In the infinite universe, we have the opportunity to experience a great many things, sights, touches, and sounds. With no preexisting limits to what it is that we can, or cannot, accomplish, we’re given the perception that the sky is truly limitless. The sky may be limitless, but man has never succeeded in jumping over buildings with nothing more than the strength of their two legs. Try and try as we might, we cannot gain flight by flapping our arms. In spite of our best efforts, we cannot squeeze out X-Ray vision out of our eyes. I feel as if our abilities to pursue certain goals often blind us to the fact that we, as human beings, are quite disabled.
Pessimism is the ugly sister from optimism. “Behind every pessimist is a failed optimist” a mentor of mine once told me. He, the ultimate cynic, is actually one of the smartest people I’ve had the pleasure to meet.
We live in a world that is entirely too dependent upon feelings, rather than facts. Poor doesn’t feel poor when your heart has you believing you’re soon to gain the keys to your eternal inheritance; a just reward for a life lived of suffering and pain. If the keys to the kingdom really belong to the meek, mild, and those who hate all worldly riches, their eternal reward ought to be a life of eternal suffering, hunger, and poverty…the lens of which they have shaped what it means to be righteous. I see things differently. Perhaps if you brought up this idea to somebody who has given every single penny of theirs to the church, believing the lie that each penny will turn up ‘eternal dividends’ in the kingdom (caps intentional), they would have a hard time accepting the fact. Parental neglect of potential and opportunity, setting back their children socially, emotionally, and financially, is somehow going to grant eternal riches but my dreams of driving a Ferrari are paving the fast track for me to go to Hell? I cry foul.
It’s somehow righteous to place a child in a church camp where they are indoctrinated with fear-based tactics, screamed at for being “hypocrites” (at the age of 5…), and told to come to Jesus to be made whole so they can then share this message with their ‘unsaved’ friends?
It is somehow beneficial for people to be ‘slain’ in the spirit (caps intentional) and roll around the ground like dying foxes (have you ever seen a dying fox? It’ll scar you) while chanting “I could sing of your love…” forever?
Quite honestly, if the kingdom of heaven is anything like these worship services, or a place where success is frowned upon because it ‘denies’ meekness and humility, or where the mind is denied and locked away in lieu of ‘great’ blind faith (which I feel is simply a shirking of duty to study and think) then I will be the first person to damn myself to Hell.
However, I don’t think that’s how G-d wants us to live…
I don’t think we are to shirk our minds and intelligence, but to sharpen and mold them so we can have a deeper understanding of what it means to have a connection with our Creator. With a Being so complex and infinite, how could we not devote our minds to mental discipline and exercise?
I don’t believe the purpose of our lives is to pour out for others, without first having something to pour from our own. I fully believe in service, humility, and love for others. However, the ability to do so is much greater when you have first loved yourself.
This blog wasn’t supposed to get off on a religion tangent. However, I’m glad it did.
A theme I’m learning the value behind is the duty and appreciation of facts over fleeting feelings. As somebody who is in touch with their emotions, I understand there are times when the emotional roller coaster reaches its peaks and valleys. One can’t fake productivity without having the ability to be caught by a lack of results.
What I’m learning with people is that one must learn how to separate self from emotion, and purely look at the facts. I believe that even love can be a logical process. In fact, I believe it is a process which, if viewed logically, can be fully maximized. And yet, one must be dutifully committed to looking at the facts behind certain situations.
Here’s to Wisdom and Understanding.
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