The power of clear visions.
One of the aspects of modern life that is deeply unsatisfactory is the way that politicians and leaders of democratic societies fudge the truth in the hope that trying to be all things to all men means wider acceptance of their messages.
Think of the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. ”
These words serve as an introduction to some beautiful thoughts from a loyal American living here in Payson. This is a man who is deeply spiritual, who has fought for his country, and who is soft and gentle to the core. This is a man who is not afraid to offer a personal vision to the world. I regard it as a real bonus that Jean and I have his friendship.
Here is the first of two contributions from John H.
The Passion of Enlightenment
Enlightenment includes deep grief and a passion to leave life a bit better than we found it. Enlightenment has little practical value in a growing and constantly consuming cultural demographic. Consumers tend to spiritually disconnect when faced by a need for change or when morality becomes inconvenient.
Is God truth? What is the opposite of truth? We’ve lost our way as a species. Does God tell us to worship money? Does God tell us to ignore our finite earth? Does God tell us to kill each other? Does God tell us to ignore human history and the emerging network of scientific understandings?
Human wisdom has been far greater in the past than it is today. God is not known through empirical knowledge. Man is as limited as the finite planet which gave life to our species and sustains our existence. Matter and energy are interchangeable as fundamental forces. God is experienced through our inner being and understood through the wisdom tradition of our species.
Sustainability includes the well-being of our planet and the life it supports. Sustainability includes serving as caretakers rather than acting as owners. Sustainability includes surrendering our addictions, our illusions and our delusions. Surrendering includes the courage to speak the truth and walk as we talk. Surrendering assures our common well-being as a conscious component of God. We have nothing to fear.
Consider world leadership. Who are the aggressors? Who are the oppressed? Who serves God? Who serves Mammon? We each must search our heart, mind and soul to answer these questions honestly. We need to face our shame and guilt in order to redeem ourselves and make a sustained effort to change.
The roots of wisdom in a constantly changing world are God, nature, history, and science. We’ve come a long way since we first learned to use tools. What have we forgotten in the process? We can’t wait for the truth to become popular. We each need to help make the truth popular.
an old lamplighter
Powerful words. Thank you John.
Learning from Dogs 
What a beautiful and welcomed reminder of what it is all about… and of which we can never be enough reminded off. Thanks Lamplighter!
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And, in turn, thanks Per. I know John will be touched by your comment. P.
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Hi Per,
You are most welcome.
Gratefully,
John H
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Lamplighter has documented what most human beings think at some stage in their life. Is there a God, and if so why do all the terrible things that happen on our planet, happen?
I m basically a man of science and my mind requires that any phenomena I witness or hear of be accompanied by verifiable compliance of at least one of the natural scientific laws that we are familiar with.
The concept of God simply does not any more than does the existence of Heaven or Hell and yet…….notwithstanding my comments above, I still pray to God in the face of fear, danger or illness of self and loved ones. I thank him profusely whenever fear, danger or illness is overcome. Why? because there is simply nothing else I can turn my thoughts to under these circumstances. Since the thought that something is beyond our control is alien to us, we try to get some control by summoning the almighty through prayer.
These are just my thoughts but I have to add that I sincerely hope that there is a God in spite of the lack of scientific proof because this poor planet of ours sure needs some “Almighty” intervention to put it back on the right track.
Edward
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Thank you Edward,
You touch on the heart of the matter. Beginning with a humble admission that we have as yet to prove the existence of God scientifically does not negate the probability of a unified cosmology in which everything fits together at a level of integrated quantum and classical physics. The energy of our conscious being is interconnected on our fragile garden planet. Why should that connection be limited?
Yours in hope,
John H
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“Why? because there is simply nothing else I can turn my thoughts to under these circumstances”
Does your turning to “God” result then from a psychological need? Isn’t it a refusal to accept the nature of Man’s existence; a denial of “existentialism”?
Personally, I believe we are alone in the universe, an astonishing accident. Yes, astronomers tell us there are billions of other planets teeming with life in other galaxies. OK, SHOW ME PROOF then!
Same with “Gods”. Show me one and I’ll start believing. In times of massive stress and grief I’d love to be able to “turn to something”, because the alternative is the sheer, naked, horrifying loneliness of the Human Condition that many people simply cannot face.
Well, the writer speaks as if the existence of God is a given. Unfortunately, there is no proof whatsoever of the existence of God that would stand up in court. This may be unfortunate, but in my view it is true. If I have missed something and there IS proof of God, I would be very happy to hear it.
The fact is – at least, I THINK it is a fact – that extremely religious people may be wonderfully caring, full of the Human Spirit, lead their lives strictly according to a strong moral and ethical code and generally be a force for great good in the world.
However, ATHEISTS may be in this respect totally indistinguishable from the very devout. On the other hand, both atheists AND the very devout may be forces for terrible evil and hardship.
From this observation, I deduce that whether someone believes in God is totally irrelevant to everything. And from this it follows that references to God and in particular the claim that Godly people are more moral – are simply irrelevant to any argument and indeed a discussion-killer. I personally find it cvery hard to discuss anything with someone who keeps referring to “God”, as in “God says this”, or “God tells us to do that ….” How on EARTH do you KNOW?
IMHO, two things should be left totally and utterly to the private individual in his own space and time. One is his religious beliefs and the other his sexual practices. Unfortuantely, religion and sex are shoved down our throats in the media until we vomit on them.
John H is clearly a sincere man and a force for good, but I can’t help thinking that the references to “God” are just silly. Apart from anything else, as soon as a writer mentions “God” in any article he or she immediately loses all “non-believers”, who may of course be very good people. – or indeed not.
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Hi Chris,
Thank you for your thoughtful review and commentary. Perhaps a way to get beyond the God issue is to consider whatever power we consider to be greater than our self. We humans have a habit of moving into a rut and furnishing it. An open and honest contemplation of the reality beyond self leads most of us back to the realities of nature. Another way to perceive reality may be by accepting that there are forms of matter and energy which we do not as yet fully understand. Our admission of ignorance opens a doorway to further knowledge, formation and transformation. When we accept that there is a mystical unknown beyond our usual dualistic perceptions, we free ourselves from the illusions of our limited human minds and find that our possibilities are unlimited.
Gratefully,
John H
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Ed and Chris, Wow! What powerful contributions and a huge thank-you from me for. I know John, too, will respect deeply the opinions offered. Let me muse on how this might be continued. Best wishes, guys, Paul
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I sit here humbled by all of you who share so much.
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