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“He should have … they should have … I said we should have … “
Within this “pandemic of words” about coronavirus is also to be heard words of blame. Blame levelled at politicians (of power) from politicians (of lesser power). Business as usual (of the worst kind) even as you and I cannot.
I wonder why it matters so much.
Why being in power is so addictive when being in power is so fleeting. But then look at smoking. A 45-50 minute cycle from “high” to needing another “high”.
It’s why quiz-shows always have questions about political leaders (or royalty) – dates of who and when – who came after/before – what year was he/she. If we all knew (or cared) there would be no need for “the quiz”. Because those addicted to power don’t linger long in the memory. Yet each believes they leave a legacy to make the world a better place. Each believes they have the answers. Each believes they are of service. Each believes they are serving you and me.
I smoked for years – decades – before finally removing that from my life. I lived for years in denial of being addicted.
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Today is faith day. When this digital-world will enable an addiction for worship to be satisfied. Each expecting the same service served in the same way as before. Digitally engineered to be the same –
But not.
More and more I am seeing (through my digital world) those whose faith (or not) is irrelevant. Where food, medicine, community, mental well-being, physical well-being … having the essentials (which today includes learning how NOT to panic) are the talking points. Where real-money-real-support to pay real-bills-in-the-real-right-now-world is the talking point. Talking points which unite rather than divide and are growing a belief that we can (and should) look after each other everywhere – across national boundaries – political loyalties – cultural differences – power inequalities …
I see an opportunity for the church.
An opportunity to unite over The One Thing over which we can unite … that the bible AND every sacred text has at their core … Love Without Condition.
Not “love” that has been genetically engineered by man-made “Science of Religion and Faith” to become something never intended: a man-made structure of a binding contract (like any other contract). A contract requiring compliance and fitting-in – requiring enforcement and policing … which requires an institution and hierarchy … which requires a constitution and rules … which requires …. money.
I see an opportunity for the church.
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But that same opportunity has been around for thousands of years – and is rejected every week in favour of our genetically engineered “Love WITH Condition” (an addiction we cannot kick) – because even as we preach-teach “WITHOUT” we insist on “WITH”.
So this time of social distancing and digital live-streaming, for me, is a massive opportunity forced upon us by our addiction to control everything. Even God. And science. And that stems from our real power to “genetically engineer” Beliefs to become “Facts and Evidence”.
It is how we ALL live our lives. Even me.
So why not take this opportunity to reverse-engineer thousands of years of “belief modification” and discover the reality of living a life of love WITHOUT condition is really easy and “light”?
A life where we connect and unite rather than splinter and divide … where we each know love in each other and ourselves … where we see our addiction to “stuff” – the decorative “lifestyle bling” we envy and chase – for what it is: man-made.
Why not allow a pandemic of Love WITHOUT Condition? Isn’t that what faith and religion teaches … but which we “engineered” to be WITHOUT after we die rather than right now and for all?
Didn’t Jesus see Love WITHOUT Condition happening “right now” today – didn’t he teach that as right now and all around – wasn’t his teaching of that and NOT of reward for being good … ?
And yet we continue our addiction to control: I am a Christian (or one of the endless sub-categories) … I am a Hindu (ditto) … I am a Muslim (ditto) … I am an Atheist (ditto) ,,, I am a De-Convert (ditto) … I am a Secularist (ditto) … and so on and so on …
Isn’t that an “addiction to control” our preferred brand of genetically modified facts “love” rather than …
Love Without Condition.
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