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No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne, 17th century English poet. [Read more…] about For Whom the Bell Tolls: In Appreciation of the Martyrs of Progressive Christianity
Samadhi: Ancient Wisdom in the Modern Space Age
While nations raced neck and neck to land on the moon and plant the first lags, little did they realize destiny’s greater purpose to this “one small step for mankind”. The first hint of anything unusual occurring was the photo of earth captured 20,000 miles away as a bright, clear “blue marble” floating amongst the myriad of constellations. The starry realm in which earth was suspended seemed much more distinct and varied in sizes and colors than seen through the atmosphere from earth observatories. The crew and mission control were so absorbed in getting to the moon in front of them that they almost missed this view in back of them. It was so different than expected that some critics claimed the first manned moon mission was taped in Hollywood and digitally enhanced. [Read more…] about Samadhi: Ancient Wisdom in the Modern Space Age
Spaceship Earth: Welcome Aboard
Besides being a popular ride at Disneyland, “Spaceship Earth” describes the beautiful little planet we share with every other living thing aboard it. From ants to elephants, from in-laws to out-laws, we are all on the same ride. Thousands of years ago the author of the Book of Job was aware that the earth was suspended in space, for he writes:
“He stretches out the north over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.” (Job 26:7)
But not until man’s more recent ventures into outer space has he begun to understand how wonderfully fragile our tiny cosmic habitat appears floating mystically against the darkness and vastness of space. Even the best of cameras fail to capture what is seen by the naked eye, a billion living stars of every size and color surrounding this mystical “blue marble”. And just to think, on this marble are seven billion human passengers and a cargo of countless species.
Spaceship Earth has been traveling for four billion years ever since its creation, and it is good for another four billion years down the road [Read more…] about Spaceship Earth: Welcome Aboard
Is There Only One Holy Book?
When I was a newly saved Christian attending an evangelistic church, I was taught in Sunday school that there was only one holy book – the Bible. If I had to burn all the books in the church library except one, I would be expected to choose the Bible. I have gone through several spiritual transformations since then, so that expectation seems somewhat limiting to me now. But back then, I had recently gone through a paradigm shift from agnostic to believer. Something had been awakened. [Read more…] about Is There Only One Holy Book?
Esoteric Muslims: The Sufi
Whereas orthodox Islam focuses exclusively on “submission to Allah”, the esoteric sects of Sufi and Druze also focus on “union with Allah”. To the esoteric believers, the Islamic religious system of Quran, hadith, and all the prophets are but stepping stones to a higher spiritual awareness. This is reminiscent of the Christian belief that the law is a tutor that leads us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). In our modern age, spiritual union is starting to become more the rule than the exception. Astrologers say they predicted this from the zodiac as the coming “Age of Aquarius”. Others associate with the “Shift” in human consciousness which started accelerating at the end of the countdown of the Mayan calendar in 2012. [Read more…] about Esoteric Muslims: The Sufi
Esoteric Muslims: The Druze
Esoteric beliefs found an early foothold in Western civilization through the ancient Greek Gnostics. Since then, other esoteric beliefs have been trickling in from all over world, but one of them that has evaded our understanding until recent times are those of the Druze. Since the Middle Ages they have lived somewhat secretly in closed-off communities to prevent persecution. Today there are at least 1 million Druze on the planet. Some of them in the Middle East, especially in Syria [Read more…] about Esoteric Muslims: The Druze
Jesus in the Quran, Part Two
Muhammad’s ministry as a prophet who preached monotheism had gotten well off the ground in Mecca by 622 CE. He had gathered a following of Muslims and instructed them to practice non-violence and personal “jihad” (struggle) to overcome one’s carnal resistance to submission. But then came persecution. Just as Jesus angered the Pharisees by overturning the tables of the moneychangers, Muhammad angered the polytheist authorities by removing all 360 idols from the Kaaba. This both insulted the polytheistic culture and threatened to interfere with trade from polytheistic merchants from out of town. [Read more…] about Jesus in the Quran, Part Two
Jesus in the Quran, Part One
As the world continues to shrink and its populations mingle, we find ourselves living in a soup of mixing cultures. We may be mowing the lawn one day when a neighbor’s smiling face pops up over the backyard fence asking to borrow your chain saw. After remarking that you have not seen him for a while, he explains that he has been fasting in his basement for a week as part of Ramadan, and that he now feels refreshed and ready for jihad. You wonder if he is referring to jihad, the Islamic Holy War. Then as if reading your mind, he explains he needs the chain saw to trim his oak tree, not to chop off the heads of infidels. [Read more…] about Jesus in the Quran, Part One
When The Walls Came Tumblin’ Down
“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumblin’ down.” Don’t remember this children’s song? Listen to the full version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3QUS4B0iaM. It is very inspirational – if you cannot find your way “over” the humongous wall in your life right now, try the spiritual path to “pass through it.” Or even dance through it if you like. But did the walls come tumbling down as the bible says they did? [Read more…] about When The Walls Came Tumblin’ Down
Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part III
In Part I and II of “Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality” we examined secular and spiritual versions of personality profiling, including Myers Briggs, several versions of the Four Temperaments, Astrology, and the Chinese Zodiac. Some were inaccurate and others left little or no room for spiritual transformation. In the tradition of Jesus serving wine at the Wedding in Cana, we have saved the best for last [Read more…] about Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part III
Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part II
In Part I of “Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality” we examined a “secular” version of personality profiling – the Myers Briggs program. We concluded that it was flawed mainly because it omitted spiritual growth. We will now look at a sampling of “spiritually oriented” personality profiling programs. We will be saving the best program for last, by presenting it in depth in a future post. It is the one most suited to esoteric spirituality and meditation –the Enneagram. [Read more…] about Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part II
Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part I
Meeting our personality is an eye opening experience. The bible points out that it is not only important to open our eyes to behold ourselves, but to use that information to improve: [Read more…] about Who Are We and Why Are We Here? Meet Your Personality: Part I