The Pageless Book

Several different and competing views concerning the nature of the Divine seem irreconcilable. The dichotomy that I want to tackle in this article is of the intimate relationship with the Divine and the claim that the Divine is ultimately beyond human knowledge and understanding. How can we be intimate with something so vast and alien as God? The Divine is to our logical minds as a mainframe computer is to a dog’s mind. We simply cannot grasp its full measure.

At least, that is one way of seeing things. It also happens to be the way I’ve presented the Divine throughout my articles thus far. Will I continue to argue that God is unknowable? Of course, but the real question is, do I also believe that we can be intimate with something so far beyond our intellectual capabilities? Yes.

It may seem impossible to some, but I believe that we as humans are intimate with the strange and unknowable all the time. Stargazers are intimate with glimmering points of light in the night sky, and call them by name. Sailors feel intimate with the sea, and feel her call. Travelers, not content merely to read about other places, seek out these places for personal new experiences. It is the unknowable quality of these things that drive them to want a relationship with them. It is that unknowable quality that keeps the conversation going.

In Christianity, particularly Protestantism, followers are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We have given Jesus Christ a personality, a voice, and a face; this is not an unknowable God, but a very intimate person with whom you can break bread and share wine. The Bible contains his words, with which you can learn more about whom he was, and what he was like. We make the Divine personal in this way, so to seem knowable. Isn’t that preferable to an unknown and distant God?

The problem is that this is a man-made image of God; Jesus Christ is the golden calf of Christianity. What you have isn’t a personal relationship with God, but instead you have a personal relationship with an idea of what God might be like. You think you know God, so you stop asking questions. It’s like falling in love with the idea of love. We are assuming that object of your affection is not merely an idea, but a real person despite how little you know of that person. How do you build a personal relationship with someone we don’t know? Through interaction.

How do we build a personal relationship with God? Interaction, of course. Just because you cannot know the nature of God does not mean you cannot commune with God. How can we interact or communicate with God? Through prayer and meditation, but even more important, through living your life fully aware of your circumstances and the consequences of your actions.

The Divine speaks though your life, in my experience. The Gated Emptiness pointed out to me you gain a deeper an understanding of the Divine with the more attention you pay to living your life in the best manner possible. Your relationships will be richer, your successes more fulfilling, and your failures will become new opportunities.

Try it yourself. It isn’t easy, but it can be done. Living perfectly may be impossible; by being more aware of the life you are living, you may learn to enjoy it more, regardless of any hardships. That is how you become intimate with the Divine.

Top Photo by Kenneth Freeman. Middle Photo by Gisela Giardino. Final Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer. Originally Posted October 22nd, 2007

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: God, Inspiration, Life, Meditation, Prayer, Reason

Photo Above by Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeg. Photo Below by Toni Lozano.

At the beginning of this week, I felt restless and discontent, but couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was bothering me. Although I am currently on vacation, I hadn’t been truly enjoying myself. What is it that was bothering me? For the life of me, I just couldn’t grasp it.

I discussed it over dinner with my wife, and she asked exactly what it was that I had planned to accomplish while I was off. My personal agenda included spending quality time with her, writing, hiking, and going down to the beach. Then she asked if there was something keeping me from doing those things. I explained that I just didn’t feel inspired to write and felt altogether disconnected. The problem was that I had not felt spiritually nurtured these past few days. Cathy then suggested that I write about the importance of daily spiritual nurturing - here I am doing exactly that.

You see, I’m not very good at taking the time for my spiritual pursuits. I go to church on Sundays, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Church is a social gathering place, and as such a few Sundays out of the year focus on that social aspect - last Sunday was just one of those Sundays. Couple that with my habit of staying up well past midnight, as well as not taking proper care of my anxiety, and Johnny-boy becomes a soulless twitching zombie. It’s important that I find the time to do *something* spiritual each day, and writing about spirituality is too cerebral to count.

Why is it so important that I do something spiritual each day? Because it provides clarity and inspiration. I love to create and my main outlet for creativity is writing. Without proper inspiration, my writing becomes noticeably flat. Spiritual practices allow my to step away from my fears and live a fuller life. As an introvert, I have a hard time connecting with others - but spirituality makes it possible for me to let down my guard and become more personable. Although I am naturally an optimist, I have also had bouts of depression in the past. Spirituality helps me maintain a positive outlook and is good therapy when I find this challenging.

If nothing else, I should at the very least find time to meditate every day. Optimally, I would like to meditate, read, pray, and perhaps engage in a little qabalistic ritual every day, but that might be a bit of a tall order for me, seeing as I’m such a slacker. Regardless of what I do, doing a little bit each day is what I personally need in my life. I don’t pretend to speak for everyone, but I find it necessary. Perhaps you might feel the same way?

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Inspiration, Life, Nurturing, Ritual, Spirituality

Image Above by Hyun Lee. Photo Below by Kah Zanon.

You wouldn’t know it by all the theological terms used and violence done under the banner of one religion or another, but the heart of spirituality is child-like. We, as adults, try to take all the fun out of spirituality. Why are we so disappointed when we dissect poetry for literal meaning? How can we expect to have a feeling of awe and mystery when we debate, analyze, and label every aspect of our religions? Are we so caught up in our own insecurities - our own arrogance - that we seek to control even that which gives succor to our very soul?

The heart of spirituality is filled with awe, curiosity, gratitude, and hope - all are attributes we characterize as being child-like. These are also attributes of vulnerability. When we are in awe of something, whether it be nature, life, love, or God, we are giving up our power over that thing. When curious, we discard our assumptions and open ourselves to learning something that might contradict what we currently believe. In times when we show gratitude, we give recognition to those aspects of our life which we don’t control, yet still sustain us. Finally, when we hope, we trust that the future will give us the opportunity to make a better life for ourselves, despite the fact that there is no way of knowing.

Adults don’t like to be vulnerable, yet we cannot overlook the fact that true, deep, abiding spirituality demands it. So how do we instill in ourselves those child-like qualities? Personally, I look to my god-child and niece for inspiration. From the day I first held her, I’ve been learning to see the world through a child’s eyes. One of the things that has always characterized my relationship with my niece is laughter. Even when she was an infant, I would talk in a funny voice to her and she would laugh hysterically.

These days, at the mature and noble age of five and a half, she is always remarking how silly I am. And I am silly. I am willing to play the fool in any situation to remind her of what is and isn’t important in life, while constantly learning the same from her. I think it’s important for all adults to have a child or child-like person in their life to provide perspective. We need those experiences to make it easier to see ourselves as children of God. I know that sounds trite, but it rings true that our spiritual experiences comes from that place of a child’s love.

Jimmy Hendrix’s song “Little Wing” recalls a young girl who embodies all the hope and curiosity of youth. In that song, all things fanciful are in no short supply - she can have anything - yet all the girl wants is to fly on the wind. We call a young girl with such a free heart “innocent.” If it was a older woman which such a free heart, we would call her wise. Why is that? I don’t think there is that much of a difference.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Childhood, Inspiration, Life, Love, Spirituality

Above Photo by Starbeard. Below Photo by Mamjodh. Final Photo by Virginie.

Today, I have planned a grand experiment! I’m going to start my first blogging meme. Sure, I’ve participated in blogging memes before, but never have I tried to be the cause of one. The theme of this meme? Choose ten people whom you would confer Sainthood on and what that person would be the patron saint of. As with all memes, you can be as serious or as humorous as you please. I personally plan to do a little of both. Here are my list of ten, in no particular order…

Eliphas Levi, Patron Saint of Occultism
If you are going to discuss the history of occultism in any serious manner, this man’s name is bound to come up. While he is not the first occultist, his contributions to occultism are numerous and historical. It was Levi who first married Qabalah, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, and Alchemy into the single system of symbolism on which the Golden Dawn would later base their teachings.

Thomas Jefferson, Patron Saint of Democracy
Much of the thanks that people of all democratic nations is owed to this man, who played a pivotal role in crafting Democracy as we know it today. Although many of his views, such as the separation of Church and State, remain controversial, the character of the American political system exhibits the unmistakable mark of his genius.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Patron Saint Spirituality

The words of this famous Unitarian minster still inspire his readers to look deep within themselves for spiritual sustenance. His writings are so influential that they are still read, quoted, and debated by Unitarian Universalists today. If I were to choose one person I wished to emulate as a minster, he would be my choice.

H.P. Lovecraft, Patron Saint of Horror
Everything is better with tentacles. Ancient sleeping demon threatening to enslave humanity? Needs tentacles. Bazaar extra dimensional aliens bent on world domination? Still needs tentacles. Angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream? Tentacles; lots and lots of tentacles. And for this, we can thank the author H.P. Lovecraft.

Mahatma Gandhi, Patron Saint of Peace
Another man who I wish to emulate, Mahatma Gandhi changed the nature of protest and social change. The idea of non-violent protest was is so revolutionary, that it is hard to measure the impact that this man has had on our history. Would Dr. Martin Luther King have ended segregation without Gandhi as an inspiration? I’m not so sure. Would religious intolerance be a larger issue without his teachings? Of that, I am sure.

Albert Einstein, Patron Saint of Reason
For a young man who was bad at algebra, Albert Einstein more than over came this obstacle, becoming the most famous scientist in history. It is important, however, to realize that his fame was not just due to what he did within the confines of the scientific world, but also what he said and wrote during is life time. Einstein is one of my favorite people to quote when it comes to spirituality and religion, not because he was a rational theist, but because his words cut to the truth of any subject on which he cared to comment.

Timothy Leary, Patron Saint of Radical Change
Yet another giant of forward thinking, Leary is often dismissed due to his advocacy psychedelic drug use and radical ideas. I cannot, however, imagine my list of saints without him. His catch phrase, “Think For Yourself & Question Authority” is my personal mantra. For me, this man embodies the potential for radical social change.

Shel Sliverstein, Patron Saint of Humor
When I was seven, I received my first pair of glasses. Along with my glasses, I was given a copy of “Where The Sidewalk Ends.” I still have that book. It has played a large part in the development of my sense of humor, writing style, and common sense that I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Such a small thing can sometimes be the root of large changes.

Kurt Cobain, Patron Saint of Teenage Rebellion
What can I say? I’m a proud member of Generation X. Kurt Cobain embodied so much of what it means to me to be a teenager; the anger, anxiety, and angst. While many would say that his effect on American Culture is greatly exaggerated, I tend to disagree; the changes that his music have made are still being felt today.

Gary Gygax, Patron Saint of Games
Dungeons & Dragons have very much been on my mind since Gary Gygax’s death earlier this month. As I have said before about the game, I don’t know who I would be without D&D in my life. As such, if I had my choice for the Patron Saint of Games, Mr. Gygax would be it.

And now I’m going to tag Julian, Chalicechick, Dianne Sylvan, Bill Cecchini, Ms. Kitty, Tobeme, Hafidha Sofia, My Wife, Evan, Ms. Theologian, Elizabeth, and Shelby. I figure if half the people on this list choose to participate in this meme, it will be well on its way to becoming popular. Please tag three others at the end of your post. Keep it going strong!

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: History, Humanity, Humor, Inspiration, Meme, Occult, Reason, Religion, Spirituality

I recently found this video clip of a guy explaining why he supports Barrak Obama over Hillary Clinton. The cameraman’s intention was to show that Obama supporters chose Obama for emotional reasons rather than logical reasons. The guy he was interviewing, Derrick Ashong, soundly disproved the cameraman’s theory in about five minutes. This made me curious so I dug further and found this video:

In case you don’t have time to watch it, apparently the original video went viral and Derrick had been getting a torrent of e-mails about the views he had expressed and wanted to explain what happened that day and his personal motives. Derrick, a.k.a. DNA, is a naturalized immigrant from West Africa, where people have few rights and almost no say over who governs. As he explains it, voting in this country for a candidate who actually stands for something is so empowering in his view that no one should let their chance slip away. If I was not voting Obama before I saw this video, I certainly would be voting for Obi afterwards.

This video sank its hooks into me, and wouldn’t let go - I had to know more about this Derrick Ashong guy! So I dug even deeper. Turns out that he’s a member of a seven-man band named Soulfege out of Boston. Turns out that the three individuals who founded the band met in Harvard. They’re listed as Hip-Hop/Reggae, which really isn’t my style, but I won’t hold that against them for a second. The band’s stated purpose is to change how the media views African Americans, and how Africans on both sides of the Atlantic view each other. They have just relocated to Los Angeles and are, in my opinion, well on their way to stardom.

Derrick and his band are heading up an initiative to “take back the mic” from the media and put it back into the hands of the youth of America. In fact he’s challenged those who’ve come across these videos to engage the band members and himself in discussion through the following video:

If I had the power, I’d nominate this man for political activist of the year - and it’s only February! I’m not only inspired by Derrick’s message, but hope to make others inspired by spreading his message. To know more about Soulfege, you can visit their website, and to know more about Derrick Ashong, you can visit his blog. Please help me in spreading this man’s message and give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon.

Namaste.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: America, Current Events, Inspiration, Obama, Social Activism

Above Photo by Dino Olivieri. Photo Below by The Wandering Angel.

Meditation is act of making your “self” small, so that the Truth might rise to the surface. We each already have Truth; it is an instinctive part of human composition. Truth is built into every cell of your body, every motion, moment and memory. However, this “self” pushes that Truth down, obscuring our view and hindering our reach.

It isn’t the original intent of the self to obscure or hinder the Truth. We are each endowed with an ego to aid in our survival. In order to ensure our well being, we must each care about that being that is ourselves. The sense of self, or ego, is a system of ideas and emotions that collectively serve to protect our individual persons from harm. It also works in concert with our ability to reason to further help secure our safety. Because our ego works so closely with our ability to reason, we can sometimes become confused between the self and the logic it uses to keep us safe. The philosophical conclusion “I think, therefore I am” is evidence of this confusion.

We each come to the determination that “I think, therefore I am” at a very young age, which is then reinforced by the society in which we are born. It isn’t by any means incorrect nor can it be called true; this concept is merely useful. This immature idea is a stepping stone to a greater understanding, yet achieving that understanding is not essential to our survival. So we hesitate to exert ourselves in the search for Truth.

Our existence is not dependent upon our thought, but instead is dependent upon our perception. We each become so tied up in our own inner dialogue that we forget what is happening outside ourselves. As each layer of ego becomes cemented in our consciousness, it becomes harder to separate our perceptions from our sense of self. Everything becomes more subjective, no matter how much logic is applied to those perceptions. Our hearing is muted by the constant drone of dialogue, eyes dimmed by the theater behind our eyes, and skin numbed by the wild cold waters of our emotions.

Meditation helps quiet the chatter, end the film, and warm the body so we may pay attention to what is real. It makes our sense of self increasingly small, shrinking around us as we compare it to what we perceive. Slowly, consciousness comes to realize that what is perceived is just as much apart of it as the self. The self becomes like clothing that one dons to keep warm; necessary but not an integral part of a human being. With the self now under the control, Truth becomes obvious. In some cultures this state is called Heaven or Nirvana. This is what Jesus meant when he said that the Kingdom of his father was within.

Make the self small. Shrink it with heavy doses of humility and patience. Write yourself reminders that your “self” is entirely unimportant without the Truth which it conceals. Wrestle loose its blinds from your eyes so you may be free. The eye perceives, therefore both perceived and perceiver exists.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Inspiration, Meditation, Reason, Spirituality

Whether it is a corner of your bedroom or a whole room in your home, setting aside an area for personal spiritual practice is one of the most nurturing things you can do for yourself. However, knowing where you should have your sacred space, how to furnish that space, and what to do while in that space is often a challenge. Seeing as there is no one way to set up a sacred space, it would be easy to assume that just about any space would work. Throw furnishing and tools into the space for meditation or worship, and the sacred space is complete and ready to use, right?

Wrong. A sacred space is an area in which you commune with the Divine. Haphazardly cobbling a space together does not make it sacred. Spending some time and giving some thought to what your space will contain, where your space will be located, and when your space will be used helps sanctify the area. Meditation and worship are acts of mindfulness - it makes sense that we are mindful of the space we set aside for those activities.

• Find a Space - The first step, while being the most obvious, is also the most crucial. You need to know that you will not be disturbed when you are in your sacred space and that you will be comfortable with you spiritual practice in that space. If you want to chant, you need to know either that no one else will hear you, or that no one will mind. There needs to be enough space available for your worship. If the area is part of a common area, you should also think of how this space will look when not in use.

• Find a Time - While not as obvious as the first step, it is important to consider the time of day in which you will worship. Evening worship may create lighting issues. Early morning worship may disturb the sleep of your family. Some times of day are going to afford you more privacy than others or you might find yourself more in the mood to make that spiritual connection during a particular day of the week. The exact time and duration could be over looked if you live alone in a single family home in the middle of nowhere, but few people have such luxury.

• Comfort & Furnishings - You will needs to consider your personal comfort while within this space, as well as storage for any items you set aside for your sacred space. For most people, this might consist of a small cabinet, a floor pillow to sit on, and perhaps a blanket in case you find yourself cold. Of course, if you have more space and are willing to go through the expense, you could always set up an elaborate altar, complete with statuettes of spiritual teachers and elaborate embroidered tapestry. Anything more than the bare essentials I would find distracting, but this is your space and you should make it for your comfort, not mine.

• Choosing Artwork - Although this isn’t a necessity, a little bit of artwork can go a long way to setting the tone for your sacred space. Again, this need not be anything elaborate or large; a simple painting or small inspirational photo is sufficient enough. You will want something soothing and neutral that expresses your particular spiritual understanding or world view. The main purpose is for it to serve as a reminder of the reason this space is set aside, and to put you in the mood for worship or meditation.

• Choosing Accessories - Finally, you will want to consider accessories for your space. These should be items that serve the singular purpose to which your space is dedicated and are stored in this space for that purpose. A few suggestions would be candles, incense, holy books, soothing music, or a note book for thoughts and reflection. If other items appeal to you, feel free to include them in your area. Personally, I would be inclined to include a deck of Tarot cards, but I know that doesn’t appeal to everybody. Incense gives my wife headaches, so I know in her sacred space she would forgo that particular element. I must again stress the importance of setting aside the items for use in worship or mediation only. Doing so creates a strong association with the sacred for that particular space, allowing you to separate this space from the rest of your every day life. With enough time, entering that space may become a psychological trigger that prepares your mind for mediation or worship, and you want to strengthen that trigger if possible.

With these considerations in mind, creating a sacred space for worship can become a rewarding experience. While there are no hard and fast rules, a little structure to your space can go a long way to creating the atmosphere, comfort level, and attitude needed for worship. The Divine, by what ever name you may call it, becomes more approachable and tangible in the right environment. Making an environment for just that purpose is a powerful way to make the Divine a regular part of your life.
Top Photo by Joi Ito. Middle Photo by The Wandering Angel. Bottom Photo by Kelly Cookson.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Art, Inspiration, Meditation, Ritual, Worship

Image Above by Jordan Stilist. Gonzo Photo by Fernando de Sousa. Penguin Image by Mark Lewis.

A little under a month ago I had written an article about humor and spirituality entitled “Religion: Not A Laughing Matter - Or Is It?” At the end of the article, I posed the question of how humor could be incorporated into worship. I honestly couldn’t think of any practical way of accomplishing this myself, so I asked my readers to give me suggestions. I was hoping for more of a response than what I received, but blogging rarely works out exactly the way you planned.

Ah well. The point was to try to spring board off of the creativity of my readers, which I’m able to do from the suggestions of Seth Pickens and Shelby Meyerhoff. My thanks to both of you. Lets start the list with their suggestions…

• Spontaneous Laughter - Imagine a minister stepping up to the pulpit and begin laughing, with seemingly no reason. This minister then tries to encourage her congregation into laughing with her. Kind of hard to imagine, right? Well, not really… remember that laughter is contagious. It may seem fictitious at first, but there seems to be a tipping point at which forced laughter becomes genuine. Of course, this isn’t something that should be done every Sunday, but for that one special Sunday your church could be filled with cleansing laughter. This tip was provided by Seth Pickens.
• Humorous Illustrations - I don’t know about the rest of you, but the first thing I go for when I read the local paper is the cartoon section. Maybe I just never grew up, but a little laughter always makes the rest of the news paper a little easier to read. Using a humorous cartoon or illustration that is related to the sermon topic is a good means of easing into heavier topics. This suggestion was given by Shelby Meyerhoff.
• Self Deprecating Humor - Sometimes a congregation needs reminding by their minister that she is human as well. Being able to frame your own short comings in humor isn’t always an easy task and, as with all of these suggestions, can be over used. However, a person anecdote in which you place yourself as the butt of the joke can be both illuminating and endearing.
• Children at the Pulpit - Is there no lesson that children cannot teach us? Aside from unintentional humor, which is the hallmark of any good Christmas Pageant, the way in which children see the world around them does not only provide practical wisdom, but can also be pretty darn funny. Can children run an entire service? Not without help. I think it is safe to say that a service written and given by children would be unlike any service you’ve ever seen before.
• New Twist On Old Stories - Don’t be afraid to add a humorous twist to a familiar story - it catches people off guard. However relevant the story is, if the congregation had heard it before, the message of the story will not register. By adding that unexpected twist, not only do you get them to chuckle, but you get their attention as well.
• Pop-Culture References - I’ve come to the realization that pop-culture exists only to keep comedians employed. Why not take a page from their play-book and put it to good use at church? Not only will you seem more topical and interesting as a minister, but using current events or trends as your examples makes your message more relevant to your listeners. And, of course, there is the added bonus of getting paid to make fun of pop-culture.
• Quote Comedians - Most of comedy these days are not made up of joke or running gags, but rather are stories that end in an absurd moment. Stories can always be used to demonstrate a message in a sermon, so why not use comedic quotes in your service? The work is done for you, all that you need to do is frame the story with a moral or lesson.

I hope you find these suggestions inspirational. I know of a couple I plan on bringing up in my next worship associates meeting. Perhaps we can begin a service with a quote from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy… hrm.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Current Events, Humor, Inspiration, Religion, Spirituality

About a month ago, I had an idea to write a post regarding art and spirituality. I knew one of my frequent visitors was an artist, and had asked her for some input, and perhaps if I could use some of her art in my post. Her response was enthusiastic, but due to the Christmas season, she was unable to give the issue her attention. Earlier this week, she e-mailed me with an entire post’s worth of content! Well, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I would like to introduce to you Kelly Naylor. She is a true artist and I’m proud to have her as my first guest blogger here on The Pageless Book. The following article is written by Ms. Naylor, and each art piece used is her original art work. The above work is titled “Dragon Rising.”

In most of the places around the internet where I display my art, I mention that I create art because I can’t not create art. This compulsion, by the way, extends to my writing and singing as well. I do it all because I must. While reading a line in Autobiography of a Yogi about 15 years ago where Paramhansa Yogananda equates song to prayer, I realized the absolute Truth of that statement. It has always been true, and always will be true, that when I say “I will pray for you,” what I mean is “when next I finding myself singing, I will be holding you in my heart and mind and sending a request to Spirit to do the same.” (By the way, any song can be a prayer… from Shubert’s Ave Maria to The Beatles Lady Madonna to kd lang’s Crying.) So singing is my half of a conversation with Spirit.

My visual art, on the other hand, is what Spirit says to me. Very little of my art comes from my head (and the stuff that does isn’t really as interesting… to me, anyway). Most of my art comes from my heart. In fact, a lot of times I’ll put a DVD in the player and let my mind play “over there” while my heart and hands are playing “over here.” Half the time I’m not even sure what the paintings mean after I’ve created them. Perhaps the messages aren’t meant for me. I create abstract art because abstracts allow the viewer to see what they think is in the painting. On a mundane level, I could (and do) say it allows the viewer to become part of the art, part of the story. But more than that, it allows each individual to interpret the message of Spirit in their own way. Some of the pieces I create are profound, while others just flat out make me laugh. There are messages of hope, peace, love and joy… and yes, even a few about sorrow and mourning.

I think it’s important to note that I only started on this artistic path after my daughter Mackenzie died. She was born on Christmas Eve in 2000, and lived for four days. I sang (prayed) a lot, I wrote a lot, and I began dabbling with various artistic media. I went through all the stages of grief, some of them many times over. During the course of several years, I listened to Spirit. For Mackenzie’s fifth birthday, I was able to declare: I am an artist. My art honors and celebrates Mackenzie’s life.

I’d like to share one particular painting that has a powerful message for me; it’s one of those profound paintings. I was going through some employment-related difficulties at the time I painted it. Touchstone, shown right, emerged during an episode of The X-Files (where I had sent my mind to play). I was finishing up the painting just about the time Mulder tells Scully she is his touchstone (hence the name of the painting).

Looking at the painting later, I had a very clear, concise and powerful message from Spirit: You are not alone. You are loved. I am here. I love you. What is Spirit saying to you? I invite you to visit my galleries to see if Spirit has left any messages for you in other paintings.

Blessed be. Namasté.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Art, Inspiration, Prayer, Ritual, Spirituality

Photo by j / f

What is, in your opinion, the most pressing issue facing this world today? Is it the possibility of nuclear warfare? Starvation of tens of thousands of people in third-world countries? Perhaps you believe that global climate change to be the biggest threat. Whatever it is you believe to be the biggest problem humanity faces, firmly envision this problem. I want you to try, if you can, to imagine all global issues solved with exception of your particular global issue. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

Why is it so much harder to imagine an issue reaching critical mass when it is the only global problem? Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? If I may suggest, perhaps it is because so many of our global issues are interrelated. It doesn’t make sense for humanity to be able to solve the issue of famine and starvation without disarming and finally putting an end to war. We cannot honestly picture bringing global climate change under control without making corporations responsible for the health and well-being of all their employees. Each one of these problems are so interrelated, that it’s hard imagining any one of these existing on their own. These global scale problems must be symptoms of an even greater issue.

According to Global MindShift, the issue is humanity’s perception of its identity and understanding of the world. The paradigm under which we live as a global community is inherently flawed. In order to effectively resolve this issue, humanity must be willing to take a good long look at itself. Such an awakening on a global level doesn’t happen easily, yet that is what Global MindShift seeks to initiate.

The enormous task of changing the world on such a fundamental level is a bit like swimming upstream through gelatin inhabited by a colony of man o’ wars. That it is to say, this venture is difficult. What is it that they are doing to accomplish this task? Their strategy is probably summed up best in four words: People, Conversation, and Memes. Through their website, Global MindShift.org they gather like minded people and encourage them to talk about the issue. From their conversations, ideas are concentrated into memes - a units of cultural information used to inform and reform the paradigm of our global culture. These memes then feed back into the site, drawing in more people with whom the memes resonate, leading to more conversation and new memes.

How is this site different from other “Save The World” type causes? It’s the first organization to attempt treating the root of humanity’s problems rather than to just ease the symptoms. That isn’t to say other organizations aren’t important, but rather the internal motivation for why we need to make support these organizations are as important as the organizations themselves. Global MindShift even has a collection of recommended charities and causes.

Are these memes effective? I can’t make that judgement for you. Take a look at the videos below (each under six minutes) and make up your own mind. Is this an organization and movement you would be proud to be apart of? Do you want to see yourself as apart of the solution?

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Current Events, Humanity, Information, Inspiration, Reason, Spirituality