Heaven on Earth?

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:22 & 23

'God became man that man might become God.'

Athanasius

As the Messiah of Israel according to the Story of Scripture, Jesus came to 'save His people from their sins'. Today, depending on who you listen to, this translates to anything from 'going to heaven when you die' to, 'it's all about Israel'! In context, we can see that it IS all about Israel, but then the question becomes, 'who IS Israel?' If indeed 'Israel' is simply the People of God, of all ages, or aeons, then yes, it's all about Israel. If Israel is a certain people, however, from a certain ( specific ) region of the world, of a certain lineage, then we might be faced with other concerns & considerations. But I digress...............

Jesus told His disciples quite plainly, 'I go to prepare a place for you.^[b] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [ there ] you may be also' ( John 14:2b & 3 ) The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Church at Thessalonika ( I Thessalonians 4:16 & 17 ), wrote, 'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive [ and ] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord'. These passages & others like them might seem to lend credence to the traditional ( orthodox ) notion of 'Heaven' being our Final Destination, the end goal, so to speak, but nowhere in Scripture does it specifically say this. In fact, reading these passages in context seems to point the other direction, telling us that, rather than 'going to heaven when we die', those who belonged to Israel would join Her Messiah in a 'Heaven on Earth', not after biological death, but here & now, as a result of that salvation!

The apostle Paul also wrote to the Church at Colosse ( Colossians 1:27c ), concerning 'Christ in you, the hope of glory'. In his letter to the Church at Ephesus ( Ephesians 3:17 ), he prayed 'that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith' ( John 14:23 ). From these words & others like them, we may deduce that the whole point in Jesus coming as 'God in the Flesh', was not so that we could go to some 'pie-in-the-sky' ( 'Heaven' ) when we die, but so that we could once again dwell with our Creator, as in the beginning ( Genesis 3:8 )!

In John 14:23, Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.' With these words, in particular, we see plainly that those believing in Him would not go to some special place when they died, but that He would come to them, living/dwelling with them where they were. It is here & now that we dwell in the Presence of God; in a different realm, one might say. The phrase 'God with us', which is the true meaning of the name 'Immanuel', seems to have lost some of its original impact! When Jesus walked this earth, some 2,000 years ago, He was, in Essence, in Reality, God in Flesh: He showed the unbelieving Pharisees that Man could indeed be God. The Pharisees ultimately killed Him, by way of Rome, for this blasphemy, as they called it. 'God with us', however, should tell us clearly, again, that rather than us joining Him in 'Heaven', He brought 'Heaven' to Earth, to dwell with us, in us & through us!

Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, was a Man who was revealed to be God Himself! Through the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary conceived the Son of Man who later proved, through His Crucifixion, Resurrection & Ascension, to be the very Son of God. The Creator God Himself deemed to enter the realm of His Creation to show the Way into Heaven itself, His very Presence. He dwells within us now, so that we may present 'Heaven' to those around us.  Heaven & Earth have been joined in us, we who follow the Christ, the Savior of all Israel. As we present the Christ to our neighbor, then, we represent the Dwelling of God, what we call 'Heaven'!

Charles Haddon Shank

Sitting in Samadhi

Be still, and know that I [ am ] God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10

According to the Wikipedia article on the subject, 'Samādhi, also called samāpatti, in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is the last stage or ultimate stage of meditation, when the person is out of physical consciousness. In samādhi the mind and soul are in equal balance. It is meditative absorption, attained by the practice of dhyāna. In samādhi the mind becomes still.' This definition sounds almost surprisingly similar to the Christian prayer. Not what we know as 'The Lord's Prayer', surely, but like deep, heartfelt prayer nonetheless ( more on this later ).

We, in the Christian tradition, have been instructed that Christianity is THE Way, that other paths may travel, for a time, somewhat parallel, but that ultimately, unless one accepts Jesus as Lord ( the Christ ), he or she has no real hope. Jesus DID say, according to Scripture ( John 14:6 ), 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'. For the first half or so of my short life in this biology, I received these words as gospel. However, in the past few years, I have come to see that, though there are universal truths in Scripture, the volume is, first & foremost ( primarily ), a history of Israel. Not only is it written to a completely different culture, it was written in differing languages, to an ancient culture. That's a lot to swallow!

Here in the gloried West, we think we're pretty hot stuff, not unlike our western ( European ) forbears that thought the earth was at the center of it all! One must acknowledge here, though, that as far as their limited abilities allow, many scholars have deeply researched the idiosyncrasies of the original languages, the culture of the day ( audience relevance ), etc, though obviously, not without prejudice. Despite this fact, which should be comforting, we are yet faced with a multitude of Christian denominations, some of which are saying basically the same thing & an equal amount, if not more, of versions of these precious Scriptures. The Story in these pages has been handed down from generation to generation ( roughly 6,000 years of history, based on a literal reading of the text ) & while it is ENTIRELY possible, as we were taught from childhood, that 'the Holy Spirit preserved the Scriptures'; the question then becomes; 'which version? which text?' Well,. the obvious answer, according to some, is 'the KJV & the Textus Receptus!'

The problem with this theory, that 'the Holy Spirit preserved the Scriptures', is that 'they ALL say that!' They all say the same thing about their precious versions & while it is fairly clear that the same Story is recognizable throughout most of these, the interpretations vary fairly widely in some areas. It is self-evident that, though the Story of Scripture, the Story of Israel, has survived the ages, more or less intact, it has not emerged from the battle unscathed: with many & differing translations, to say nothing of interpretations, it should not be difficult to understand that the prejudice of man has tainted our understanding of its hallowed words.

As we have seen. the main difference between the majority of the texts, including the oldest manuscripts we have available, is semantical. One can read through most of the versions out there & though the words may be slightly different, or appear in a slightly different order, the main theme of redemption & reconciliation is found throughout. The Scriptures, as originally given, or written down, according to internal evidence, tell the Story of how the Creator of Heaven & Earth ( 'God', as Christians call Him ), or 'YHWH', made Himself known to a certain family/tribe in the Middle East, in order that they in turn might spread that knowledge to the nations around them. Through their supposed failure, the knowledge of the Living God, as opposed to the false deities these nations tended to worship, spread like wildfire & ended up turning the world ( a very limited perspective ) upside down.

At this point, most of my readers are probably thinking something like, 'I thought this post was supposed to be about Samadhi?' Well, it is; I said all that, to say this: 'you can all go Home now!' No; quite seriously, the only difference between deep prayer & deep meditation is that prayer is focused outwardly & meditation is focused inwardly. Samadhi, in Christian terminology, might be rendered as 'peaceful bliss', or something to that effect. Whether or not one goes into all the Eastern Mysticism normally associated with 'Samadhi', the general theme is not so different than what Jesus taught His followers; to love ones God, their neighbor as themselves ( 'how are we supposed to do that unless we see them as ourselves?' ) & to treat others as we want to be treated. For that matter, whatever your personal belief  ( religion ), these are universal truths, acknowledged worldwide as the way of lasting peace.

One may read stories of gurus/yogis, however they're named, who simply sit in a sort of perpetual Samadhi, not eating or drinking ( very little, if they do ) & while this may be very beneficial, both to them & to those around them, even far away, it is not necessary! To sit in Samadhi, one need not be actually sitting. To my limited understanding, Samadhi is more an inner peace than an outer silence, even lack of motion. Christians love to quote, 'the peace of God, which passes all understanding': much like Samadhi, I believe we can say, it is something we carry with us, another dimension, if you will, in which we reside, apart from the necessary evils that we must endure bodily. Does this not sound very similar, if not identical, to our Christian walk? Are we not to distance ourselves, in a manner of speaking, from the evils of this world, in order that we might enjoy the Peace of Heaven?

Any readers of this blog of late may realize that I have begun to focus more on the Chrism than the Christ, on the Story of Scripture as relating to the physiology of humanity than a historical narrative of the journey of a fairly obscure nomadic tribe, from rags to riches, as it were. The Christ Consciousness, I believe, resides in all human beings, though some have almost totally managed to obliterate it, or at least deface it beyond human recognition. The Christ Consciousness, or the Chrism, from which the word 'Christ' ( 'anointed' ) comes, is a part of the human physiology, again, to my limited understanding & can be 'awakened' through deep prayer/meditation. As Christians, we must realize that the Spirit of the Creator God, as His Kingdom ( 'Heaven'-Luke 17:21 ) is within us! So, when we pray, it should be more an inward meditation than a prayer to 'someone out there'. Or rather, maybe it should be to 'someone out there' in the sense that we often receive aid, physically speaking, from those who hear our prayers on this physical plane.

It is through deep prayer/meditation that we experience this Samadhi, or inner peace. Maybe this is why we are instructed to be constantly in an attitude of prayer ( I Thessalonians 5:17 )! Is it really necessary to go through all the steps of transcendental meditation in order to achieve Samadhi? Many would certainly tell you so, but more to the point, 'YES'! To truly be at peace in the midst of the evil that surrounds us, whether one believes in the Christian God or simply a Higher Power, call it the Christ Consciousness, or what you will. one must first still their mind, realizing there is a Oneness; that It simply IS, no matter the evil that we perceive.

One final note; what we call the Lord's Prayer, the prayer that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, was a specific prayer for their specific time. I've covered this in previous posts, but the prayer He taught His disciples was relative to the ever-worsening situation they faced in the first century. Even in this prayer, though, we can see universal truth, for He taught them how to find peace in the midst of turmoil ( tribulation ). So whether one finds more comfort in laying their cares at the feet of the Christian God or in meditating within themselves, relying on their Higher Power, we find our rest in An Attitude of Samadhi!

Charles Haddon Shank

'No Possessions, Too?'

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

Acts 4:32

When John Lennon composed 'Imagine', early one morning in 1971, it's doubtful that he had this famous, almost communistic proof-text in mind, though it's possible. Many Christians immediately apply the brakes with the first line of Lennon's song, where he sings, 'Imagine there's no heaven.....', but if one dares to continue searching, they might see that John's lyrics are predicated on the notion that 'Heaven' is somewhere out there, up there in the sky, out in space, etc. John Lennon was not a Christian, by any stretch of the imagination ( most likely Buddhist, if he followed any religion ), but he seemed to be aware that the Greek word translated 'heaven', ouranos, simply means 'sky'.

Religion divides; that's all there is to it! As Christians, traditional, anyway & orthodox, we understand that division is not necessarily a bad thing, but is it really a good thing? We are used to viewing the world & humanity in two main categories; us & them, in traditional Christianese, those who are headed for heaven & those who are destined for hell. The Bible DOES say, 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you' ( II Corinthians 6:17 ( Isaiah 52:11, Ezekiel  20:34, 41 ), but when read in context, it should be noted that these were written in the days of that first [ age/covenant ], thus being directed at true Israel. As a matter of fact, the communistic-sounding statement at the beginning of this post should also be taken in context, with the understanding that the Christians who thus divested themselves of their property ( 'possessions' ) quite probably did so because they knew that it would soon be worthless, as the city was about to be destroyed.

Speaking of possessions, we now come closer to the heart of the matter! What is the biggest cause for fights, even wars? Quoting at some length here, from James 4:1-3, 'Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do [ they ] not [ come ] from your [ desires for ] pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend [ it ] on your pleasures'. Say what you want about John Lennon & his ideals, but at least he seemed to understand, maybe better than most, that it's not about possessions, what you have or don't have, materially speaking, anyway. We read elsewhere in Scripture ( Romans 14:17 ) that, 'the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit'; Again, it's not about possessions, materialistically speaking, it's a spiritual reality, basically how we treat our fellow human beings: as John put it, 'the brotherhood of man'!

Possessions, though, are not a bad thing; like riches of any kind, the problem is not in having them, but how we come by them & what we do with them once we get them. James mentioned that the Israelites were guilty of breaking the tenth commandment, which instructed them, 'You shall not covet.................................' ( Exodus 20:17 ). 'He/she has something I want & they won't give it to me, therefore I will take it from them!' The problem is not in the having ( of possessions/riches ); the problem is in doing whatever is necessary to get them, usually whether it's right or wrong. Lennon was not saying that it would be ideal not to have anything of one's own, but rather, that we should look at what we have been blessed with as not simply ours, but a blessing for the collective whole, for the good of humanity. Hence, the line 'Imagine all the people sharing all the world'.

We tend to view our possessions in the same way that Gollum viewed The Ring, in the epic, 'The Lord of the Rings'; 'My OWN, my prrrrrrrrecious!' Witness what he did to retrieve his 'prrrrrrecious': he would have done whatever he could to get it back, even if it meant murder. As it 'happened, he simply bit Frodo's finger off before he himself perished, along with the Ring. The point is, that looking at what we have been blessed with as 'our possessions', ours & ours alone is what has been the cause of many battles & wars, even if it's only within our own hearts. James also ask the question, 'If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what [ does it ] profit?"' ( James 2:15 & 16 ); when we fail to share our blessings with those in need, simply because they are ours ( 'I' worked for them! ) then we fail to live as Jesus taught.

So then, when read in the context of the current situation, at the time of Luke's writing ( Acts 4:32 ), we may correctly ascertain what was originally meant by those words. Not so much a plea for
Christian Communism, but rather a sharing of what they were blessed with, although it was probably made easier by the knowledge that these possessions would soon be worthless anyway. However, the point is; they did not look at these things as their own ( 'MY prrrrrrecious' ), but as a blessing to be shared with those in need! This being a universal truth; how much need is there in the world today? Our 'world', even? What should we do, then, with our possessions?

I'm not saying that we should not have anything of our own; I'm simply saying, as I believe Lennon was, that we should not cling to what we have been blessed with, but that we should share, without expectation, with those in need. 'The brotherhood of man' does not extend only to those who live & believe like we do! What we have been blessed with is not for us alone; it is to be shared with the world, regardless of whether we think they deserve it or not.


Agree with John Lennon's life or not, his ideals were lofty & true; what he imagined was a world at peace rather than a world at war, no heaven above, but rather, 'heaven' here below. He 'imagined' a world where the collective consciousness ruled the day, not one in which some were destined for 'heaven', while others were headed for 'hell'. As the unorthodox 'heretics' that we are, fulfilled believers know that it is not the traditional 'heaven' or 'hell' scenario, but rather that Heaven is here & now, that in sharing its blessings, we embrace 'the brotherhood of man'!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Butterfly Effect ( Chaos Theory ) & the Flight of the Bumblebee

It has been said that when a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, a tornado might touch down in central Texas a few weeks later. A bit extreme, maybe, that something so seemingly insignificant & fragile could cause something so destructive, but Cause & Effect is something that must be considered, down to the smallest detail, if we are to make sense of this thing we call life. The Science of the matter, to be honest, is quite beyond this blogger, but to be honest, that's really not the point of this post! The point is; how often do we really think about how our actions, no matter how seemingly innocent or insignificant, affect the conditions around us? Can we really do anything without consequences of some sort?

In the past, the question of how a bumblebee can remain aloft has proved to be enigmatic for Science, though recent discoveries have somewhat lessened the apprehension & expanded the comprehension. Though maybe more understandable now, it is no less amazing, as are many enigmas that have been revealed to humanity through heightened Science & Technology. 'The size & weight of the bumblebee', 'the apparent fragility of its wings', to say nothing of its aerodynamics, seem to be more than enough to cast a shadow of doubt, or wonder, really, on how such a creature can fly.

Thanks in part to astronomical advances in Science & Technology, humanity has learned many things about the Creation that were previously regarded as some of life's great mysteries, though sadly, many of these discovers have been chalked up to mere naturalistic evolution, apart from an Intelligent Designer. The fairly recent discovery of the Higgs Boson, the so-called 'God Particle', is an indication of this. Adaptation might be a better word for the changes that the animal creation in particular goes through & has gone through, though plants as well have been noted in this phenomena. Evolution though, of a sort anyway, is hard to deny, though a better way to say it is that this Intelligent Designer, call IT 'God', 'the Creator', 'Source', 'Energy', even 'the Universe', if you will, has programmed into the marvels of biology the ability, even the propensity to adapt to any given situation.

If Life is nothing more than a series of unfortunate events, just a haphazard scramble of ingredients, then what IS the point of it all?! Every man, woman & child has been given a free will, a choice of whether to adapt to any given situation, or to die. Animals have this ability as well, though in most animals, we don't recognize the innate intellect, or the conscious ability to make these choices; we tend to chalk it up to instinct, but there again, 'where did that instinct come from?' Through the wonders of Science & Technology, humanity has begun to recognize that we are not the only creatures in this biology that have been gifted with intellect, however limited.

Speaking of animals, how much do we consider the effects of our actions on them? For instance, when we feast on them, as in the case of cattle, chicken, turkey, even wild game, do you ever wonder if how we treated them in their relatively short life might have an effect on our consumption of them? The way that corporate growers raise the meat we eat has begin to give many people pause as to whether its even consumable. We might ask ourselves, 'Do animals feel pain?' Most don't think twice about how cattle, chicken, etc. are slaughtered, much less how they are raised, for human consumption. For human beings, we know that close quarters often don't make for healthy living, but how does that translate when it comes to the meat we eat? To compensate for the unhealthy & unsanitary living conditions that we force most of these animals to grow up in, they are pumped with antibiotics & who knows what else: it just makes sense that this artificial 'healthiness' then transfers to us, the consumer. It might be asked, too, if the pain that the animals suffer is not somehow transferred to us, both physically & psychologically. Are WE ultimately responsible for our own health?

Dolphins, along with chimpanzees ( arguably, one of our evolutionary ancestors ) & certain species of dogs, have long been known to possess an intelligence above & beyond other animals ( even some humans ), but does it really stop there? Are these the only animals with the ability to reason? Ask pretty much any pet-lover & they will tell you their animals are smarter than a lot of humans! On the other hand, there are those out there called 'pet-owners', those who simply 'own' their pets. For this reason we now have what are called 'rescue animals'; there are whole clinics, even official organizations specifically designed for the purpose of rescuing these pets from their owners. Thankfully, not ALL owners of pets treat these animals in such a way that they need rescuing!

Life is NOT simply a series of events, no matter how seemingly fortunate or unfortunate! Life is what we make it & though there are certain things that seem to just 'happen' to us, beyond our control, even in these events, we still exert some control. We may choose, for instance, how we will respond or react to the event, or we may even choose to so order our own lives as to limit the chance of such & such ever 'happening' to us. No matter the case, whether you believe there is a Supreme Being who ordered the Universe, it is clear that we, along with the animal, even plant creation, are sentient creatures, with the ability to choose, to judge for ourselves.

Not being a scientist, I will not even endeavor to take a glimpse into the whys & wherewithals of how a bumblebee can fly, or why they were not designed with better aerodynamics: I will, however simply, say that without an Intelligent Designer, the bumblebee would not be able to wing its flight, much less exist! Much the same could be said of really any part of the material creation, maybe the human biology most of all.

Any action, great or small, WILL have some sort of consequences! There is nothing we can do that won't have an effect on the environment around us. We cannot take one step, for instance, without something feeling the effects of our weight. We leave footprints wherever we go! When we sneeze ( which the average is about 200 mph ), there is a transference of whatever germ caused us to sneeze, if germ it be, to countless surfaces, as much as 10 feet away or more. A butterfly in Brazil doesn't sound so strange now, does it?

According to the Hebrew Scriptures, Yahweh Elohim brought order out of the chaos that was the creation, about 6,000 years ago, give or take a few millennia. Although there are things, like the two Category Five hurricanes the Virgin Islands experienced several months ago, that seem to just 'happen', we must understand that NOTHING ever just 'happens; there is ALWAYS a Cause & there is ALWAYS an Effect! Again, I'm not a scientist, so I won't even try to explain the intricacies of how hurricanes are formed, or why they seem to strike at random targets. Events like these seem to make Chaos Theory plausible, but when you think of the Order behind it all, that all these things work together for our benefit, one still wonders why Chaos seems to reign supreme. Like, if the
Universe was Created & is controlled by a Supreme Being, then why do 'bad' things happen to 'good' people?

It's all about choice! Whether our own personal choice, or the choices of others, our actions most often determine the course of events. We know that if we do this, that will most likely occur as a consequence & vice versa; if this, then that. To an extent, we ourselves control the outcome of any given event. Even when it comes to the actions of others, which we can't choose for them, our own actions often positively influence their actions so that what we feared may never transpire. If, despite our most fervent efforts, though, something untoward does happen, we are yet faced with how we will respond to the Call. Will we respond in kind, or will we act ( or not ) in such a way as to stop forward momentum?

Charles Haddon Shank

'Which Witch is Which?'

First of all, what is a Witch? Despite what some people seem to think, witches are most often no different than you or I, except for the fact that, for some strange reason, they seem to be healthier than a lot of 'regular' people! As Çhristians ( of whatever denomination ), we have been taught to shun them, even to fear them, because their works are 'of the devil', 'they're in league with Satan', or some other such nonsense. To be honest, yes, there are no doubt some out there that call themselves 'witches', who use their 'powers', their 'craft' for evil purposes, but is this really any different than others who work craftily for their own selfish purposes, including many so-called religious people?

An interesting fact discovered during research for this post was that, in only a handful of versions ( including the KJV ) does the term 'witch' even appear & that one or two times, at the most (  Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:10 ) 'Witchcraft' appears 6 times in the NKJV. Interesting as well, is that, though Exodus 22:18, in the KJV anyway, reads, 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live'; the context of these words tells us that it is written for the Israelites under that first [ covenant ]. Secondly, this passage is telling them ( NOT us ) that they should have 'no other gods before Me' ( that is, before Yahweh- Exodus 20:3 ); In other words, the word 'witch' is transliterated from a word referring to worship ( apparently there was a problem with worshipping 'the creature rather than the Creator' ( Romans 1:25 ).

The word itself, which, as far as I can tell, is rooted wholly in the English language, according to most of our modern dictionaries, means something like, 'a woman thought to have evil magic powers. Witches are popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and pointed hat, and flying on a broomstick.' Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has this primary definition; 'one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially :a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar :sorceress — compare warlock'. A 'witch', in this day & age, can also be anything from a spiteful woman to one who is particularly beautiful & charming.

The point is, that because of our Anglicization of Scripture, true witches, or those described as 'keepers of the Old Ways of Love for the Earth and all Her creatures', have been given an evil name! Are there witches out there who are worthy of the stigma that is usually attached to the term? Sure; just as there are 'Christians', as well as Muslims or pretty much any other 'religion' out there, who act contrarily to their stated beliefs, people make choices, for good or evil ( as we see it ) & therefore, some 'witches' truly are Satan-worshippers ( self-serving ). The same, however, may be said of certain people who Claim the Name, as well as the Pagan who serves only their own interests!

One might ask if certain 'Christian' rituals, especially those involving the use of 'blood', are really any different than those employed by certain witches! Now, before the Sign of the Cross is automatically deployed against me, please hear me out. I'm simply pointing out the fact that any ritual can be practiced with good or bad intentions. It is therefore not the ritual itself that is necessarily wrong, but the intention of the one practicing the ritual. Most Christians, as many religions do, believe that theirs is the Only Way to relationship with the Creator. Witches, as far as this blogger can tell, believe this can be accomplished, not just by living in harmony with humanity, but with the rest of the material, as well as immaterial creation.

'Love for the Earth and all Her creatures' sounds like a good goal to me! Actually, it sounds like one that Jesus Himself wouldn't have been averse to. The One who, from the beginning, pronounced all these things 'good' was therefore very arguably NOT referring to what we in America call 'witches' when He denounced 'kashaph' as 'evil'. To have a relationship in this way, with the Creator, should be the Goal of humanity. Because this is NOT the Goal, however, we have what we have; wars & rumors of wars. We are a people divided, because 'our way is the only ( or simply 'best' ) Way'. Everyone seems to think that, because they place their Faith in a Book that was admittedly translated over thousands of years by biased translators, 'witches' should be condemned. As we have seen, yes, there are some 'witches' who use their knowledge for their own purposes, rather than for the Glory & Honor of the Creator & His Creation ( read 'God & Goddess' ), but, though these give the rest a bad name, we must remember that there are other religions in which this is the case as well!

The etymology of the word in question, though admittedly not researched to a great extent by this blogger, can therefore be noted as one of those words, like 'judgment', even 'love', or 'hate', whose meaning, or perception anyway, has been altered. If we can begin to look at 'witches' as ''keepers of the Old Ways', as fellow humans to be embraced, rather than an evil to be shunned, or even killed, then maybe we too, even as Christians, as Keepers of the Divine Principle, will see Peace on Earth, not through force of arms, as some religions seem to teach, but through an all-encompassing 'Love for the Earth and all Her creatures'!

A witch, then, is no different than a Christian! Let that sink in. Witches simply follow a different religion; in fact, one far more ancient than Christianity. As opposed to most Christians, though, witches do not seem to think that their way is the only way. ( I may be mistaken in this matter, but I'm pretty sure that this is not a 'blanket' statement, either, but would depend on the witch. ) Not all witches are bad, just as not all Christians are good, or all Muslims are evil. Everyone of us has a choice, as a human being, whether to act in Love, or to act in Fear, of which our own Scriptures say 'There is no fear in love ( I John 4:18 ). Witch or not, Pagan or Christian, Buddhist ( Hindu ) or Muslim, we are in this together & humanly speaking, if we can't learn to live & love together, there will never be Peace on Earth!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Idols We Fear

'Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law,

when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.'

G.K. Chesterton

Christians, the overwhelming majority of them, anyway, are not exempt! For centuries, they have led the battle against Evil, often where there is no evil, but simply difference. As Chesterton noted, the evils of alcohol have been rammed down the throats of many a confessing Christian, when they should be looking inward, not outward for the heart of the issue. We have learned to fear war, or economic loss, rather than looking at our own lack of confidence. When men & women look outside themselves for either salvation or condemnation, they have set up an idol!

Idols come in many shapes & sizes: whatever one sets up in his or her life as important above all else, especially if it be something that must be aspired to, often becomes an idol to them. An idol need not be an object or person even; it can simply be an ideal ( how close is 'ideal' to 'idol'? ). To be rich, monetarily speaking, is the aim of many: it is not wrong to be wealthy, nor are riches themselves evil. As the Bible says,  it is 'the love of money', which is 'a root of all [ kinds of ] evil ' ( I Timothy 6:10 ), not money itself. Jesus further said, 'What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man' ( Mark 7:20-23 ) We should understand that it is not the object itself from which the evil emanates, but from the heart of the one who holds it, if evil there be!

Not to over-use the phrase, but a wise man once said, 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself'. This a true statement, not because there is nothing to be afraid of, for there is much to be concerned about, but it is how we react to things, for evil or good, with love or fear, that determines the outcome. If we approach with Fear, the thing becomes an object, or an idol, but if with Love, it remains a subject. Love, rightly understood & practiced, is the only way to refrain from idolatry! If we would learn to Love, not Fear, much that most now fear in the world, whether it be the imminent collapse of the economy, war, or the so-called 'evils of alcohol', would be done away with. What it all comes down to is Choice; we can choose to take that next drink, the one that may send us over the edge, so to speak, or we can choose to let wars & rumors of war affect us adversely; we can use the failing economy as an excuse not to live our lives to the fullest, or we can choose to use all of the above as an opportunity to Love, to heal all the hurt that has been caused by Fear!

Fearing what may come, whether it be from the economic situation we have placed ourselves in, the wars we have embroiled ourselves in, or the alcohol we try to drown ourselves in, sets up idols in our lives, no matter if we admit them or not. Simply by not accepting the responsibility for our own actions & then placing the blame on an object outside ourselves, we admit that we are subject to it & indeed, ascribe some kind of worth to it, in fact, worshipping it as an ideal, or an idol. Though maybe a bit out of context, historically speaking, we may understand the apostle John's words universally, when he wrote, 'Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.' ( I John 4:17 ) These words were fulfilled in the first century, yet they are fulfilled ( filled to the fullest ) today when we do not fear what ( judgment ) may come, but face it with the Love from on high, the Love that we are!

The idols that this world has set up, whether false gods or false devils, cannot help but come tumbling down, for they have no life in them, but are subject to the ones who have set them up. Whether we, on our own, forsake the idols in our lives, or whether it be through what is called Divine Intervention that they crumble; crumble they will, for in the Face of Love, there is nothing to fear. Love knows no Fear, for Being the Object, it is Subject to none, but is the Ruler of All!

Christianity itself, or at least, what many have passed off as Christianity, has been found guilty of setting up both false gods & false devils! While not all who have taken the name 'Christian' have sullied the Name by prostrating themselves before these idols, many have committed atrocities in the name of their God, acting against the principles that Jesus taught in the very Scriptures they claim to uphold. The term 'Christian', meaning 'little Christ', has been applied loosely to those who have filled themselves as well as others with fear, by perpetrating or else perpetuating wars & other such evils.

The best & most that we, as true followers of the Way, can do is to expose, not merely these false gods & false devils, but to expose these false Christians, to show a watching world what it truly means to be a Christian. By doing what Jesus did, of whom it was said He came, not to 'condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved' ( John 3:17 ); we may begin to redeem the world rather than to condemn it by setting up idols.

Charles Haddon Shank

Life in This Human Shell

'Do androids dream of electric sheep?'

When someone asked this of Joe, he didn't know quite what to say; he had no idea what the other was talking about................not at first anyway. After he'd googled it, he understood what had been asked of him, but really, it was a stupid question! The latest entry was recorded well over 500 years ago & even that was referencing something that had long passed. An android, from what he could tell, was basically a humanoid robot with an AI, or Artificial Intelligence, brain. It actually sounded somewhat familiar to him, but Joe just couldn't wrap his brain around why the other might ask such a question; an 'electric sheep'?!

Life had been going on, as far as anyone could remember! To suggest that Life had a beginning was pretty funny sounding to most. 'If Life had a beginning', as the reasoning went, 'then Who, or What, was the Cause...........how did it all start?' Though most did not even register this as a valid question, there were certain religious groups that posited that at one point in Time, a Divine Being had created the first human being, putting It's own Essence into a biological machine. Human beings, over Time, with the aid of Science & Technology, had learned to create other biological machines in their own image. The problem was, for the first couple centuries, that they, for whatever reason, were not able to replicate humanity. The biological machines were simply just that, machines, though covered with flesh & blood!

As Time wore on, the evolution of human beings brought them to the point that they were able to create an artificial intelligence for their 'robots' At first, this AI program was pretty simple & prone to viruses. Hackers often found ways to 'bend' these androids with AI to their own 'evil' whims! Eventually though, these Android systems were honed to the point that they were well-nigh impossible to hack & most hackers turned their talents elsewhere. While the new systems were nearly impervious now, to viruses & other such 'tinkering', there had been a time when lobbyists had called for prohibition of AI; in particular many in the religious community.

The accusation brought against the creators of the Android systems was that 'they're playing God!' This brought about much discussion that needed to unsurface. Humans, from Time immemorial, had fought over the control of others, for this very reason. 'If we can control others', they reasoned, 'then we can make them do our 'dirty work' for us. The problem was, as the AI systems evolved, they began to become autonomous, like they were independent & not like 'robots' at all. The religious sector did not like this & they tried to nip it in the bud, to shut them down, so to speak!

By the time Joe's immediate family had been generated, most of the accusations had been stifled & the Smith family advanced beyond their years, which was quite a feat in those days! What had begun on an assembly line with many human & android contributors was now accomplished with nano-engineering. Yes, Science & Technology had advanced to the degree that these bio-engineered human beings were able to procreate; within their own bodies carrying all the necessary & marvelous tools to create Life!

Having come such a long way, these biological machines had surpassed their creator's hopes, having evolved far beyond the ability to be hacked. Having their own free will, they were susceptible to outside influences, just like any normal human being, but the biology they possessed had become impervious to many, if not most of the diseases that had plagued humanity thousands of years before. One of the reasons for their 'stability' was the fact that they were little more than machines, biologically intricate as they were. Thanks to nana-technology, their creators had been able to fashion these biological machines to exactly mimic their own Creator's Divine Opus!

Though the religious community had fought them for centuries, even millennia, common sense, along with Science & Technology had finally won the day! Realizing the ability to create even as they were created, humanity evolved to the point where they were no longer afraid to stretch their creative legs. They had even found, after quite some Time, that they were able to impart the Spirit with which they had been gifted, breathing into the nostrils of their own creations the Breath of Life!

At this Time, then, the Smith family had advanced so far that, just as Joe had a tough time with the phrase 'electric sheep', so it was that the word 'android' was, for all intents & purposes, almost unrecognizable. Bio-engineering had rendered mere humanity almost useless & indeed, indistinguishable from the Smith family, except for their penchant for disease. Because of their innate inability to stave off infection, humanity had all but faded away Though finally free from religious oppression, humanity had discovered too late their ability for bio-engineering, that they themselves could create beings such as they themselves, who had been created by the Supreme Being.

It seemed eons had passed since the question, 'do androids dream of electric sheep?' made any sense to anybody at all, much less to someone like Joe Smith. The electrical impulses that powered the Android systems that powered this New Humanity were the very same impulses that powered the human biology ages ago; yes, even the biology of animals such as sheep. As we consider the possibilities, being so far removed from such a future as we might think, Joe finally, many, many, many years into that future that so many fear, realized what was meant by the others question!

Charles Haddon Shank

Search For The Sacred Feminine

Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code', besides its entertainment value, is an intriguing read for some of its finer, subtler points. For the hero of the book, things get rather 'interesting' PDQ ( pretty damn quick )! Although the adventures of Robert Langdon are exciting, to say the least, it is more what is going on behind the scenes-behind closed doors-so to speak, that really captivates. The scheming of the Roman Catholic Church, though maybe largely speculation on the part of the author, is nonetheless very believable.

The traditional concept of the Virgin Birth of Jesus is a matter of almost the strictest confidence! By this is meant simply that, according to at least one of the Creeds, if one does not subscribe, most importantly, maybe, to the Virgin Birth, one cannot be called a Christian. The Scriptural, or biblical 'proof' for this Virgin Birth is questionable, to say the least, though to many Christians, it is very plain. The announcement of the birth of Isaac, for instance, in Genesis 18:10, sounds strangely similar to the announcement made to Mary in Luke 1:28-38. It is fairly well-accepted that Isaac was fathered by Abraham, physically speaking, but to suggest that the birth of Jesus was of similar ( natural ) means is almost heretical!

The Sacred, or Divine Feminine is a subject that most traditional theologians of this day & age ( up to & including the past hundred years or so, give or take a millennia ) seem almost loathe to even consider. Although, according to some accounts, the Study of the Divine Feminine disappeared, for the most part, from theology over two thousand years ago, if one pays close attention, on may notice it extant in the text of Scripture, even the Bible itself. The ascendant role of women, in particular their role as the mothers of Jesus, or Israel, is an indication of this.

The Age of Puritanism, in the opinion of this blogger, anyway, did much to pervert this most holy & pure of functions. The function in question, of course, is sexual intercourse, which was relegated by the Catholic Church at one time, as only to be entertained solely for the purposes of progenation. Biblically speaking, thanks in part to Psalm 51:5, sexual intercourse was deemed a shameful, even sinful action, redeemed only by the propagation of the race. However, this very natural & necessary function is one that was given by the Creator, not just for the purposes of propagation, but for our enjoyment as well. Studies have shown that it builds up, not only the intimacy of the two involved, both sexually & spiritually, but also has many positive effects, physiologically speaking.

It goes without saying that there is a time & place for everything; there are certain situations that would negate the positive effect of sexual intercourse, but even these, in a certain light, can be viewed as efficacious. With the advent of birth control aids, such as the condom, which is not always so efficacious, the practice of free sex for the sake of enjoyment alone saw an immediate rise, especially as witnessed by the 60s generation. The infamous 'Roe V. Wade' Supreme Court decision of 1972 further bolstered this movement, since now, even if conception occurred as a result of 'free sex', one could simply & legally discard the conceived child!

The role of the woman in the birth of new life is beyond question; if one is never born physically, biblically speaking ( John 3:6 ), it goes without saying that one cannot be reborn spiritually. Such, anyway was the argument that this blogger used to uphold. Much has occurred in the past decade or so, theologically speaking, to reform my thinking. It is now clear, to me anyway, that rather than the rebirth that Jesus speaks of, most notably in John 3, had a primary contextual reference to 1st century Israel, not so much to 21st century Americans, though a secondary meaning may certainly be applied. With that said, then, the role of women is important, not so much in the realm of child-bearing, though it certainly is that, but in the domain of intimacy, both physiologically & spiritually speaking.

While sexual intercourse should never be taken lightly, as is often the case, neither is it something to be ashamed of. Outside the Sacred Bonds of Marriage, which can be defined simply as a Covenant between two people of the opposite sex, sexual intercourse is not a wise choice for many reasons, one being that it tends to accentuate the physical needs without satisfying the spiritual. However, when spiritual intimacy occurs, the marriage is blessed, for without the spiritual, the physical will only go so far; when the spiritual occurs first, the physical need not be ever-present!

Prior to the Birth of Christianity, in many of the Pagan religions ( out of which much of what we know as Christianity sprang, by the way ), the Sacred Feminine was recognized, even worshipped & adored. To this day, as Mr. Brown alludes to in his book, some still do! As Christians, we have been taught that sexual intercourse is reserved for the marriage bed & so it is; it is the definition of marriage then, that needs reexamination! Although that may be a subject for another day; we may suffice, for now, to say that marriage, as stated earlier, is between a man & a woman, with no other involvement necessary!

Studies may show that, around the time of Second Temple Judaism, the Sacred Feminine all but disappeared from the text of Scripture, but truly, as stated earlier, there is more than enough to be found-the Song of Solomon, for instance-that gives us more than a healthy glimpse into it! Throughout the Scriptures, much like 'The Da Vinci Code', it is more what goes on behind the scenes-behind closed doors-that makes its reading so intriguing. This is not to say, necessarily, that we should haphazardly read between the lines of Scripture, so to speak, but many of it's implications are quite shocking, to say the least!

The Search for the Sacred Feminine, which is something that we all aspire to ( speaking as a man, of course ), should not be taken lightly, either! There is something missing in this world in which we live & it is something we cannot live without, either physiologically or spiritually. The importance of the Divine Feminine in what we as Christians term 'the God-head' is something that has been glossed over, in a manner of speaking for millennia, though in certain pagan religions, it is celebrated & worshipped, as it should be.

To insist on the Virgin Birth as necessary to one's salvation, then, is rendered moot! If Jesus was born in the usual way, through sexual intercourse, it does not detract from the glorious fact that He was the Son of God. In fact, Scripture seems to point to this, for in the Gospels, Jesus primarily referred to Himself as 'the Son of Man'; it was others, for the most part that ( rightly ) called Him 'the Son of God'. As a Christian, it is well-nigh useless to deny the Virgin Birth ( it could be quite harmful, in fact ), but it is not irrefutable & definitely not beyond all reasonable doubt!

Charles Haddon Shank

Spiritual Detox, Continued

'Look at it as just another stage-stop in The Journey!'

In some sense & to whatever extent, we are all in the process of spiritual detoxification. Some of my readers may not even realize it yet. I assure you, though, we are all affected in some way by it. My own personal journey has brought me from a strict determinist position, to a slightly liberalist, preteristic ( past fulfillment ) position, to where I am now, hovering somewhere between realizing & knowing. I know that there is a Creator, biblically speaking, the Great 'I AM', but I realize too that good things happen to 'bad' people & vice versa, for reasons that we can't seem to comprehend, sometimes. One question on the minds of many people today is, 'Why would a good & loving God allow such evil to exist?'; it is also the reason that many have left the fold, so to speak!

Just like any other form of detox, spiritual detox can be quite painful at times; to whatever extent & for however long, the estrangement of friends & loved ones might be one of the results. Emotional turmoil is yet another; baring questions like, 'how can I bear the Christ Within ( the ( Holy Spirit ), when, as the apostle states, 'I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but [ how ] to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will [ to do, ] I do not do; but the evil I will not [ to do, ] that I practice' ( Romans 7: 18 & 19 )?' First of all, when questions like this come to mind, we must realize that the author was writing to address a certain situation, at a specific time in history, We can however, apply this to our current situation as well, for we often find ourselves locked in battle with what might be called the 'Ego'. It is the ego that says, 'I don't care if it's right or wrong!' Also known as 'the Person', the ego says, 'this is what 'I' want; who cares what anyone else wants!' One might call such a person 'selfish'.

It goes without saying that we are all at different stages in 'the Journey: I say 'the Journey', not 'our
Journey', because even though, in a personal sense, we must each ( individually ) walk the path before us, it is really & truly the same Journey. The Journey toward Knowing. Knowing ourselves, finding our purpose in Life, the Purpose of it All, really! 'Why are we here?' 'Why must we endure evil?' 'Why do we keep making the same mistakes over & over?' 'What is the point of it all?' When we begin to realize that we shape our own destiny by the choices that we make, the struggle begins in earnest. Thoughts like, 'Is God really in control?' begin to surface. We ( personally ) are tempted to think, 'Well, if God was really in control, evil wouldn't exist!'

But Evil does 'exist'; so how do we rectify this conundrum? There's a saying that seems to fit the bill; Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. 

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Scripture, on the other hand, says that our Heavenly Father is 'not willing that any should perish' ( II Peter 3:9 ). Aside from the fact that Peter, like Paul earlier, was referring to a certain situation, at a specific time in history, it is said that we have free will; we can choose for ourselves to do this or that, one thing or the other. We know that, in terms of biology, anyway, many have perished since the beginning of Time, so obviously, Peter wasn't referring to mere biology here, just like Paul wasn't. Just like Jesus wasn't when He said, 'whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die' ( John 11:26 ). So, what WERE they referring to? Many people have doubtless ruminated & speculated over this in the past ( most likely still do ), but, when it comes down to it, the answer must be, 'they were referring to our true nature, that, not of the individual ( person ) but of the spiritual ( self /body )'.

Like Epicurus above, the question of whether the Creator God is a loving One, is one that many, including Christians have been asking for centuries on end. On a personal level, even as Paul was quoted earlier, we can see that it is individual choices that manifest the evil we witness in the world. Not simply our own, but the selfish, ego-driven choices that others have made from time immemorial. In making these choices, for 'good' or 'evil', people have shown themselves to be masters of their own destiny. Some have perished, in a personal, biological sense, while others have chosen to live in unity with the (spiritual ) body, knowing that all are from the Source & of the same Essence.

This Essence, whether you call it by its Christian name, or 'The Great Spirit', 'the Creator', 'Energy', or simply 'the Source', is that Divine Essence of which all things exist. It is, therefore, all good! The 'evil' enters in when people ( individuals/persons ) allow their lower ( animal ) nature, or Ego, to rule them. This is not always a bad thing, but relatively speaking, it is construed as good or evil. In other words, what one intends or accomplishes for their own good might be viewed as evil to another ( person). What is 'good' for one may not be 'good' for another; what is 'evil' to one may not be seen as 'evil' to another. The Question of Evil is another that needs reexamining!

'Then why call him God' was the question. If 'He' is truly 'Almighty', as the Scriptures say, then why does 'He' allow evil; why did 'He' give us free will, knowing as 'He' must have, that some ( many ) would use that free will to their own ( selfish ) ends, doing what was right in their own eyes. It is recorded in Scripture that Jesus Himself agreed with the Psalmist ( Psalm 82:6 ), when He said, 'You are gods' ( John 10:34 ). We are gods in the sense that we have the free will to judge for ourselves. Some have used this to their own ( individual ) advantage, while others are content to 'let it be', basking in the Glory that we ARE, as the Image of the Creator God!

Something popular these days is to run a 'detox' ( similar to a 'defrag' ), whether it involves cleaning out one's friendslist on FB or ingesting some kind of more-or-less herbal formula to flush one's system. More often than not, unfortunately, many tend to, after the painful 'flushing', even during it, because of the pain, refill their system with much of the same garbage they just got rid of, or eliminated. Spiritual detoxification often has the same effect; because it's to painful, many tend to return to wallowing in the same pit they took pains to get out of, or else they ignore the fact that it's needed because they foresee the pain it will cause.

Realizing that we ARE gods, masters of our own destiny, personally speaking & further, that we are of a spiritual, not animal, or fleshly, nature, we thus begin to understand the Nature of Evil itself! Evil is not something that some God  ( Person ) out there somewhere ('Heaven'? ) permits, or allows; it is something that WE permit, or allow! A wise man once said, 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of Evil is that good men do nothing': let that sink in! Depending, of course, on the context, one might well ask, 'are they truly good men IF they do nothing?' 'What IS a good man?!

Knowing that there is a Creator God, the Source of All Life, is half the battle, in a manner of speaking. While our spiritual nature just IS ( 'it is what it is' ), we must needs operate in the Person, even with its oft-damning Ego. What we must be careful to observe, as YHWH told Cain, the first biblically recorded murderer, 'its desire is for you, but you should rule over it'  ( Genesis 4:7b ). By ruling over our Ego, rather than letting it rule us ( our actions ), we allow ourselves to BE the Love that we ARE & begin to heal, rather than harm!

Namaste' & May it be!

Charles Haddon Shank

An Angry God

What if Jonathan Edwards was right? What if much of the world finds itself on the wrong end of the gun? This sure would go a long way toward explaining what has, heretofore, been unexplainable. Whether you give credence to conspiracy theories about alien abductions or not, it is hard to argue with the facts. Bad things just seem to happen to bad people more often than to good people, though it's not unheard of for bad things to happen to good people. Although much of traditional Christianity has painted a rather bleak landscape for the world at large, maybe there is something to the idea that the One who brought us biological life isn't happy with the way that certain of His/Her/Its/Their Creation has treated other members of the same Creation.

There was talk & in fact, somewhat of a hub-bub this past month, about the return of Planet X, AKA, 'Nibiru'. The theoretical 3600 year elliptical orbit of this as-yet undiscovered 'planet' has been the impetus of some conspiracy theorist's claims that the collision of this 'planet' with our Earth, at that time slightly larger & called 'Tiamat', was the biblical genesis of Life as we know it. Zecharia Sitchin is the main & most well-known proponent & progenitor of this seemingly 'outlandish' theory. If indeed this mysterious 'planet X' is out there, as ancient Sumerian texts seem to point to, according to Sitchin, then much of what we know about this marvelous universe might have a better explanation & much of what is beyond our grasp, what we can only speculate about right now, might be within our grasp: imagine that!

The Story of Genesis Creation has been rumored to reveal, first, a heavens & earth in the midst of chaos. Before we go any further, we must remember that, in the beginning [ there were ] no chapter & verse divisions. Secondly, then, Elohim ( for that is the Hebrew word used here ) brought order to this creation that was 'formless and void', thereby making it hospitable for human population. The Hebrew Scriptures then seem to make this Creator God something of a tyrant, luring His first subjects into a test that not many ( if any ) 'children' would pass, much less with flying colors. On top of that, there are numerous instances that scoffers love to quote, wherein this God, or YHWH, seems to, almost pettily, demand instant retribution for any offense. One of the more famous ( or is that 'infamous'? ) is when a member of the victorious returning Israelite army is struck down simply for touching something YHWH had said was untouchable: you can read the story in II Samuel 6.

The so-called 'New Testament', or the Greek & Aramaic Scriptures, seem to present us with a kinder, gentler God. You may have heard the saying; 'the New is within the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed'; although the terms 'New' & 'Old' maybe should not be used thusly, this statement is true in that the Hebrew Scriptures do foreshadow what was written after, most notably, the Gospel of the Jewish Messiah. Whether one takes under consideration the theory put forward by some, that the apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, for example, was orchestrated to relieve the Roman Emperor of his guilt, it should be clear that, from the beginning, this Jewish Messiah was promised & pre-figured in types & shadows throughout the so-called 'Old Testament', the Hebrew Scriptures.

Did Jesus calm His Father down when He came on the scene, as some have supposed, rather simplistically? The Creator God, or Elohim ( plural ) of the Hebrew Scriptures was almost undeniably blood-thirsty; just like many of the gods of the surrounding nations, this God seemed to be appeased by the shedding of innocent blood, though, unlike those other gods, He allowed for the innocent blood to come from an animal rather than a human. However, also foreshadowed in the Hebrew Scriptures ( Genesis 22 ), Jesus, as the Son of Man, fully human, yet fully God, according to the Creeds, sheds His own innocent blood to appease the justice of an angry God.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus labored to show His brethren that they had sadly miscalculated, not simply the true meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures, but the true nature of the Hebrew ( Creator ) God Himself. Even if the Greek & Aramaic Scriptures are purely metaphorical in nature, as some suggest, it must be said that, just as prophesied, the One promised from the beginning ( Genesis 3:15 ) was revealed to be the very Son of the Creator God. As the Son of God, in very fact, the Creator God Himself ( John 1:1-3 ), Jesus rose from the grave, thus drawing all men to Himself, in essence, showing them that they too could become as He was!

In the Hebrew Scriptures, Yahweh Himself proclaims, 'You are gods' ( Psalm 82:6 )! First of all, yes; in context, these words were written to the ( spiritual ) leaders of the Jewish, or Hebrew nation & secondly, Yahweh used a small 'g' rather than the large 'G' He reserved for Himself, right?! Well, actually, given the fact that 'He' used the same Hebrew 'elohiym' in both cases, I think it's safe to say the small 'g' versus large 'G' division is man-made & should therefore be put to rest.

'If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came', in the words of Jesus ( John 10:34 ), why do we find  it so hard to believe that we, like Jesus, are judges of the earth & Sons & Daughters of the Creator God in our own right: Jesus also said, don't forget, that those who followed Him would do 'greater things' ( John 14:12 )!

So, according to theory, notably, Zecharia Sitchin's, we are likely the product of some kind of genetic engineering: whether or not this is true, or even conscionable; it is clear that this marvelous biology was created & not just created, but designed by an intelligence beyond our human understanding! Even if the Creator God used lesser gods like the Anunnaki to engineer us, though that does seem rather far-fetched to most of us, would that really detract from the glorious fact that we were created thus? Because we are the products of Intelligent Design, we should know to treat others with the respect they deserve! Unfortunately, we do not, so the earth itself rumbles with her displeasure. Wars & rumors of wars have been almost a matter of fact on this planet for thousands of years. Still, we do not learn our lesson & so must keep repeating the same mistakes over & over again, seemingly, till we drive them into our thick skulls!

A Great Awakening is occurring as we speak! No, actually, maybe 'awareness' is a better way to put it; yes, more & more people are becoming aware, realizing that we have been bamboozled by centuries of religious indoctrination. Though we shouldn't discard all that we have learned through religion ( lest we 'throw out the baby with the bathwater' ), we are learning that much of what we have been taught as 'Gospel' is not, but is in fact, mere 'doctrines of men'.

Charles Haddon Shank

The Manifestation of the Person

'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.'

In this life, on this earth, this mortal dimension, we operate through the person, there's just no escaping this glorious, though often laborious fact! How we choose to operate IN the person, though, usually determines the outcome. I say 'usually', because, without fail, there ARE those who make the choice to operate totally in the person & thus make choices that might not be favorable in the outcome, at least not immediately. Here again, however, the ball returns to our court, almost without exception, for WE still have a choice as to how we face that difficulty. When we rule over our person though, it becomes no difficulty at all, but simply another chance to prove our mettle, to refine our silver & gold, if you will!

We are not the Source, but we are One with it; therefore we are pure Love, just as the Source is Pure Love! By 'Pure Love', biblically speaking, I mean simply that the Creator God, the Source of all that IS, as our Heavenly Father, like any good father, cares for His children, His Creation. He loves them to such an extent, that though He is not willing that any should perish, He is willing to let them touch the hot stove in order that they may learn for themselves that it hurts like hell! In other words, speaking personally, we have been given the free will to act according to the nature of our humanity, or according to our true nature, which is a Son of God, simply a necessary part of the Whole, or the One.

The choices we all face in this human existence often seem to force us to do things we would not normally do. Let's say that a tree falls on our house while we are away & a neighbor, one operating totally in the person, decides that since the door is ajar, he or she should accept the open & obvious invitation, pillaging whatever is being offered. We return sometime later to find that several of our possessions are missing & the door is wide open. What do we do? We have a good idea of the person or persons responsible. Do we immediately call the cops in, or even worse, take it upon ourselves to seek vengeance?

Operating totally in the person, we might be tempted to at least call the cops, letting them respond to this dastardly act, or we could immediately blow our top, run fumingly next door, or wherever we know the perpetrator lives & by force, if necessary, extract our goods, leaving a bloody pulp that will  wish they had never touched our precious possessions! Another scenario is that we would calmly & collectively seek out this individual, whoever he or she might be & calmly negotiate the safe return of said personal goods, if we even want them back. This scenario, however, is much less likely!

Understanding that we are Love personified makes all the difference in the world! 'When life hands you lemons', it is said, 'make lemonade'. In other words, as we can all attest to, in one way or another, our choices determine our existence. Whether it's a tree falling on our house, getting mugged one night outside the movie theater, or death in the family; how we react to any & I mean ANY given situation, proves to any outside observer our inner peace or turmoil ( re. 'confusion' ). We may choose to make lemonade, letting whatever might seeks to trouble us slide away like water off a duck's back, or we may choose to let it become a seed of dissension within us, allowing it to disrupt our relatively peaceful existence.

There can be no doubt that we are in this biology, for good or evil! However, as we have seen & bear witness to on a daily basis, when we dwell in the Source, as the Source dwells in our biological bodies, the choice, if indeed there is a choice, remains clear & constant. Love is ALL! Anything else is simply Illusion. O sure, it seems real enough & surely, in some sense it is, but when we are operating  from the True Self, or from the Source, everything seems fade into the foreground & we realize that the reality is not what happens to the person, the Reality is our Self, who we truly ARE!

The Love that remains, the Love that we ARE, is hard to explain; there truly ARE no words! In this biology, we may choose to exhibit ( manifest ) that Love or not, but the fact remains, in all its glory, that we ARE Love. The Creator God, the Source of all that IS, bore us in His/Her Image; we have no choice but to be who we ARE. However, as we've seen, we  can choose to remain ignorant of our Being, or stifle it through the exercise of our Person, to the extent that the Person, rather than the Self, or Being, seems to be the Reality. Returning to the Source clears the cobwebs of confusion, though & allows the Pure, Healing Light of Love to shine in & through us!

Operating THROUGH the Person is inescapable; in fact, it is an absolute necessity! In order to shine our Light in this world, we must take full advantage of this biology; we must prove, through our choices, that we ARE who we ARE. In Reality, you might say there's no choice about it, for if we simply allow ourselves to BE, we WILL BE! To simply BE, one must, as the Scriptures say, 'Be still'. This is harder than it sounds. To simply 'let it go', as seems a popular mantra today, is really not as easy as it sounds: on the other hand, though, it IS! To simply 'let it go', one must realize, first of all, WHO they really are & secondly, that it's ALL good; whatever happens in this life, in this existence, doesn't REALLY change ANYTHING: what matters is WHO we ARE; once we have that straight, the rest will fall into line!

But don't believe me, for God's sake; just DO it & see what dreams may come!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Voice of the Serpent

You will not surely die^. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:4 & 5

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Genesis 4:6 & 7

Especially in this Day & Age with the sometimes questionable wonders of Technology, it is difficult to prove beyond all shadow of a doubt to anybody, even oneself, that there IS no supernaturally evil spirit-being named Satan. Scripture DOES say, 'your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour' ( I Peter 5:8 ), but firstly ( lets make no bones about it ), Peter DID say, 'the devil', not 'Satan'. This may seem like small potatoes, nut I'm pretty sure if he had meant 'Satan', he would have said that. Secondly, Peter was accustomed to using metaphor & allegory to describe certain people or situations, for example, the only other place in the Greek Scriptures where we hear of someone ( or group of someones ) is when Jesus said ( to the Pharisees ), 'you devour widows’ houses' ( Matthew 23:14 ) Thirdly, while it is true that there is no doubt a certain spirit of wickedness behind all that is wrong in the world today, in fact, the same spirit of wickedness that the apostle warned against, it is by no means clear that this spirit is invested in one personification of evil, the mythical fallen angel we like to call Satan! 

Some may be led to wonder, 'if there's no 'Satan' to make us do bad things, maybe there's no 'God' to make us ( want to ) do good things'. In other words, if we can't say 'the devil made me do it', anymore, then maybe instead of looking to the heavens for assistance in doing good, we should just make the choice to do rightly, not wrongly, one thing rather than the other. This is not to say that our Heavenly Father does not hear our prayers or even that we shouldn't communicate with Him on a regular basis, just that we have the ability within us to choose one or the other, like Cain above. We can rule over our emotions, our Ego, or we can allow them to rule over us, in essence, to control our actions.

In the mythical & highly metaphorical Story of the Garden of Eden, the Fall of Adam & Eve  in particular, we read about a 'serpent', wiser than all the ( other ) animals, who tempted mankind with Divinity, or the ability to judge, or choose for themselves between right & wrong. As the Story goes, of course, A & E choose wrongly, to disobey the Creator God. The Story of Israel then follows this pattern, with good & bad decisions being made, thus revealing to us within the pages of Scripture a sort of comedy of errors.

Dante's 'Divine Comedy' is allegorical, as you can read in this Wikipedia article, of 'the soul's journey towards God', As you read  this poem, whether or not you agree with Dante's obvious Catholic leanings,  it is obvious that Dante' himself understood that it is through the choices we make that we wind up in  'Heaven' or 'Hell'. One can even understood this human existence as a sort of 'Purgatory', though rather than viewing as a preparation for 'Heaven' or 'Hell', we might rather see it as a purging experience, not in preparation for 'Heaven', but as 'Fit Vessels for the Master', or 'Heaven' itself!

Following the Story of his parent's Fall, or failure, Cain faced his own test, in which, because of his prevailing attitude, he, like his parents before him, failed miserably..His Story may be read as an allegory of the choices that we all face in life. When faced with whatever situation life may through at us, we can listen to our Ego, which says ( selfishly ), 'I'll do to him like he ( or she ) did to me', or we can listen to our Higher Self & treat others like we want to be treated, realizing that there is no other, that we are ALL the Image of God; thus by loving our neighbor as ourself, we are acknowledge that our neighbor IS ourself, that we are One!

Through the choices that we make, we show ourselves to be the masters of our own destiny, whether for good or evil, as the 'gods' ( Psalm 82:6 ( John 10:34 ) that Scripture itself says we are, or our own worst 'adversary'. By bowing to our Ego, by letting our emotions or feelings determine our actions ( reactions ), we become a 'devil' in the truest sense of the word. By seeking our Higher Self, though, not listening to The Voice of the Serpent, or the Ego & controlling our emotions rather than letting them control us, we show ourselves to be 'gods'!

In this sense, then & only in this sense, 'Satan is Alive & Well on Planet Earth'! As the spirit of adversity, the Ego sometimes seems to reign supreme, especially if you watch the news. The Story of the Day, though, with the recent disasters in Houston, the Caribbean & even the Keys of Florida, we are hearing, bad news, yes, but good news as well, of people overcoming their own personal feelings & coming to the aid of their fellow man. This lends hope to the future, as people love their neighbor simply because they need it!

Charles Haddon Shank

Calming the Storm

For the second time this month, a major hurricane has blown through the Caribbean Sea, devastating much of what we know as the Virgin Islands. First was Irma, with wind-speeds reaching almost Category Six ( 185+ mph ), then a bit later, Maria showed up, not quite as savagely, but still fairly destructive. Of course, the Virgin Islands were not the only islands affected by these storms, including Jose, but the Virgin Islands, in particular the island of St. Thomas, are perhaps closest to my heart & the hearts of certain of my readers, for you see, I have family down there. You may have heard that at least one of the British Virgin Isles was almost totally decimated. The Island of Puerto Rico suffered major damage to its power grid, leaving its 3.5 million inhabitants without power. Whether or not my readers have family down there, it is safe to say our heart goes out to all involved!

If one remembers Hurricane Katrina, which in 2005 made landfall, most notably, in what is called by some, 'Sin City', or New Orleans, Louisiana, one might also remember that, in certain circles, it was murmured, if not blatantly broadcasted, that it was the judgment of God! Whether it was the just judgment of a jealous God or not, Christians & non-Christians alike came together to aid in the relief effort, helping both to clean up & rebuild. Much the same is happening in the Caribbean, though maybe not quite to the same scale, at least not yet. Say what you will, then, about 'natural disasters, such as these, one thing about them, they seem to make barriers fade away, at least for the time being & by showing them what's truly important, bringing people together in a mutual cause.

At times like this, it's difficult to remain calm, especially if one's in the midst of the storm, but even if you're thousands of miles away from the epicenter. Of course. as Christians especially, we know that our God & Father holds each of us in the Palm of His Hand. However, we also know this doesn't mean that our body, not to mention, material possessions, won't be battered by the storm or suffer damage, to whatever extent. The prayers of the faithful, especially in times like this, seem to erupt, with fervent pleas to keep so & so safe from harm. When so & so remains safe, having weathered the storm, the prayers turn to joyous shouts of praise to a God that answers prayer. Such is not always the case, however, for in certain other storms of life, such as cancer or some other disease, those same fervent prayers seem to go unanswered!

'Why', one may well ask, 'does a just & loving God help some & allow others to be overcome by their own personal storm?' Does the one who succumbs to whatever malady afflicts him or her not deserve to live, or did the prayer simply not have the necessary faith behind it? Maybe it WAS the Will of God for that person to suffer harm! Maybe He allowed it to happen in order to bring people together in a relief effort, people who might not ordinarily give each other the time of day. On the other hand, though, maybe it's up to us to make sure the bodies we have been given stand the test of time & weather the storms of life. The Creator God imbued us with the wisdom, again, to whatever extent, to stay out of the path of danger or weather the storms of life. Sometimes, yes, it IS unavoidable, such as finding oneself & loved ones in the eye of the storm, as it were, but even then, with the means at our disposal, we can ensure a better chance of survival than if we simply did nothing but fall on our knees, wringing our hands & hearts as if we did not possess the wherewithal to protect ourselves!

This is not to say that prayer is useless! The Creator God is our Father & when His Children beseech Him, like any father, He hears our prayers. He has, however, endowed us with a certain power of our own, not separate from His Power, one must understand, but still one which enables us to choose our own destiny! 'Will we stand or fall; will we weather this storm, or will we be engulfed by it?' While much of the storms that pass our way are, as far as we can tell, unavoidable, others land squarely within the realm of personal choice. Certain decisions we make, as opposed to others, may place us more or less in the path of danger. Even in the path of the storm, certain choices we make might determine our relative safety in the midst of that storm. When faced with such gale-force winds & rains, the difference between living or dying might be as simple as taking the precaution of 'battening down the hatches'. On the other hand, though, it might not matter how tight we 'batten' them, the storm may prevail. After all, though the storms of life may kill this body, they can do nothing against our true selves!

Though my readers may agree, to some extent, that we have a soul, or spirit, some may have a difficult time in understanding that we are not our body! Much importance has been placed upon this biology & for good reason; however, we are more than this biology. The importance of our physicality, in the grand scheme of things especially, cannot be denied; though without the indomitable spirit, it will not survive. The Strength of our Spirit may determine whether our biology weathers the storms of life or not, but one thing is sure, even if this physicality fails the test, we will persevere!

Everything happens for a reason; as the saying goes, 'when God closes a window, He opens a door'. We hate to think of our time on this planet being cut short, but, whether due to personal carelessness or  to the nature of the storm, though our physical body may not weather the storm, our Spirit, of the same Essence as the Spirit of Life, will go on. What happens after, what dreams may come, so to speak, may be up in the air. but one thing is sure, life will go on!

Having friends or family in the path of these storms, whether it be a hurricane or a fire, as is one of the dangers in Montana, where my biology currently resides, it is difficult to hear of their troubles & not share their concerns, even their worries. However, we know that, in whatever form, the storms of life will come to test our mettle & not just the mettle of this biology; the Strength of our Spirit will be tested as well, for without the Spirit, there IS no biological life!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Meaning of Life, Continued

'Life begins at conception!'

Or does it?

First, one might question, 'what is life?' The pro-life mantra quoted above seems to be predicated on the assumption that life is biological existence. If life is more than biological existence, though, which most would probably admit to, however grudgingly, does this life begin when the spirit enters the body, or does it exist before the spirit enters the body? When does the spirit come to be? On the other end of the spectrum, what happens to the spirit when biological life ceases? Does life cease, or does the spirit persevere? Many questions could doubtless be asked when it comes to the nature of life itself, but maybe the most nagging one, staring us all in the face, is, 'if we are more than this body, why do we focus so much on this physical existence; why do we cling to this biology so fervently?'

A long time ago, I was asked what the meaning of life was. Being steeped in religiosity as I was at the time, I responded simply with, 'Jesus is the meaning of life!' Looking back on that statement, some twenty or twenty-five years ago, I can still say that, though I have come to realize that there is more to it than I thought at the time! Jesus, as the Son of God, was raised to the Life of the Spirit, which we all can now share, through the realization of the Christ, or Chrism Within.

'Life goes on!' Most times, when this, or a similar statement is uttered, the speaker is most likely thinking that though it has ceased for one individual, it perseveres for another, or others. While this is true in a sense, that ones biological life, or existence in the body they inhabited up until that time is over, whether one believes in reincarnation or not, life continues on for that one, either in the Spirit, or in a new body. By 'a new body', I simply mean another ( biological ) manifestation of the Spirit Within, that Divine Spark that moves us all.

It is without question that we are more than this biology! Whether one goes to Scripture to prove this or not ( which I have previously done ), it cannot be denied that there is a Spirit that controls our every movement. This Spirit Within enables us to choose. Depending on our choice, we may observe which nature has control, if only for the moment. If we choose rightly, according to the Spirit Within, then we may know that we are acting from our True Nature, which is from Above, our Higher Self & if we choose wrongly, which we often do, we perceive that we are acting from our base, or animal nature, that which is from Below, our lower self. For instance, most often when we instinctively react to what we perceive as wrong-doing ( usually against our self ), we end up perpetuating the wrong-doing. However, when we act out of love, rather than waiting for the other to act, it is evident that we have, through whatever means & to whatever extent, realized our True Nature & are acting from it!

Our True Nature, like the True Nature of Life itself, is Spiritual! Any motion of this biological machine, however involuntary we may perceive it as being, must begin in our Spirit, or it will not happen, for it is the Spirit that gives Life.  Some may choose to disagree over the veracity of the former statement, but none, Scripturally speaking, can disagree with the latter! One must choose, whether consciously or unconsciously, with the Higher or lower mind, to do this or that, one thing or the other, before any action can be manifested by the physical body.

Put simply, Love is the meaning of Life! Our actions, when motivated by Love, come from our True Nature, which, like the Creator God's, IS Love. One may act in kind, for good or evil, but this is simply a reaction; when one acts in love, no matter the action of the other, this is truly our Higher Nature shining through! This biology is the manifestation of the Spirit Within; if we allow our lower, animal nature, to control our actions, then our biology will be subjected to many forms of dis-ease, but ( this is a hard pill to swallow ) when our Higher Nature, our True Self, dictates what we do or say, then we will find that our physical bodies will be relieved of much if not all that seems to plague them! As is said a lot in this world, 'easier said than done', but when we do act from our Higher Consciousness, we do find ourselves feeling a lot better; this wellness then manifests in our physical bodies.

Scripture tells us that when our biological body dies, it returns to the substance of which it was formed & 'the spirit will return to God who gave it' ( Ecclesiastes 12:7 ). Whether one believes this or not, it is unclear what happens after this. Does the Spirit remain in a disembodied state, in 'the Glory Cloud', so to speak, or are we given a second chance to right the wrongs we have done in the past? Is it possible that, as spirit beings having a physical experience, we are allowed ( to infinity? ) more than one chance to live in this biology, to learn to act according to the Love that we ARE, rather than reacting according to our animal nature, instinctively doing what our base human nature tells us is right?

Religion, at least the prominent Western ones ( even some Near Eastern ones ) tells us that we have but one life to live, then it's off to one or the other 'place', Heaven or Hell, for all of Eternity. Though there are many who persevere in this belief, we know that this is not so, that both Heaven & Hell, at least as classically described, are but states of existence. One chooses, whether consciously or unconsciously, to live in either state of existence, for both are here & now!

In conclusion then, to act from the Higher Mind, the Spirit Within, is simply to BE; reacting to the other ( person ) is to be controlled by our lower mind, our base ( animal ) nature. Realizing that we are of the same Essence as our neighbor, we know that, despite our differences in physiology & psychology, we are ultimately One & the Same. In this sense then, we might well be observed to act in Love towards ourselves when we cease reacting toward others! Is this not what Jesus had in mind when He said, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' ( Matthew 19:19 ( Leviticus 19:18 )?

Charles Haddon Shank