“IN THE BEGINNING . . . .

The first book of the Christian Bible’s Old Testament begins with these words. I like to complete this thought with the expression, “LOVE without end.” I long ago realized that as an allegory the Bible – the basis of my religious orientation as a child – contains much truth, but relatively few facts. As I grew to understand and interpret this book of wisdom metaphysically, I learned to apply many of its lessons to my own life. I also came to understand “God” as the Creative Force of Life, which is Love. And LOVE is the essence of all there ever has been, is, and will be. Love is the essence of who I am, and who you are.

If this belief is true, then why, many people wonder, is there so much hatred and the undesirable results it spews in our lives and world, all around us, every day? If, as many believe, God is good and ultimately all there is, how can we make understand all the “not good” that we face all the time?

As the Biblical story goes, God gave humankind the ultimate ability to make the lives we choose. We were blessed (perhaps cursed?) with FREE WILL. And that power (which we so often abuse by choosing evil rather than good) has gotten us where we are. Free will, the ability to choose that determines our life’s course, demands something of us that few accept. It demands we take RESPONSIBILITY for our lives – the good and the not good.

What most of us choose, most of the time, is JUDGING. And the result of judging – good vs. bad, beautiful vs. ugly, pro vs. con, right vs. wrong, and so on – is that we tend to see anything or anyone we view as unlike us, as “other than.” And invariably that “other than” is somehow lacking. The lack, however measured -  goodness, prosperity, health, relationships, or something else – we perceive as bad, wrong, or less than. We judge ALL THE TIME, even the most innocuous things. It’s what our humanity has grown expert at doing! Take a second: what are you judging right now?

When we judge, ourselves or others, we then may feel the need to forgive. If we don’t judge – as is the case with God – then there’s no need to forgive. Think what a different kind of world we’d experience if no one judged! No judgment would allow LOVE/God to reign supreme. And our earthly experience would be heaven, right here and right now.

Perhaps our universal and most basic judgment – for those who believe in such concepts as heaven and hell – is that heaven is the reward “good” people get after their time of toiling on this earth plane has ended. Therefore, earth is bad/heaven is good. Wow! Think about the implications for that foundational belief.

Yet because we have free will, we can choose to enjoy heaven every day we live! Our minds our so empowered. Conversely, we can choose hell and experience a lousy, rotten, hellish day/life. Far too many of us, far too often, are unconscious of our inherent power to manifest what we desire. But when we wake up and REMEMBER that as children of God, created in God’s likeness, we can manifest the loving experiences we may have reserved for that “place” we idealize as heaven. And we can do that right here, today.

When Jesus walked this earthly plane, he demonstrated what such a life would model. And as our Master Teacher taught us, everything he did, we can do – and more! So give it a try. I attempt to operate that way every day. And most days, most of the time, the results are positive experiences. If I can do it, surely so can you! Give it a try and let me know how the results.

Namaste!