The Myth of Creation

Word of Warning; if you read the title I've chosen for this post & immediately think something like, 'Okay, NOW, this blogger's really gone off the deep end!', I counsel you to stop reading right now: however, if it didn't piss you off or offend your sensibilities, read on.......

According to the Oxford Dictionary ( online ), a 'myth' is, first & foremost, 'a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.' Although a secondary definition might include anything from a fairy-tale ( legend? ) to a complete & utter falsehood, the term 'myth' does not necessarily connote an untruth. Many people ( this is not unique to Christianity ) have a tendency to take literally the language of creation when reading the account in our English Bible Genesis 1 & 2, or really, the creation account in any other Scripture ( from another culture ). This results in confusion for some & disbelief for others, so, in most cases, the creation is either disregarded, or at the least, grossly misunderstood!

Other creation accounts ( from other cultures ) may seem, at first glance anyway ( especially to our Western eyes ), to be more akin to the complete & utter falsehood end of the spectrum than anything else, but one simply has to open their eyes to the cultural relevance of whatever Scripture they're reading to understand that, although metaphorical & hyperbolic as it may sound ( 'so crazy, it just might be true' ), these 'myths' & 'legends' ALWAYS have a firm foundation in the Truth!

A few years back, I posted a short series of articles on the first several chapters of Genesis. At the time of writing, my intention was not necessarily to present the mythical qualities of the Scriptures we read, but I did endeavor to show how the Gospel of Jesus the Christ was pre-figured in the early chapters of the Hebrew Scriptures. ( Understanding, of course, that the chapter divisions are not original ) These articles, however, did show how many of the details did not make sense aside from their Ancient Near Eastern ( cultural ) context. Understanding these stories as 'myth', simply tales from a different culture, not as a literal history, but as literature, we can see that while they are firmly rooted in truth, they are told in such a way as to reveal what my readers might be familiar with by now; 'a deeper spiritual truth'!

From a website containing the full text of the Babylonian Creation Epic, 'Enuma Elish'; I found this quote from scholar Stephen Bertman quite interesting:

"Both Genesis and Enuma Elish are religious texts which detail and celebrate cultural origins: Genesis describes the origin and founding of the Jewish people under the guidance of the Lord; Enuma Elish recounts the origin and founding of Babylon under the leadership of the god Marduk. Contained in each work is a story of how the cosmos and man were created. Each work begins by describing the watery chaos and primeval darkness that once filled the universe. Then light is created to replace the darkness. Afterward, the heavens are made and in them heavenly bodies are placed. Finally, man is created. These similarities notwithstanding, the two accounts are more different than alike. (312)"

'The 'Enuma Elish', while a bit longer & maybe a little more sordid in detail than the Hebrew account, shows us several things. It shows us the cultural difference & the fact that the Hebrews were not the only ones to record their beginnings. Rather than the one 'God' we read about in the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures, most, if not all the other accounts tell of a multiplicity of 'gods'. Along those lines, here is another quote, this time from scholar Jeremy Black;

"The rise of the cult of Marduk is closely connected with the political rise of Babylon from city-state to the capital of an empire. From the Kassite Period, Marduk became more and more important until it was possible for the author of the Babylonian Epic of Creation to maintain that not only was Marduk king of all the gods but that many of the latter were no more than aspects of his persona. (128)"

As myths go, then, the creation account we read in the first two chapters of Genesis is but one among many. To be clear, by speaking of creation as a myth, I'm not saying, by any means, that all this glory just happened by chance: on the contrary, it was choice, intelligent choice, by which the heavens were spread, the planets & stars hung & human-kind set to rule the earth! It should be clear by now, to any but the most casual ( ignorant? ) observer that the account we read in the beginning of our English Bibles, though different from say, the 'Enuma Elish', is really not that different in ( overall ) content!

As Stephen Bertman, above, recognized, the creation account that is recorded in the beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures is not a record of the creation of the material universe, though that may be in the background as a given; it is rather an account of cultural beginnings, the creation of covenant, as some have noted, between the Creator God & His Creation.  It is the traditional story of the genesis of the Hebrew people, handed down, by some accounts, over the generations & compiled by Moses, the great Lawyer of the Hebrews. As such, we should read this intriguing story, not simply with our wondering ( wandering? ) Western eyes, but through the lens of cultural context, seeking to understand it as its original audience would have.

Charles Haddon Shank

The More That is Beyond; What Lies Ahead

'What is your greatest hope?'

Ask any Christian from the Reformed camp, including Presbyterian, certain Lutherans ( Missouri Synod?) & quite possibly Episcopalians this question & you will likely hear some variation of the trite answer from The Heidelberg Catechism or even the Bible itself. From the Heidelberg, the answer to the question, 'what is your greatest comfort in life & death?' is '...............that I am not my own, but belong, with body & soul, to my Savior, Jesus Christ..................' There is more to it, but that will suffice. As far as the Bible is concerned, most Christians would likely point you to some passage like Colossians 1:27 or Galatians 5:5. This is not to say that these words hold nothing for Christians today, or that the Heidelberg ( et al ) bear no truth post-1st century, but this promise, this hope, was fulfilled to the intended recipients, the apostle Paul's original audience in the 1st century!

Having published numerous posts & thoughts on the subject of the 'after-life'; I will go no further here, except to point out that this 'after-life' is predicated on the notion that we not only inhabit these biological bodies ( 'flesh & blood'? ) but that we ARE this body! If indeed, we are what we eat, simply part of the Circle of Life, then, we might as well 'eat, drink & be merry, for tomorrow we die!' ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ) However, we are more ( infinitely so ) than this biology; we are, in our innermost Being, of the same Essence as the Creator of All!

Since, then, we are MORE than just what we eat, MORE than merely part of the Circle of Life ( biologically speaking ), one might well ask what we have to look forward to! The Spirit of Life, the Essence which lies within every biological representative, being infinite, thus perseveres. The subject of reincarnation is not one that most Christians will readily examine, but, in the eyes of this blogger ( as a Christian ) it is an idea who's time has come! Among other things, the greatest proponent for the concept is the notion that, contrary to the traditional biblical 'principle' that 'it is appointed for man to die once....................' ( Hebrews 9:27 ), the individual 'spirit' or 'soul' has the chance to return to this biology, in order that it ( he/she ) might rectify previous mistakes.

The Biblical notion of 'it is appointed for man ( kind ) to die once.......................' must be taken in the context in which it is presented! Reading the rest of this seemingly stark statement, we see that ',,, then comes the judgment', which, in accordance with the eschatology of Scripture ( Israel, to be precise ) is referring to the judgment of 'the Day of the Lord'. There is also an aspect of universal truth in this statement, in that man ( kind ), personally speaking, only has one life to live before she or he returns to that in-between place, a 'staging area', so to speak, before that 'soul' is reborn into a new biological body.

As spirit beings inhabiting biological bodies, as discussed previously in numerous posts,  we are, in Essence, a 'soul', not merely a human being; although, for most intents & purposes, we function thusly on this earth, in this biology. As human beings, then, we function in this Wheel, the so-called 'Circle of Life' in which, as it happens, for one thing to live, another must die, whether plant or animal. Sometimes too, it occurs ( rarely ) that a human being must die that another ( or 'others' ) might live, or have a better life. The Biblical example of Jesus' death on the Cross, whether factual or merely metaphorical, falls into this category. Since Israel was, by their own laws, condemned to die for their sin, God Himself took their place & showed them a better Way!

In some sense, one might observe, any talk of an 'after-life' is thus a moot point! Except maybe the consideration that this 'in-between place' might almost be termed an 'after-life', it should be clear by now that this is not the traditional ( Christian ) concept. Even careless phrases like 'Life must go on' ( as traditionally understood, anyway ) are rendered somewhat moot; since Life is more than more mere biological existence, it stands to reason that Life must indeed go on, not in the aforementioned 'Circle of Life' sense ( though there IS that ), but in the sense that our spirit endures, continually being reborn into this biological existence in order that we, as human beings, might learn our lessons & not repeat the mistakes of the past!

In the Story of Israel, as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, we can almost see an example of this ( multiple chances )! According to the Story, Israel kept making the same mistakes ( 'sin'? ) over & over again, until finally, though there WAS a Remnant that had learned their lesson, Israel, as a geographical nation, ceased to exist. Whether one sees this for the myth that it is, or takes it as a literal history ( which it also arguably is ), it clearly presents Israel as representative of humanity as a whole. Now, having said that, let me say this as well; the cultural differences must be taken into account here. Time, though in essence maybe, a social construct, must also factor in here, biblically speaking, at any rate, since according to the Hebrew Scriptures, the New ( Covenant ) Age gave the Christian a chance to be free of the ( adverse ) eternal consequences that Israel suffered in the Scriptural account!

So, with that out of the way, so to speak; 'what DOES lie ahead?!' 'What IS this More that I speak of?' Well, one might note that it's already been spelt out! Being of One Essence with the Creator, WE, in our innermost Being, ARE that 'More'! Though we must needs function within this biology, we must understand that, to whatever extent, we are not limited to it. We impose limits on ourselves, in our minds & though we may not be able, in our humanity, to literally sprout wings & fly, man ( kind ) has figured out how to 'spread their wings' in a very real sense. This is but one example of how far we can go when we realize that we are More than what might be evident, on the surface. As human beings, one might well note, there ARE literally limits to what we can do, but as More than just human beings, though we may not realize it consciously, we CAN do the impossible ( or at least, what we thought, in our finite minds, was impossible )!

Charles Haddon Shank

Beautiful People

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down

 The Doors

The phrase, 'Beauty is ( only ) skin-deep' is most likely familiar to my readers. The sad thing is, while it gets a lot of 'air-play' ( along with phrases like, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder ( or 'beer-holder' )' ), this is a total misnomer, based on a wrong assumption of 'beauty'! Like anything else, True Beauty starts on the inside, not with the 'person', but with the True Self. Don't get me wrong, there are men & women out there who possess what many call 'beauty', but inside, they are empty of what defines True Beauty! Then again, there are those whose physical appearance is more of what we would call a 'Plain Jane' ( at best ), but inside, one finds that they are a delight to know! On the other hand, though, there are those whom we would call 'drop-dead gorgeous' or 'beautiful' ( aesthetically pleasing ) who truly shine from the inside out.


Perception is the key. In the lyrics above, penned by Jim Morrison, one should note that it is our perception that makes people seem 'strange' or 'ugly'; when it comes to 'wicked women', this too is based on our personal experience. To one person, certain men or women may seem 'wicked', people may be 'strange' or 'ugly', while to others, they may be 'beautiful'! One reason that this occurs, the main reason, actually, is that many of us allow our emotions to rule us, to rule our actions ( some call this the 'Ego' ); when a person whom we desire does not return that desire, our Ego is wounded; when this happens, the object of our frustrated desire often tends to become 'ugly' ( or rather, we to them ), 'strange', or even 'wicked'. This, of course, is based in 'the person', with its desires & fluctuating likes & dislikes; one moment, we may like another, but then, for reasons outlined above, our 'like' may turn to 'dislike'!

People are either beautiful or they are not; our perception of them matters not ( except to us )! If we really take the time to get to know them, we would find that there are more beautiful people out there than not, although there are those so wrapped up in the 'person', who define themselves by the 'Ego', that they have become, for all intents & purposes, 'ugly'. This is not to say, however, that there is no hope for such a person ( there's always hope ), but, as the saying goes, 'some people, you just can't reach' ( or 'you can't fix stupid' ); in such a case, all we can do is lead by example, gently educate & hope for the best!

As I alluded to earlier, a person may have a sort of outer 'beauty', in fact, they may be 'drop-dead gorgeous', but inside, from the heart, so to speak, they are so encapsulated by everyone else's perception ( of 'beauty' ) that they focus on their 'person' ( 'Ego' ), thus limiting & even neglecting their inner selves, which is where True Beauty lies! When a person takes the time to truly know themselves ( their True Nature ), they will soon realize that, if they don't take of themselves on the inside, anything they do on the outside, however aesthetically pleasing they try to make themselves, will have no lasting effect, at least, no good effect. Again, this is because people, when limited to the 'person', tend to change like the weather; when ruled by the emotions, one moment it's 'love', the next, it's 'hate'!

True Beauty, therefore, is NOT 'skin-deep'; in fact, it has nothing to do with 'skin' at all! Now, don't get me wrong, True Beauty on the inside ( inner self ) WILL manifest outwardly; if a person DOESN'T limit themselves to their 'Ego' ( outer person ), but develops their True Selves, they will become Truly Beautiful, no matter what they look like on the outside; in fact, one should note that, the outward appearance ( to certain people ) will be so softened, that, no matter how 'plain' they are, to the right person ( s ), they will become very attractive.

In their very Essence, one might say, EVERYONE is beautiful! Many have, however, lost sight of this glorious fact & limited themselves to their particular society's perception ( standard ) of what IS 'beauty', thus viewing themselves as 'ugly' or not 'beautiful'. Again, as before, these people tend to become, for all intents & purposes, 'ugly', whether because of being 'jaded' by their experiences or for some other reason. These, again, are not beyond hope; with the right education & love out-poured, they can be convinced of their own worth, but first, they must convince themselves! This is not an easy thing to accomplish ( kinda like 'forgiving oneself-these are strangely inter-related ), but it CAN & MUST be done!

If we cannot see Beauty in ourselves, we will not be able to see it in anyone else! In the same vein, if we do not recognize the Beauty that is us, it while be hard, though not impossible for others to see that Beauty in us. Sometimes it takes that one special person, that one beautiful soul, to help us see ( recognize ) that we are indeed beautiful, contrary, often, to what our particular society has taught us. When we do recognize that Beauty in ourselves, that Beauty manifests on the outside & we understand that rather than being 'skin-deep', 'True Beauty is as Beauty does'!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Love of God & the Pain of the World

'Where was God on 911?'

Gone, but not forgotten, disasters like the terrible events of September 11, 2001, have caused many to wonder ( as though they hadn't before ), if God was so loving & all powerful, either we've been fed a lie for a long time ( God is NOT omnipotent ) or He had something against all those who died during that travesty, both in the planes & in the towers. Was it because the people in both the planes & the towers were not Christians, therefore not offering God His due? This scenario presents further problems, like, 'is God just a petty tyrant who kills people for not believing in Him? If He could, in His omnipotence, have prevented it, but didn't; again, we're left with a petty, vindictive God: either that, or One who's not as all-powerful as we've been taught! Then again, maybe, just maybe, as some have no doubt postulated, He simply allowed this tragedy because the Twin Towers housed one of the largest financial centers in these United States. It goes without saying that Money has become a god/God to the majority of Americans, including many Christians. 'Why let the people die though, God?' Oh, yeah; it was their just punishment for having other gods before Thee!

Like it or not, Pain has become the biggest problem in this world; one might even say that it's the Root of All Evil!  ( 'Wait; I thought that was 'the love of money'?! ) Pain has been the cause of wars around the world, whether it's the pain of jealousy or the actual physical pain of remembering what this group of people did to that group of people, oh, so long ago. 'PAIN of Jealousy', you say, 'why would something like jealousy cause pain?' Well, not only does the one who's jealous of another feel the pain of emptiness inside, more often than not, the possessor of the object of desire feels the pain, both physically & mentally, of separation when his or her possession is wrested from them, often ending in death. When a death like this occurs, depending on the situation, of course, war ( of some sort ) isn't far behind!

The Pain of the World, like the pain of individuals ( for that IS the pain of the world ), even if/when self-inflicted or deserved, is still pain! As Christians, are we not to be those healing leaves that John wrote about in  the Revelation? Although there are many Christians who act the part ( of 'healing leaves' ), there are as many or more who stand staunchly behind the war effort, claiming 'just cause' or some such. Though this blogger is personally against war, this is not an anti-war post, per se, though war is both the cause & effect of much of the pain of the world!

War. of course, is not the only cause & effect of pain in the world, nor is pain the only cause & effect of war in the world. Fear also factors largely. In fact, one might note that Pain is often simply the physical manifestation of one's Fear. Fear of losing one's possessions ( including one's life ) is probably the number one cause of much of the evil that we witness in this world. 'Fear is the mind-killer', a wise man once said: when people identify with the Ego, limiting themselves to the confines of their mind & that fragile mind is threatened, there are no lengths to which that person will not go to protect what is theirs.

In many cases, Fear has been the leading cause of war; in modern times especially, though it is not necessarily a modern concept, the 'preemptive strike' has factored rather largely in the pain of the world. Because of the fear, unwarranted or not, that this person or group of persons ( country ) will annihilate 'us' unless we strike 'them' first, innocent people have suffered & died! These deaths, then, with the Pain they bring, often have the effect of creating enemies where there were none before, only those who just wanted to live in peace.

Of course, much of the problem could be alleviated if more people realized that they are greater than their Ego, which has its seat in the Mind. Once the Ego/Mind was under the control of the Spirit ( the true nature of our BEing ), jealousy would cease, for people would no longer be controlled, as Cain was, by the weakness & limitations of our Ego. Because Jealousy, which might be called the Root of Fear, would cease, so would War. A wise man once sang about a 'world' where no one had any 'possessions'; if no one owned any possessions, but simply shared the wealth of the world, there would be no cause for Jealousy; therefore no Fear & thus, no Pain!

That last passage may sound like a bunch of gobbledy-gook to some of my readers, in fact, one might say I'm a dreamer, but much of the Pain the World is suffering right now, all of it, really, is seated squarely in the Mind/Ego. When we let it control our actions, rather than acting purely from our BEing, we unleash all manner of Pain & suffering on a weary world! For our part ( for that's all that's up to us ), we must realize who we really are, stop identifying with the Mind/Ego & start BEing what we truly are, Beings of Light & Love, just like the One in Whom we live, move & have our BEing!

Speaking of the Source of all Life, we tend to blame much on 'Him', or 'His' arch-nemesis, 'Satan' that is really only the Laws of Cause & Effect! People go around thinking they are limited to the Mind/Ego, acting according to the weakness of this concept & thus causing Pain according to what they themselves are experiencing because of the limitations they have placed upon themselves.

So, did God allow the tragic events of 911? Obviously, it was the Mind of Man that executed them. Unless you want to blame it on some poor 'Devil' ( Satan ), you'll end up with a God that could've saved all those people, but chose not to, for whatever reason, or a God that's not so all-powerful as we've been led to believe! ( I'm sure there are other choices ) Whether one claims to be a Christian or not, either of the two choices seems rather distasteful.

Charles Haddon Shank

The Hidden Divinity ( of Man ); Identity in the Midst of Diversity

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 

if indeed you have tasted that the Lord [ is ] gracious.
Coming to Him [ as ] to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, 

to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

I Peter 2:1-5

First of all, let me clarify that the passage just quoted is, in context, speaking of Jesus the Christ. He was rejected as the promised Messiah of Israel, not by all men, or even many men, universally speaking, but by a select group of men, the majority of whom were the religious leaders of the House of Israel in the 1st century. Whether one believes that Jesus was THE Son of God, in Essence, a unique historical figure, or whether one accepts the Truth of the Christ, or Chrism within all, it should be understood that the words above are not unique to the first century, or even to a peculiar people, but put forth a certain universal truth, one which should resonate with all human beings!

The Diversity of Humanity is so blatant that it needs no lengthy introduction. Personally speaking, every single human being on the face of this planet has different wants & needs, likes & dislikes. Most people, when it comes to relationships, from intimate to business, find some sort of compatibility, but even on more or less common ground, disagreements, from minor to major, tend to surface at any given point. Though these disagreements do not always cause problems, issues stemming from our diversity are bound to crop up.

The Divinity of Man ( kind ) is, in certain religious circles anyway, rather a taboo subject. This is rather a sad commentary, for even our own Scriptures point to this glorious fact! To be sure, there are certain Scriptures, like Psalm 51 & I John 1:9, for instance, that seem to point to man's innate sinfulness & wickedness. Jeremiah 17:9 is another such 'proof-text' that shows unequivocally that humanity is 'bad to the bone'.  Although it is hard to deny, in the case of certain people especially, that man ( kind ) is not born in sin, due to the fall of the biblical 'Adam' ( Genesis 3 ), it is hardly a foregone conclusion that humanity, in general, is destined, either for 'Heaven' or 'Hell'.

In the Eastern religions, particularly the Far Eastern ones, but even in some of the more esoteric traditions of the Ancient Near East, the Divinity of Man is not only explored, but even accepted & glorified. The possibility of every human being to manifest the Christ ( depending of course on the culture one comes from ) is taught as a universal truth. The steps necessary to achieve this exalted status do not include following any certain ( established ( institutional ) religion, but are wholly dependent upon the individual & based upon their own personal choices. 

The Divinity of Humanity is a glorious fact! Although, as we've seen, all do not manifest this divinity & so become more animalistic in their nature, there are those who do choose to manifest the Christ Within & thus show ( prove ) their Divinity. These become Masters, or Teachers & every Teachers must, of necessity, have Students. Thus, as Time marches on, we will see more & more of the Students become Masters, or Teachers themselves; so will the Circle of Life continue until, as our Scriptures say, 'the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea' ( Habakkuk 2:14 ( Isaiah 11:9 ). Both of these passages, though they hold universal truth, are again primarily referring to the fulfillment of events in the ANE ( Ancient Near East ) in the first century A.D..

It is well-known that in the East, not the West, we have what is called 'The Cradle of Civilization'! It was there that humanity first began, through religion ( which, as per usual, became corrupted ), to seek the Divinity Within. Humanity, though not through what we have known as 'The Fall' ( Genesis 3 ) has an innate tendency to prove that old saying, 'power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely'! Every man, woman & child has the free-will choice to decide, as Cain ( Genesis 4 ) did, whether to rule over our emotions ( 'ego'-you name it ) or whether to let our desires rule over us. Depending on those choices, we manifest the Christ Within, or we allow our animal nature to rule us & more often than not, end up by murdering our brother.

However we choose, according to our human nature or our divine nature, we remain, in Essence, One with the Divine ( Creator, Source ). Whether in this life or the next ( or the next ), the evolution of the soul will inevitably prove the glories of this divine fact! As humanity gradually awakens to this awareness, more & more will seek Masters to guide them in their spiritual evolution ( 'development', if you wish ), then, becoming Masters themselves, will attract more & more Students, thus completing the ever-expanding circle.

The notion that Man ( kind ) is born into sin, biblically speaking, is as false as the day is long! As above, it is hard to deny the inglorious fact that there are those, whether based on some sort of religious conditioning or not, have chosen to allow their lower, animal nature to rule them & so have squelched the Spirit Within ( I Thessalonians 5:19 ). However, the choice remains; it is not because of some inheritance ( although we do, in our evolution, develop certain tendencies ) that we are prone to miss the mark. Our conditioning helps us to decide whether we will act wrongly or rightly, according to our human ( animal ) or divine nature.

In the midst of our diversity, as human beings, we must realize our true nature, that of divinity, or in Essence, Oneness with the Source of Life. Even the worst, most animalistic human being ( so that he or she can barely be called 'human' ) bears this Spark so that, no matter the amount of Time, they  must eventually, through the evolution of the soul, come to realize this true nature & reach the culmination of the ages, to become who they were meant to be, personally speaking, according to the design of the Creator.

The Hidden Divinity of Man ( kind ) is such that one will eventually, whether in one or many lifetimes, realize their Oneness with the Divine, with the Source. Even according to our Scriptures ( Acts 17:26 ), we, as human beings, are all cut from the same cloth, so to speak. so why do we murder one another? Why do we tear one another down? It is because of our diversity, our different likes & dislikes, that we tear at one another like rabid dogs do with a piece of meat, but it is also because of, not in spite of, our diversity that we compliment each other. ( If we were all the same, humanly speaking, how compatible would we really be? ) We each, individually & personally, have a choice; we can allow our lower, animal nature ( emotions-not that emotions are a bad thing ) to rule our actions, or we can let go & divinely choose to awaken the Christ Within, the Chrism that resides within each & every one of us!

Charles Haddon Shank

A Country Without Borders

And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:15‭-‬16 NKJV

Imagine, if you will, a place where there are no lines drawn in the sand. A 'place' where no one fights over fences; 'this is my property, that's yours; you stay on yours or we might have a problem!' A wise man once referred to this place when he wrote, 'Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do, nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too; imagine all the people living life in peace'. An equally wise man had previously written, concerning this 'place', 'Behold, the dwelling place^[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,^[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.^[c] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away' ( Revelation 21:3 & 4 ). ( In context, one should note, these words were meant primarily for a certain audience, but there is a universal truth in them. ) This 'heavenly country' is not, then, a geographical location, though, geographically speaking, 'it' can be anywhere. This realm is what we call the 'spiritual realm'; it is within each one of us, every single human being, though many do not & have not duly manifested it!

On the North American continent, we live in a country called the United States, nestled almost uncomfortably between Canada & Mexico. A bit over 200 years ago, these United States of America fought the British & their mercenaries, winning their 'independence'. As a friend of mine commented the other day, they simply traded an oligarchy for the monarchy they had labored under for roughly a hundred years or less. Some might argue too, that these United States of America never really freed themselves from the British Empire or its tyranny. Be what it may, Americans traditionally celebrate the 4th of July, which again, is traditionally the day that representatives from the original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, in effect telling the British to 'FUCK OFF!' The British were not pleased, of course, with THEIR errant 'children' & officially launched the Revolutionary War, a bloody conflict, which, though deemed necessary, could really have been avoided & arguably, should have been!

Much, if not most conflicts across this world of ours have been the direct result of greed. Oh, sure, excuses have been made, excuses like 'saving the world for democracy' or  'rescuing the Holy Land from the Infidel'. The nobility of the Cause is hard to deny & especially the ( needless ) sacrifice that countless men & women have made for this country, but did they really have to die?! John Lennon, as quoted above from his song, 'Imagine', later wrote ( in the same song ), 'Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man, imagine all the people sharing all the world'. No matter if you are a Christian or a Muslim, a Buddhist or a Jew, we all believe, in other words, that one Creator made this world ( Earth ) in/on which we all dwell & that all human beings are made of the same flesh &  blood ( there MAY be exceptions there, according to some ). That being the case, one might be made to wonder, then, is why we can't all just get along like John Lennon envisioned?!

James 4:1 & 2 reads, 'What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions^[a] are at war within you?^{[b] 2} You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask'. While Christians might quote this passage from the Greek Scriptures as the reason why we as human beings have a tough time getting along ( attributing it, of course, to our 'fallen nature' ), we may apply this passage from James' letter to the Hebrews as the impetus behind such evils as the wars & killings this world has been plagued with for many, many thousands of years. Much of the reason for this, unfortunately, especially for the past few centuries, comes from a misinterpretation of the same Scriptures, as well as from the Hebrew Scriptures.

As we read above, from the letter called 'Hebrews', the 'Heroes of the Faith', as they are often called, sought 'a heavenly country', that is, in Scriptural terms, one 'not of this world' ( John 18:36 ). Textually, of course, Jesus was referring to the 'world' of the first-century Jews, but, as in many cases, we can see that this is a universal truth, for His Kingdom lies within, in our innermost being. Seeking any kingdom but this sort of 'Kingdom' was what the apostle ( James ) railed against. The Kingdom of Heaven, or God is not one that is won through force of arms ( violence ) or any political means; quite the opposite, in fact. In order to enter this Kingdom & win your true independence, all one had to do was accept it. Accepting its true nature & ours as well is what rewards us with true independence; the rest is transitory ( impermanent ), merely the outworking of what we have realized in our innermost being!

The Revolutionary War & other ensuing wars, may have, on the surface, anyway, or for a time, won their independence from British tyranny, but I challenge you to prove that we are not under much the same tyranny as they suffered under! Yes, you might say, 'we are on American soil, not British; the United States of American is its own country, not a bunch of British colonies!' True enough, but we might be surprised to learn how much of a stranglehold Britain has on our 'own' economy! Although we have a President of these United States, unlike the British Isles, much of our 'own' government, in principle ( however loosely ), is based on theirs! Are we still a British Colony? Not technically, but one might be surprised at how close we are to being just that!

The Kingdom of Heaven might well be called a 'Kingdom of the Heart'. By 'heart', of course, is meant 'the innermost being'. The 'heavenly country' referred to in the beginning of this blog has no specific geographical location ( like 'the Holy Land', or some such ), except as those who manifest it in their own lives effect it in the world around them. As such, then, this Kingdom of the Heart is forever expanding, as more 'hearts' open to the realization of this Spiritual Truth. The fact that, as human beings, 'we' have certain unalienable rights, cannot be denied. The pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness is something we are all afforded by the Law of Nature. The ownership of property is among these rights, but when these rights become idolatrous, as often happen, they become no more than the chains that bind us, even enslave us. When we remember that we are citizens of a 'a heavenly country', not of any of a transitory nature, we have thus won our Independence & can truly enjoy its benefits!

Charles Haddon Shank