ON LOVE; PART CMXIV
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
In the general tenor of most doctrines, there IS a strong belief that it IS in their own view of Life and of the Kingdom of God that men will find their salvation and in doing so will find the Kingdom of God as the resting place for their own Souls after death. While the nature of some of these doctrines differ greatly differ, ALL DO seem to adopt the idea that they and they alone ARE right and that the rest, while they may find some sense of salvation as Christians, ARE wrong. Some however have more violent disagreements as IS seen in the established divisions between the Catholics and the Protestants with some divisions of Protestantism denying that Catholics ARE even Christians; and we see similar divisions concerning the Mormons, Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others. The point here IS that each of the denominations and sects of Christianity ALL believe that they ARE right in their own beliefs and they tend to discount the beliefs of most others.
If there IS one rallying point for most it IS found in the creed around which their beliefs revolve. For most there IS the Apostles Creed and for others there IS the similar Nicene Creed and there ARE some who profess both. While most make some changes in the language, the essence IS largely the same although the emphasis of certain points varies greatly as the foundation of any particular doctrine. We should understand here that these creeds originate in the early church and that these ARE the ideas of men; here, while they may believe that they ARE inspired by the Holy Spirit to compose such words of creed, the reality IS that this IS the product of negotiation among councils of men which idea is clearly seen in regard to the Nicene Creed. The origin of the Apostles Creed IS however much more vague and while legends attribute this to the apostles themselves at the day of Pentecost of which we read in the Book of Acts, this IS rather unlikely as it IS NOT mentioned in any scripture. Moreover the Apostles Creed seems to be an adaptation to an older Roman Creed and can be seen as a modification of it.
None of this really matters except to establish that these ideas which ARE still the foundations of our modern religions ARE from many centuries ago and ARE, regardless of the individual doctrinal opinions, the creations of men….men who lived in a emotionally oriented world where superstition and barbarism reigned. While the ideas of these creeds may be loosely related to individual sayings from the gospels and the epistles, they ARE formulated in the same out of context way as provides for so many other doctrinal ideas. In our own view we see that ALL spiritual reality IS found in Jesus’ words and in the clarifying and amplifying words of His apostles and it IS ONLY in their clarifying and amplifying intent that the apostles’ words should be read and understood. Their words were never intended to stand alone and to become the central points of doctrine. And we should understand here that there can be NO creed of affirmation of any kind that DOES NOT encompass the Master’s teachings on Love and on the requirement that men keep His words as the ONLY way to the spiritual rewards that ARE promised in His sayings as in this from John’s Gospel which we so often repeat:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).
Here the clarity of the first statement IS questioned by the Apostle Judas and the Master enhances His response to say the same thing in a slightly different way and to include the idea that may be missed in the first: that it IS God, the Father and the Son, which come into a man’s conscious Life. This IS a man’s realization of the Presence of God, the Kingdom of God and the reality of True discipleship as his reward, his wages if you will, for keeping His words. And this IS the same responsibility, to keep His words, that IS at the center of ALL spiritual reality: this IS the KEY to the trifecta which IS the Kingdom of God, the Presence of the Master in one’s Life and True discipleship, and we should try to understand how that ALL of these ARE the same as they ALL come from the same KEY. This most central idea from the Master’s own words and teaching IS missing however from these creeds of doctrine which we read as:
- The Apostles Creed: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
- The Nicene Creed:We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
There IS naught in these creeds that speaks of the Truth of Jesus’ mission to the world. There IS NO mentions of Repentance, there IS NO mention of Love and there IS NO mention of keeping His words yet it IS upon these ideas that Christianity IS founded. From our perspective this IS the delusion of men whose beliefs were established so many centuries ago: that in believing and attesting to these doctrinal precepts they ARE saved. It IS from these precepts of doctrine that most ALL of their edicts come; it IS from these ideas that the rites and the rituals and the doxologies of the various denominations have sprung. We should try to see how that even in these most ancient ideas of men that there ARE precepts that ARE NOT found in scripture except through men’s own interpretations of out of context sayings and even these ARE, except for the historical notes little IS based in Jesus’ own words and His teachings, largely ignored.
While these foundational beginnings of Christian faith may have begun the cycle of illusion and glamour that still exists today in the minds of men who believe that they ARE on the right side of the ledger of Life, the greater reality IS that this illusion and glamour ARE the vanity into which ALL mankind IS subjected. It IS this subjection to the self centered ways of the world of men that has allowed for the formulation of and the survival and enhancement of those doctrinal concepts that ARE the more convenient ways to feel as though one IS in accord with His words. And this feeling IS the same reality as the emotional responses by the men of the early church who took authority and formulated the creeds and the religious edicts which, while modified by subsequent generations of more thought provoked men; this is the same emotional response that still binds men today.
It IS this sense of belief that afflicts ALL men in ALL religions; we can see this clearly in the way that the Jews lived in the time of Christ and how that Jesus continually reminded them that they were NOT seeing clearly, that they had let themselves lose sight of the Truth in favor of their own doctrines and traditions by which they Truly believe that they DO the Will of God. And as we read the Master’s words we should understand that this same affliction, this same illusion and glamour, plagued the Jews for many centuries; we read: “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7). While this idea of prophecy IS a real idea from the perspective of time, the greater reality IS that this is a prophecy that IS founded in timelessness, one which afflicts ALL men and one which was as pertinent to the Jews in Isaiah’s day as to those in Jesus day.
Here the Master shows us how that doctrines effect the Truth and here we should see the timelessness of the prophet’s words as the same realities still afflict the Jew and the Christian and the Muslim and ALL world religions today where men’s doctrines ARE but a shadow of the Truth. This IS evident in the self-immolations of Buddhist monks, as well as in the killing of others in the Name of God as has so frequently happened over the centuries as it DOES yet today in some versions of the Muslim faith. This IS the effect of doctrines gone extreme and when we look at the religious wars over the centuries we can clearly see how that doctrines have failed to proffer the Master’s Truths and teachings. In the Christian world today there ARE many doctrinal precepts that control the thinking of men of faith and among these we can see their concentration on such issues as abortion, gay rights and marriage and other social issues which ARE made to be Christian concerns but which have little or no foundation in scripture. Can we see how such created ideals take away from the deeper Truths that the Master shows us and can we see here how that one who fights against abortion can believe himself to be in accord with the Master?
This IS also the deeper understanding that should come from His words that we have been discussing over the last several posts as an illustration if you will of the illusions and the glamours that take hold of men, and which keep them from the Truth and from their own realization of the Kingdom of God. In Jesus’ words He clearly shows the Way to the Kingdom yet few see the reality of His words and, as we have said in recent posts, the Master seems to expect this. He goes on to show those in His day as well as us today how that to DO religious things, to DO as the one fighting against abortion or gays and who believes this a religious thing, have NO standing with the Truth save that they keep His words. In that day and today there IS the idea of prophecy and healing and DOING “many wonderful works” but there IS also ALL of those things that men believe ARE religious ranging from fighting against abortion to evangelizing in far away lands. None of this IS of any profit to the man who DOES NOT keep His words with Jesus frames for us as DOING “the will of my Father which is in heaven“; we read:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
While Jesus’ words here ARE abundantly clear, there IS little acknowledgment of His ideas in most Christian doctrines which have supplanted the Truth of keeping His words with their ideas of faith and believing. It IS these same ideas, founded in the creeds of the early church as the seeds that have grown in soil which IS overrun with thorns, that still overrun the Truth of His words and prevent many from changing their own likeness into “the good ground“. Into those who will keep His words and be among those who Truly find His Kingdom. We close today with the Parable of the Sower again:
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:11-15).
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.
Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled.
Live in joy, without possessions.
Like the shining ones.
The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers.
Let go of winning and losing and find joy.
There is no fire like passion, no crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation, no sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.
Today’s Quote of the Day is from the Dhammapada (on JOY)5; a collection of the sayings of the Buddha. These words and ideas ARE much the same as those we discuss in our In the Words of Jesus essays. And what is this freedom but the release of our hearts and minds from loving this life in this world and attaining the Presence of God. This word Joy has many meanings as DOES the idea of Love, but in the context that it IS used here we should see the idea that Joy IS Love, Joy IS health, Joy IS peace and that Joy IS without the burdens placed on a man by the illusion and the glamour of the ways of the world. We should try to see that it IS the antithesis of these ideas in hate, in affliction and in troubles that ARE among the possessions of the carnal man, that ARE among the “evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45) according to the Master.
And it IS in the second stanza above that we see the basic psychic ideas that can eliminate the harm caused by such “evil treasure” as a man looks past himself and at the welfare of others which IS the greater reality of Love as the Master teaches us. It IS in losing such possessions, losing such carnal thoughts and attitudes, that one can truly find the “joy of freedom“….this IS the Truth of deliverance.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 5 The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
