Spiritual direction: being "of the world" or not

I'm going to reduce a "faith and reasoning" question that is worthy of books of material to examine into a few sentences! Many have pondered the question of how Christians, in particular, can be in the world but not of the world. The answer is actually pretty easy but it requires clarity of thought and context. Let me share that from two bases of discussion, starting with the example of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was fully of human body. God could have sent the Messiah in any form, such as God himself appeared to Moses, for example, in the burning bush or the glowing cloud that descended to the tent. However God chose to send Jesus within the womb of Mary, formed entirely as a human, with a human upbringing and with a family lineage (recorded in the Gospel through his stepfather Joseph's side). Thus Jesus was both of the flesh and of the human family (he had a normal human body and he could identify his ancestors, both biologically and through the marriage of Mary and Joseph making Joseph's lineage his own). Therefore God validated the "goodness" of the human body and of the geneological family. If human bodies and family lineage were not "good," then God would have sent Jesus as a burning bush or an angel in glorified body.


Further, in the Old Testament it is prophesied that the Messiah will have milk and honey so that he will know them. Now, a lot of people don't understand forms of speech from Biblical times. When the Bible talks about a married couple "knowing" each other, that means they are intimate in sexual relationship. So the Bible expression to "know" means to take part in the activity. It does not mean that this was a previously unknown activity, as in the modern usage to "know what it is like." So many people misunderstand that Jesus somehow didn't know what the good stuff is in life (being all poor and that) and so he'd have some milk and honey in order to "find out" what the goodness of life is (milk and honey representing abundance of sweet and rich food and therefore lifestyle). The promised land "flows with milk and honey," for example. But the modern slang approach of understanding is wrong. What this meant is that the Messiah will engage in the activities that validate the goodness of a rich and prosperous life, ie. he will have milk and honey. The reason it is said like it is is so that no one will think that the Messiah will live as a rich person, but likewise they will know that he did not come to tell people to reject "milk and honey." Thus the Messiah will "know" milk and honey and again, validate the goodness in principle of life.

So Jesus in both the reality of his birth and lineage (human) and in the prophecy is clearly sent by God in a form that validates, not repudiates, being within the world, which is, to live in the world with meaningfulness, fullness and appreciation for its goodness. So Christians are definitely able to point to Jesus as God's validation that the human body, its ancestral lineage, and the ability to experience material goodness and abundance are all correct and normal.

The second example I give is of the teachings of Jesus. I need only point to one example here, which are The Beatitudes. Each beatitude is a pairing, expressing the current state of a person, and the poorness or suffering they may be experiencing, and the reward and comfort that God will give them. If God meant Jesus to teach some sort of great "detachment" from the "suffering wheel" of the world, the beatitudes would not have been taught in the form that they were at all. The beatitudes recognize the meaningfullness of even painful real life experience, and their reward when one is in God's hands, even if that only happens at the end of life. Compare the real beatitude with hypothetical "total detachment" ones:

Real beatitude:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Example of "extreme detachment" "beatitude":
If you feel poor in spirit that is because you care too much about the material world and those around you, and you should detach from them.

Real beatitude:
Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.

Example of "extreme detachment" "beatitude":
Everyone should feel meek instead of proud because there is nothing to be proud about, and nothing to possess, including feeling like God's heirs, on earth.

You see what I mean? I don't want to do any more examples because the fake ones make me want to puke, but I know that an example is the best teaching tool.

Therefore you can see that Christians are taught through both the words and the living example of Jesus, that one can be and should be part of the world and its goodness. The difference is that one should not allow one's self to be ruled or dominated by earthly (human made) measures and standards. That's totally different from being detached from either human or God's measures!

Humans are especially challenged in understanding this today because they have a quantity control problem. Abundance has created an inability to enjoy the simple and good things in life. Likewise, some in abundant countries have a totally negative and inappropriate backlash to that, now wanting people to feel guilty about enjoying "milk and honey." You see that with the carbon counting craze. It is wrong to have abundance skew your thinking in EITHER of those directions, to be unappreciative or to be its opposite, which is to become a guilt ridden spoil sport nag of others.

I often think about a young Chinese man who was trapped by the earthquake face down, so he could talk and receive help, but he could not be freed for eight days, and then he perished. He told people that all he wanted out of life was to be with his wife and future to be born baby, a simple life, the happy family with a simple job. That was the dream he held onto until he died. I grieve every day for him, even though I know his goodness has merited him heaven, for he gave quite an example for the world to see even as he died a slow death. I shed tears for him every time I think of him, including now. He, a poor young Chinese man, but with hope for a normal life of marriage, parenthood, and a paying job, set a better example for everyone than anyone I can think of in the laity in the past year. To him, he wanted the milk and honey of his wife, their baby, and being a provider. That is being in this world and wanting what is good. Abundance had not clouded his mind of what is the most important in life, which is family and the ability to support them and to thrive. That is not "detachment" and that is not being ruled by the world. That is being of the world and understanding that life and committed love with children are the most important thing. If he had lived, and he'd worked his way up from worker to manager, that would have been fine too. That is being real and being in the world, but not being a manmade entity of the world.

I hope this is helpful. Much could be (and has been) written, but I needed to help people set the record straight about Jesus. It is obvious that Jesus validated, not denied, the goodness of life and everything he said and did was exhorting people to appreciate life within the context of God's design and purpose. Buddhist type thoughts are not Christianity, they never have been and they never will be. Christians don't "detach" from either the goodness and reality of life in God's creation or the reality of eternal life within God's presence, after a clear and final judgment of their life, no squishy spiritual "recycling." People are sometimes confused by the vows of poverty, including that of Jesus. Where did he impose that on others? He did not and in fact visited with equal affection the rich and the poor. Poverty is a special grace that some do for their own and the world's behalf, and it is very powerful (you see that whenever Jesus speaks of or performs fasting, because fasting is a quick "poverty of the body" if you think about it). But that does not mean that Jesus came in human body with human lineage and prophesied to know the goodness of life just to tell people that life is mean and bad and everyone should feel negative and morose and nagging and guilty about it and ruin it for everyone. What thanks THAT would be to God's generosity and goodness of creation! But that's exactly the mindset of many living today. As a result they glom onto manmade and man defined pleasures and then turn around and have a crisis because they no longer can enjoy the simple pleasures of real life. What a mess.

Qur'an reading and commentary

Here is a reading from the Qur’an and a brief explanation.

Surah 14:32-33

Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and send down water from the clouds, then brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you, and He has made the ships subservient to you, that they might run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you.

And He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses, and He has made subservient to you the night and the day.

***
The first verse is very straightforward and easy to understand. It is a beautiful imagery of how Allah created the goodness that humans benefit from. He created the heavens and the earth, and the waters that not only rain but also nourish the agriculture of the land, and provide a means for transportation. So this section reminds the reader that Allah created heaven and earth and describes the benefits of the water that falls from the sky and how Allah gives humans the intelligence and physical dexterity to use the rains and waters to drink, use in agriculture, and for transport that humans can control.

But one might be puzzled by the second verse where it is stated that Allah makes subservient to humans the sun and the moon, and the night and the day. How can that be? Humans do not physically control the skies or the length of the day, or the movement of the sun and moon. So what does this mean? The explanation is clear when you pay close attention to the linkage between the first verse and the second. Allah sends the rain (which man does not control) but it goes into predictable placements, that is, the sea and the rivers. Humans are given the means by Allah to control the waters by virtue that humans can build irrigation canals, built and sail ships, and manage the rivers through walls and other systems to create lakes and to change their course. So the end result of the God given water is that humans can control the output, the results of the God given rain. This is a deliberate lead-in for the second verse. Obviously humans do not decree that the sun moves here, the moon there, and the day and the night are of these lengths. God did that in the beginning. But God gave humans the gift of the light and heat of the sun, and the rest and coolness of the moon at night so that humans have the energy of the sun and the timing of the moon (the ability to tell time). So humans have control over the sun in that they understand when it appears and when crops can be planted and outdoor life (in this time before electricity) can be lived. The subservience means that sunlight, warmth and timing are understandable by humans and can be used at their will. Why would Allah use the word “subservience” though to mean “usable?” Would it not be clearer if Allah said, “Don’t forget I control the sun, the moon, the night and the day, but I let you benefit from the results?” Not really because that misses the point. Allah is pointing out the nature of his gift to humans so that they do not take it for granted. Suppose that Allah did not create the sun and moon to be “subservient” to humans. The sun might pop out for only three hours of sunlight and heat one day, disappear for two days so that people are in darkness for forty-eight hours, then the moon would suddenly appear and zoom across the sky, but not return when it was expected, and so forth. Humans would not be able to have clocks, grow crops that rely on sunshine, nor have regular routines of work and rest. So God makes the sun and moon “subservient to human’s needs.” Can anyone think of a better system than these three hundreds plus of days in the year, each divided into day (work) and night (rest), where by day the sun warms and plants grow while animals thrive, and in the night it cools and there is rest, except for the animals who thrive in the night? God did not establish the sun and the moon and the day and night cycles for the benefit of algae, or frogs, or camels, or birds, or tigers. They live within the cycle that was created and optimized by God for the benefit of humans, since God in his infinite wisdom knew that this system is the greatest health and spiritual benefit of humans to thrive. People like to read science fiction where other planets are near a big red sun or having different color moons zooming around, but trust me, people would not thrive there as they do in this “system” of days and night guided by the reliable and punctual movements of regularity of the sun and the moon. We know this much better in modern times as we see people with "SAD" (seasonal affective disorder) and depression when there is too much unnatural office lighting, not enough sleep and so forth. God "tuned" the sun and moon, day and night perfectly for human health and goodness and deviating from natural cycles causes many problems with illness and spiritual disorders.

This is the meaning of the passage. It is not “permission” to attempt to control other people through astrology and fortunetelling. When you read scriptures in the full context you do not make errors of thinking that God is giving some sort of hint as to extraordinary occult power that humans should seize and abuse. Far from it; his entire passage is a reminder of reasons to be grateful to God. This is obvious to the reader who reads the entire passage in context that this is instruction from Allah, not a series of hints about more power to seize.

Let me be even plainer, not for my Muslim brothers and sisters, but for profane “new agers” who are always trolling for justification for their power seeking over others. If Allah was using this passage as “permission” for “astrology” he would have phrased it consistently as he does in the Torah, Gospel and here throughout the Qur’an. God would not have said that the sun and moon are subservient, because that is obviously a statement of gift. God would have said, “And people will be subservient to other people who understand the movements of the planets and use them wisely to manage and manipulate their lives, so that there will be a class of people who are the astrologers and a class of people who are the subjects. And just as in the Torah I outlined the duties of master and slave here are the duties of astrologer and subject.” Can you imagine God ever making such a statement when he is very clear about the forbidden activity of fortunetelling and prophesy that is not directly from God’s servants the prophets? Obviously not; God would never make this statement, he never has and he never will. Islam in particular is distinguished as the faith among the three brotherly faiths that is most distancing itself from a caste system or codification of slave and servant. For example the Haj is where all are equal before Allah. Astrologers do not march around one tier and the lower people they control around another tier. Astrologers do not get to Haj during the choice times in chariots while the ordinary ignorant must Haj when it is hottest, most crowded and on the unpaved dirt roads. So it would be an unbelievable mistake to misinterpret this beautiful passage as anything but that it is a reminder of the reliability of the life giving physical gifts (water, light, heat, coolness, and dark) that the Lord gives to humans. It is very obvious in closing to read the next passage.

And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah’s favors, you will not be able to number them, must surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful. (Surah 14:34).

Notice that Allah “gives you” “of” “all that you ask Him.” Allah does not give humans everything; he does not give “all.” He gives them the portion they need, the “of all.” So this passage is a reminder of the many gifts that humans have openly received from Allah, and a reminder to be grateful, not a hint that like greedy children you should dig for more gifts when you already have received such abundance that you are too unmindful to make even a complete list!

I hope these comments are useful to all readers of my blog posting here.

True nature of the dead in heaven and hell

Jesus related the following story in Luke 16: 19-31.

"There was a certain rich man who used to clothe himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted every day in splendid fashion. And there was a certain poor man, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. and it came to pass that the poor man died and was borne away by the angels into Abraham's bosom; but the rich man also died and was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.'

But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime hast received good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now here he is comforted whereas thou art tormented. And besides all that, between us and you a great gulf is fixed, so that they who wish to pass over from this side to you cannot, and they cannot cross from your side to us.'

And he said, 'Then, father, I beseech thee to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they too come into this place of torments.' And Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hearken to them.' But he answered, "No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' But he said to them, "If they do not hearken to Moses and the Prophets, they will not believe even if someone rises from the dead.'"

*********
This may be the most important story you ever read, because Jesus Christ explained several things that are crucial to hear, understand, and believe, about the nature of heaven, hell, and earth. First of all, hell is real, and those who sin (including sins of neglect) will go to hell. Second, hell is unbearable and eternal. Third, heaven is bliss and even the lowest on earth will rest in the bosom of the prophets and saints, and the rest of the righteous, where there is no sorrow and only eternal reward. Fourth, there is a barrier "a great gulf" between heaven and hell that not even Abraham could cross to console, even if he were willing to. Hell is truly the absence of God. Fifth, it is not allowed to communicate to earth in warning or for any other reason from heaven or hell.

Now, pay attention psychics. Some of you are phony and some of you do have ESP talents. No matter what you think you are seeing, you are not receiving information from heaven or hell, and you are not peering into either one. This story that explains the structure of heaven and hell makes that clear that no one on earth receives warning or other information from heaven or hell. Those of you who have real ESP, and it is rarer than people believe, are reading earth bound information, from which you are deducing futuristic information. Hence, some of it is good, and some of it is profane. There is a good explanation of this earthly phenomenon in books by Rupert Sheldrake, and he calls it "morphic resonance."

For example, if you think that a dead relative is telling you that someone you know is going to have a baby, and that comes true, it is not because your dead relative in heaven (or hell) is actually giving you this information because there is a total communications "black out" between heaven and hell and earth. It has nothing to do with your "prowess" as a psychic either, because it's the sheer physics that make it impossible to bridge until one dies (in total, not in near death experiences.) That is what Abraham refers to as "a great gulf is fixed." No one has seen heaven except the great Prophets of the Bible who were taken by God to view some portion of it.

Remember, time does not exist in heaven. There is no sequencing of events. I'll write more about this sometime, but I mention it by way of illustration of why the physics of God's realm are totally different from earth, and hence a "great gulf is fixed." If a psychic receives information about a person it is NOT coming from a saint or angel or any other being of heaven, or hell. If you imagine that image, it is your projections that are supplying that image. The true Prophets were in a one hundred percent pure prayer state of obeying God's will in all ways, and hence were able to be led by the hand (mentally) to hear God's word and learn of future events. This is not available to anyone on their own. If God is not recognizing you as a Prophet, then you are not receiving information from God or any other occupant of heaven. You are picking up on the vast amount of information that is afloat, much of it profane, in the earth today. There is then the grave danger of self fulfilling prophecy and worse, blasphemy and the manipulation of people, either maliciously or through good, but totally inflated intention. You should have known you were not seeing into true heaven or hell, or hearing from someone who is dead if what you saw deviated one iota from what is presented in the Bible, in total and completely.

When Abraham said "If they do not hearken to Moses and the Prophets, they will not believe even if someone rises from the dead," he is not making a justification, he is closing the conversation. So he is not saying there could ever be someone who could rise from the dead, and hence be believed or not. He is saying that Moses and the Prophets are the only ones who filled that purpose, of communicating the true and accurate nature of heaven and hell. He was not negotiating; he was closing the conversation with a wry truth.

Listen to Abraham through Jesus Christ.