The past is always with us. You and I are products of our past experiences. There is no way around that.
The problem comes when you let your past trap you. It is nice to remember the good things in tour life and it is useful to learn from past experience, but, all too often, I see people who just cannot escape their history.
You are alive now. Any past even that haunts you, be it blissful or traumatic, is a phantom, a ghost. Ghosts haunt people, but they only have power when we give it to them. Let them go. If Aunt Sally hurt your feelings at a family picnic when you were 4 years old, so what. If Uncle Fred called you a dummy after you accidently broke his favorite fishing rod and your Dad whacked tour butt for it, what does it matter now.
It is nice to look back on life's pleasures, but do not become so lost in them that you ignore today. You can learn from yesterday's pain, but please do not keep reliving them. Life, here and today, is what you have, Before you know it, today is gone. Do not let yesterday's ghosts trap you.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Trust is a 2 Way Street
We are taught and advised to be forgiving and I will not argue with that. Trust is another matter.
If someone steals from me, I will forgive them. No problem. But, will I then trust them?
Maybe yes, maybe no. Eventually, probably. They first have to give me a reason to and that can only come with time and a demonstration of their change.
What brings this to mind is our new President, Donald Trump. Trump, by all testimony and by his own admission, has done some fairly despicable things. He should, without question, be forgiven, It will do neither him, nor anyone else, any good to hold things against him.
He says that he has learned from mistakes and has changed. Maybe. Only time will tell. If he shows evidence of change, by his behavior, not just words, then trust can and should be established. Until then, we are within our rights to wait and see. There are conmen who will work the same con again and again, andwe need to be careful when dealing with them.
But, given demonstrations of change, we learn to trust. However, always keep in mind that trust is a 2 way street. No one can ask trust without establishing reasons to trust.
If someone steals from me, I will forgive them. No problem. But, will I then trust them?
Maybe yes, maybe no. Eventually, probably. They first have to give me a reason to and that can only come with time and a demonstration of their change.
What brings this to mind is our new President, Donald Trump. Trump, by all testimony and by his own admission, has done some fairly despicable things. He should, without question, be forgiven, It will do neither him, nor anyone else, any good to hold things against him.
He says that he has learned from mistakes and has changed. Maybe. Only time will tell. If he shows evidence of change, by his behavior, not just words, then trust can and should be established. Until then, we are within our rights to wait and see. There are conmen who will work the same con again and again, andwe need to be careful when dealing with them.
But, given demonstrations of change, we learn to trust. However, always keep in mind that trust is a 2 way street. No one can ask trust without establishing reasons to trust.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Go Softly
As we rush through our days, it is all too easy to grow harsh. Yelling, cursing and bulling our way through the world has become a rule of life in our hectic modern times. We all fall into this behavior and, it needs to stop. Or. at least. ease off.
If you are confident in your self, if you are centered, you do not need to be that aggressive and harsh. You should not let others force you to become that way. Our recent Presidential elections were a disgusting display of irrational temper, brutal backbiting, and cruel, tasteless humor.. In my years of working, all too often, I saw employer-employee relations degenerate into such dysfunctional modes.
When discussions reach the point of bitter argument, all sides have lost. Step back, calm down, and be cool. Stay away from harsh words and screaming. If others won't follow, walk away, because not only will nothing be solved, other problems will develop,
Elijah heard God, not as a tempest, not as an earthquake, but as a 'still. soft Voice.' Slow down, think, and make yourself quiet. In the long run, your life, and the life of those around you, will be much better.
If you are confident in your self, if you are centered, you do not need to be that aggressive and harsh. You should not let others force you to become that way. Our recent Presidential elections were a disgusting display of irrational temper, brutal backbiting, and cruel, tasteless humor.. In my years of working, all too often, I saw employer-employee relations degenerate into such dysfunctional modes.
When discussions reach the point of bitter argument, all sides have lost. Step back, calm down, and be cool. Stay away from harsh words and screaming. If others won't follow, walk away, because not only will nothing be solved, other problems will develop,
Elijah heard God, not as a tempest, not as an earthquake, but as a 'still. soft Voice.' Slow down, think, and make yourself quiet. In the long run, your life, and the life of those around you, will be much better.
Monday, January 9, 2017
A Request
I'm taking time out today, from my usual ranting and babbling, to ask for a bit of help. No, this is not a request for money, but I have a situation.
I live in Brunswick, Ga, with my long time friend, Deb. We wish to move to N. Georgia, near, but not in Atlanta. This is just not a good place for us to live.
However, in this town, there are no train stations, no Greyhound stations, the only airport is for small private planes, and we have no car. Neither of us, due to vision issues, can curretntly drive.
We would like suggestions on how we might get to N. Georgia. We do not have a lot of belongings and we would be more than happy to pay for transport.
If you have any suggestions, please contact me. If anyone knows the feasibility of using Uber for long trips, your comments would be welcome. If you, or someone reliable who you know, wish to make a little money for about a 7 hour drive , please contact me. Contact me at wrightjohn996@yahoo.com.
I live in Brunswick, Ga, with my long time friend, Deb. We wish to move to N. Georgia, near, but not in Atlanta. This is just not a good place for us to live.
However, in this town, there are no train stations, no Greyhound stations, the only airport is for small private planes, and we have no car. Neither of us, due to vision issues, can curretntly drive.
We would like suggestions on how we might get to N. Georgia. We do not have a lot of belongings and we would be more than happy to pay for transport.
If you have any suggestions, please contact me. If anyone knows the feasibility of using Uber for long trips, your comments would be welcome. If you, or someone reliable who you know, wish to make a little money for about a 7 hour drive , please contact me. Contact me at wrightjohn996@yahoo.com.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Joy
There are countless religious beliefs on this Planet and I have noticed that many, whether they be Eastern or Western, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, are none to cheery. They have a certain distaste for life.
All too often, religious leaders bemoan life as a series of trials winding through our sojourn in this vale of tears. This needs to stop.
Yes, life is, at times sad and we are tested. If that is upsetting, all I can say is get over it. It's just a part of life and if you are concentrating on that, you have some issues to work on. Only a wee, young child expects sunshine and lollipops all the time. If things were always sweetness and light, this life would be intolerably boring.
A religion that does not bring joy, should be discarded. A religious leader who goes on at length about what rotten sinners we all are, should be removed from the pulpit.
Life, in spite of its many problems, is a joy to be celebrated. When you can manage this, you can deal with the downturns with far less problem. In your darkest times, look closely and I will assure you that somewhere in there you will see a spark of light.
All too often, religious leaders bemoan life as a series of trials winding through our sojourn in this vale of tears. This needs to stop.
Yes, life is, at times sad and we are tested. If that is upsetting, all I can say is get over it. It's just a part of life and if you are concentrating on that, you have some issues to work on. Only a wee, young child expects sunshine and lollipops all the time. If things were always sweetness and light, this life would be intolerably boring.
A religion that does not bring joy, should be discarded. A religious leader who goes on at length about what rotten sinners we all are, should be removed from the pulpit.
Life, in spite of its many problems, is a joy to be celebrated. When you can manage this, you can deal with the downturns with far less problem. In your darkest times, look closely and I will assure you that somewhere in there you will see a spark of light.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Cultural Context and Religion
I heard today, in passing, some minister, on some TV show, talking about the need to start stressing the Gospel again. He seemed like a decent guy, and I certainly have great interest in the Gospels, but, when I heard him start mentioning a few points, I became a bit discouraged.
We do not seem to ever learn one important lesson. You cannot read the Gospels without understanding their cultural context, without understanding the world of Roma and Jerusalem 2000+ years ago. Let me correct that; you can read them without that understanding, but boy are you going to get confused and you will make dreadful mistakes. That is what has happened over the years and one reason Christianity, and, for that matter, Judaism, make no sense to many folks.
Much of what Jesus taught, he taught to people who had the understanding of the World at their time. How else would he teach? It was taught to a specific audience. He had to base his words around what they understood and around their customs. Also, much of what he taught revolved around the politics of the time and the horrible tension between the Romans and the Jews.
Judaism was not a simple thing. Most read the gospels and hear mention of the Pharisees and the Sadducees without having much of a clue about their very different beliefs. Maybe some have heard of the Essenes, but know little about how truly powerful and how truly weird they were. And that's not to mention other groups like the Nazarites, the Theraputae, all the assorted militant groups and revolutionaries. Even more obscure, but perhaps more important are the differences between the Priests and their version of the Law, and the rural people who remembered the times before the return from the Babylonian exile and the rise of the Temple (remember, much of the Old Testament was not written before the return from Babylon and no such book existed until then). Many saw differences between the Basic Mosaic Law, the 10 Commandments, and the countless addendums of the Priests and resented the power of the Priests.
On top of all that, many Jews had some ties to other, local religions, many had become enamored of the Greeks and the Neoplatonists and were seeking a synchronistic belief system.
So, you see, there is no way to understand the Gospels without understanding the culture of the times and, unfortunately, many ministers seem to have no knowledge and even less interest in this history. And, just think, I haven't even brought up such issues as lineage (all of those begats) and the systems of Roman and Jewish government. Educate yourselves before you preach.
We do not seem to ever learn one important lesson. You cannot read the Gospels without understanding their cultural context, without understanding the world of Roma and Jerusalem 2000+ years ago. Let me correct that; you can read them without that understanding, but boy are you going to get confused and you will make dreadful mistakes. That is what has happened over the years and one reason Christianity, and, for that matter, Judaism, make no sense to many folks.
Much of what Jesus taught, he taught to people who had the understanding of the World at their time. How else would he teach? It was taught to a specific audience. He had to base his words around what they understood and around their customs. Also, much of what he taught revolved around the politics of the time and the horrible tension between the Romans and the Jews.
Judaism was not a simple thing. Most read the gospels and hear mention of the Pharisees and the Sadducees without having much of a clue about their very different beliefs. Maybe some have heard of the Essenes, but know little about how truly powerful and how truly weird they were. And that's not to mention other groups like the Nazarites, the Theraputae, all the assorted militant groups and revolutionaries. Even more obscure, but perhaps more important are the differences between the Priests and their version of the Law, and the rural people who remembered the times before the return from the Babylonian exile and the rise of the Temple (remember, much of the Old Testament was not written before the return from Babylon and no such book existed until then). Many saw differences between the Basic Mosaic Law, the 10 Commandments, and the countless addendums of the Priests and resented the power of the Priests.
On top of all that, many Jews had some ties to other, local religions, many had become enamored of the Greeks and the Neoplatonists and were seeking a synchronistic belief system.
So, you see, there is no way to understand the Gospels without understanding the culture of the times and, unfortunately, many ministers seem to have no knowledge and even less interest in this history. And, just think, I haven't even brought up such issues as lineage (all of those begats) and the systems of Roman and Jewish government. Educate yourselves before you preach.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
It's New Year
The New Year is here and I have never understood the big deal. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, those all have a spiritual significance, even if is simply a way of keeping traditions alive. The same can even be said of the Fourth of July and Memorial Day.
I have to say the meaning of Labor Day escapes me. I know, it is a celebration of America's workers, but no one remembers that now. I suppose it does give everyone a last summer blowout.
But New Year is nothing but the changing of the calendar. The few traditions associated with it mostly concern alcohol, parades and football. I always figured you can drink any day, watch football from September through January until it is coming out your ears, and I am not a huge fan of parades.
I believe that everyday can be a celebration and any get together, whether it be lunch with a friend, dinner with your family, or breakfast with the usual crowd at the Waffle House. Any get together can be a party, if you have the right attitude
Spiritual renewal must be tied into the physical renewal. To separate them is like trying to eat cereal without milk. Such renewals need to occur at least on a daily basis, often several times a day.
Okay, now that I have finished being grumpy, let me wish everyone a very Happy New Year.
I have to say the meaning of Labor Day escapes me. I know, it is a celebration of America's workers, but no one remembers that now. I suppose it does give everyone a last summer blowout.
But New Year is nothing but the changing of the calendar. The few traditions associated with it mostly concern alcohol, parades and football. I always figured you can drink any day, watch football from September through January until it is coming out your ears, and I am not a huge fan of parades.
I believe that everyday can be a celebration and any get together, whether it be lunch with a friend, dinner with your family, or breakfast with the usual crowd at the Waffle House. Any get together can be a party, if you have the right attitude
Spiritual renewal must be tied into the physical renewal. To separate them is like trying to eat cereal without milk. Such renewals need to occur at least on a daily basis, often several times a day.
Okay, now that I have finished being grumpy, let me wish everyone a very Happy New Year.
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