I have heard about auto-pilot.  It is what pilots do when they fly me to my next holiday destination: they put the plane on auto-pilot and the plane fly’s itself.  And if they need to they can switch-off the auto-pilot and fly it themselves (albeit with masses of computers and hi-tech stuff still “helping”).  Usually that is when they are landing or taking off or something goes wrong.

Just like flying, for me, living is often the same thing: I live on autopilot much of the time and “take over” for the good exciting or bad (exciting?) moments.  For example:

Can you remember what you were doing (all day) at work this time last month, the month before that, the month before that before … ?  I can remember the routine and likely timetable but not the precise “actuals”.

Or could you tell me exactly what happened in your relationship (with whoever) 19 days ago, or 43 days ago, or 72 days before that … ?  I couldn’t on that one either.

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I read the Wiki page of more stuff by Cesare.  Nothing else I read jumped out at me like this one wonderful quote – the rest of his stuff … ?   I don’t remember!  🙂

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So just what is my auto-pilot – my “computers and hi-tech stuff” I rely on to get me though life – through the days I don’t remember – through the times I ponder life … the universe and stuff like that?

I have an autopilot – we all do – or else we all remember very second of every day  because we would all be living in the moment every second of every day.  And, much as I would like to say I do – I don’t.  I remember moments.

So I have an auto-pilot to get me through.  My auto-pilot is my belief system, my belief structure, my habits directly stemming from my experience, my learning, my education, my preferences, my traumas, my highs and my lows.  My auto-pilot is what I know and what I trust.  And what I know and who I trust changes – my “system” is mine and only mine.

Now watch this …

BBC News channel (Watch the video here)
“Semi-autonomous vehicles, which can partly drive themselves, are already on our roads. But industry experts are worried that drivers don’t understand what they can do… and what they can’t.  And that could be putting road users in danger.” 

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My auto-pilot system?

As I remember moments – mostly those moments are of love: when I was loved, when I loved another, when the love of many was shown in a moment, when the loss of a loved one is remembered forever, when love overcame fear, when fear became less than love, when love gave me strength, when strength was switched on by love – love of something important – something out of reach – something scary – something I didn’t think I could do or be – my moments are of my love living loving.  Because I write my own “auto-pilot system” every day through the moments I remember.  I get to choose.

The bible doesn’t.

The bible is someone else’s moments.  Moments I borrow when they fit, and moments that jar when they don’t.  And there are lots of jarring moments.  As a Christian I am taught the bible is of God – taught that the bits not easily explained (or defended) are usually dismissed with:   “And that is the mystery of an infinite God – we are mere mortals.  How can we ever understand God?”   So we talk “Jesus” instead.

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We preach the Gospels – the Good News – how Jesus died for me and you so we can be forgiven and have everlasting life – The Great Commission!

Except I was also taught that Jesus is God and God is the Old Testament and the OT has a lot of killing and genocide.  Noah for example.  Crossing the Red Sea.  Wandering the desert for forty years and not seeing the Promised Land.  On and on with the killing – with the slaughter of innocent animals as sacrifice – with the rules and regs of  “Chosen People” living.  That is God as well – and God is Jesus.

My problem is “the Good News” has a before and after Jesus.  A God of death and destruction – and an Early Church with Creeds and Letters to keep the faithful in line.

So when I preach the Gospel and good News – isn’t it to be expected that an obvious question will be about the “before and after Jesus”?

And being on “auto-pilot” then, for me, is not the answer.

It suffocates souls.

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