly. Shame permeates his thoughts, he cannot get passed his own lack of self-esteem to see the future. Even a dolt can have some level of wisdom when he grows if he surrenders himself to the Lord — the Good that is Unknown. He doesn’t have to thoroughly study every word of the Bible to channel the Spirit of the Lord. The Word is clear, and apart from the nitty gritty, he can be a wonderful disciple if he stays humble in character, meek in temper, loving in nature, and firm, but truthful, with his words.
When a man is unfortunate to not know any semblance of Good, shame becomes all who he is. The knowledge of Good and Evil are in his soul, and yet either voluntarily or involuntarily commits sin to the world around him. Maybe he does not know, but he feels, and resents the feelings of shame, so he copes in worldly pleasures. An adult boy is shameful, and yet it is, more than ever, a common occurrence. A boy is meant to transition to manhood, and that has been stripped by the, ostensibly, Evil and Demonic powers-that-be. Call it what you want, the hate is there, the powers have benefitted from a spiritually-lost populace: egomaniacal girls who grow up rejecting men, and feminized boys who grow up unable to speak to women. Ironically, this is what leads these (wo)manchildren to gov’t-worship, and worshipping their own addictions and desires. Division, widespread loneliness, gender neutralization, rejection of spirituality, and rejection of the ceremonial transition of childhood to adulthood has turned many fully-grown adults into immature, unkempt, misguided fools who turn to the state or media for all of their instruction. God is with those who accept Him, and embrace the similitudes of Goodness and do not question God’s Grace like a five year-old. There’s work to do, there’s children to feed…. Well, maybe not these days.
When a man refuses to accept, through faith, the eternal presence of the Lord, he not only commits sin, but chooses to recognize the qualities of Good and the virtues God’s Good represents, and disregard it all for his own “independence”. This is what leads one’s soul into the gnashing helplessness of the material world and refusal of the niceties of meaning that Life can offer. Notice people who refuse God’s constant presence, who do not recognize the relevance or even existence of the spiritual world, who are hopelessly misunderstood in what Good even is: these are people who generally lead their conversations towards the sadness of life, towards their own existential dread, toward the vitriol within their soul. It is as if all they know is how to cry and whimper, and when they are done, leave you nothing in return.
I had this same existence. I currently know people who live this same existence. They live in flesh, their world is only material, their soul is but a hollow shell at best, and full of bile at worst. The Godless are simply aging children. They are akin to someone who goofs off at their job, does the minimal amount of work, have horrid attitudes, and look for every little out and shortcut for everything. These people, ultimately, feel no culpability for their actions. Their morality is sourced from nothing; it is morality of convenience. Their life is simply living, maintaining their pulse, while trying to get as many dopamine rushes before they perish.
Now, I have friends who are not of the Christian persuasion, and I ultimately am culpable for showing them the Way, however, I do not pain them for the journey they are on. This world is going through a long phase of spiritual tension and transition, and those of you who may consider yourself Pagan, Buddhist, Druid, Hindu, Muslim, or whatever your label may be, I will disagree, and provide you my view of what the Lord truly represents. I know that He is there, because His Ways affect my life directly, as well as yours. I will not criticize you, nor hate you, and contrary to many legalistic Christians; I call you my friend. Why?
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
Why would a representative of Christ be willfully hateful? Why would they act in such a way that causes distrust and anger? This is not the Way, and if you read through Matthew, chapters 5-7, you will understand exactly what I am getting at. Nowhere in the Text does it say to scheme, to hate, to plot against others, to make an enemy of those who are evil. The Word speaks of love and firm truth. Just like I will say I do not accept spiritually rotten lifestyles and acts does not mean that I want to declare war on those who live in them. Why would I cause an injustice to those who commit injustice on me? Did not the early saints, disciples of Christ, followers of the Lord their God die willingly for the Word? Did Jesus not warn us that in times of chaos that our own brothers and sisters will even turn against us? He warned us that we would be persecuted. Jesus told us that we would be killed in His Name. Guess what? That came to pass many times! The more the Romans put peasant Christians to the sword, the more Christians stood and happily took the sword to their necks! Why do you think those Roman soldiers converted? The Christian lived in peace. They did not see the sect, the demographic that they were. They simply saw that God was with them, in life, and in death, and will always allow them to find Him. The fact that many Christians use the label as simply a style to garner some worldly achievement or desire is immaterial to the fact that God wishes for us to represent His Love, and to have faith that He sacrificed His own blood for us.
If not for the Sacrifice, then why aren’t we sacrificing still? The Word was spoken for us to follow, the meaning is there for us to embrace, and the mystery of the Lord is unending and elaborate. If God is just here and there, and has no confirmed Love, then why would we worship Him? If God has no Law for us to follow, then why would we rule and be ruled? If God did not play a hand in our existence, then why would we live?
Christ was not speaking in loaded nonsense; He was giving us a great test, and in this time of scamming, scheming, division, rebellion, shouting matches, psychopaths in power, sheep who have no shepherd, nation against nation, in these times of hate and division, I am not going to join up arms of spite. Surely, I will point out who is committing sin, I will be truthful about where the source of the Enemy’s villainous schemes are being manufactured, but what is my place to act as the arbiter of destruction? What is YOUR place, or someone ELSE’S place to pretend that they know all what God speaks? If they did, they would know that the Word says to
LOVE YOUR ENEMY. As in LOVE EVERYONE.
Now, please do not poke my eye out, because I really am not trying to poke out yours. I am not a prophet, I am not a perfect wise man. I am simply a student of Christ, and I will never be able to repay Him for the level of peace and clarity He brought to me so early in life — before I ended up destroying it entirely.
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30-37
So please, spare me any, “But what about these Christians who act a fool!” Yes, I agree! The are many followers who have never repented, who have never had a spiritual experience, who purely believe in some “God” for convenience! Yes, I wholeheartedly agree! Now, please, separate what you have heard about megachurches, Peter Popoff, and how you know an atheist who is not a bad dude, and understand the macroscopic issue of aspirituality, or even moreso — the issue of one’s own soul being slowly melded to nihilism and apathy.
The aspiritual, or flat out antispiritual, are in a world of their own. They are entirely driven by flesh, and any sense of morality is that of short-term convenience. Ironically, it is atheists (and apatheists) who wind up living lives of addiction, romantic disappointment, fad-addiction, idol-worship, and malignant depression. It is not a surprise that the decline in religiosity and spirituality is directly correlated to that of depression.
And “happiness” is a loaded word, but when you think about happiness defined as a long-term satisfaction with life, please point out an atheist that has that. Beyond one’s access to alcohol, drugs, or even just sugary food and movies, being able to sleep at night knowing this is all for something much greater is the real deciding factor of meaning.
That is why to believe in God, to understand there is a nearly-inexplainable spiritual realm is a great step towards a feeling of unbreakable contentment. Those of you who have explored this side of your self, and surrendered your pride, will understand that that there is this feeling of no disappointment. It is almost like a spirit that never leaves you, that constantly reminds you that you have no one to impress, no one to compete against, nothing to obtain. All of that is secondary to doing what God wants you to do, or even simply understanding the transcendental good — God’s signs — that guide you.
But furthermore, this is why understanding who Jesus was and is, that makes all the more difference. It is taking faith to another level. It is understanding that there was this being, as close to the Creator in Earthly form, who walked and spoke and acted in the way that all of us aspire to become. He was and Is Perfection. When He died and gave his blood, He acted as the Last Sacrifice. This is what I, and many dedicated followers, mean when we say, “I believe in the Divinity of Christ Jesus, the Son of God.” It doesn’t mean that I am some follower of a cult. Ultimately, the fellowship is important, but it is all secondary to what God wants us to become. If he needs me to go mimic the life of John the Baptist (John being the ancient equivalent of a half-naked, smelly homeless guy yelling on the side of the road), then I will become John the Baptist. If I refuse His Word, well, I’ll end up like Jonah, and be proverbially garbled up in the belly of the whale.
For me, I see Paganism as a pre-Israelite interpretation of what the spiritual world is trying to indicate to us. I will not hate you for your beliefs, nor will I ever. If you wish to share in the world of peace, then I will hope you seek the Word, but it is not my job to force it on you, nor will it ever be. When Jesus said to love your enemy, and to turn the other cheek, that meant something deeper than most care to give thought to. It means that even if the non-Christian refuses to convert, I will still embrace him or her, and love them as if they were a life-long brother or sister in Christ. For those who wish to have peace, and live in meaning, it is not my intent to destroy you, or even scrutinize you. I welcome you.
The journey towards God is perilous, but He has promised you infinite; it is in your heart and you know it. It is your choice to take His hand and allow Him to drive. For those of you still in the mind and heart of a child, I implore you to stop living in the flesh, and reject the worldly addictions and pride that posses you. When you know that He is there, the process starts as a cumulonimbus cloud, as you learn how to let Him advise your life. You do this through prayer, through divine revelation, and rejection of sin. Once that cloud rains, it rains for a long time, friends who held you back from being happy and peaceful disappear, and your desire for earthly desires disappear, as you realize the dopamine rushes do not bring you the kind of meaning that God does; the rain finally begins to bring foliage and life to the desert in your soul.
The rocky crevasses fill with bugs and plants. The unending flatness of the sand becomes forests — you hear birds tweeting wherever you go, water streaming wherever you need. Whenever an angry animal passes by, you know how to find your way out of the situation, and no longer the tendrils of fear of nature and fear of man rooted in your mind and heart. This is what I mean when you grow and accept the Lord; those insecurities disappear, and you become free and honest. Those who are also Good reveal themselves everywhere, and everyone becomes easy to talk to. At night, when plagued with the humilities of your past, you are reminded that God is working on you and creating pathways for you, and that as long as you keep Him close, you will never be broken. The tumults of work become less destructive to your mood. The bad relationships clear away, as you realize you have nothing to lose in your honesty. When you know that God is with you, you no longer are afraid. Even in death, you live on. Those you hated, you now embrace. Those who are dangerous, you know how to approach — or not approach. Whether in a prison cell, whether on death row, whether in a million-dollar lakehouse or beachhouse, you have no fear. Regardless of all sorts of mountainous humilities that come your way, or degradation from man, or the stresses of life, God replenishes your heart with love and guidance.
It is impossible to express how much changed in me and around me. Although, I profess, I am still a work-in-progress, I sleep well at night knowing past my own youthful pride, that God gives me signs. It’s simply my job to open my own eyes and recognize them. He speaks to you, He is in your dreams, He is everywhere — simply see Him.
It is our duty to love one another, and speak truthfully. There is no pageant in the Kingdom of Heaven. Grow up, get wise to God, and He will overwhelm you with meaning.
“The prayer of the monk is not perfect until he no longer recognizes himself or the fact that he is praying.”
Anthony of Padua