Reflections on a Sunday

Photo by Kaye Cornish https://unsplash.com/photos/Uq3gTiPlqRo?              utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

It’s Sunday. A distinctively American tradition of church attendance by many, clearly not all faiths, will be practiced by me today because we are at an undeniable crossroads that will not let one of us bury our heads in the sand and not pay attention.

As you all know, I clearly always have something to say. So, today I will give you my sermon on the mound of cyperspace. You have free will, so take it or leave it. It is mine to own.

We are born as individuals with truly innate powers of creative thinking and being. Before we develop those powers we are taught to suppress them, fit into boxes that are natural for some and violationally limiting for others. We are taught to judge and ridicule those that defy these boxes causing emotional harm instead of using our own instinctual ability to learn and grow our lens of perspective with love and compassion.

Before we are innately able to decide for ourselves we are indoctrinated with organized religion’s fear of free will, because doing so may erase their need to exist. We are taught to look at a flawed document handed down, interpreted many years after the events not by the authors of the journey, but hand selected translations from languages impossible to dissect unquestionably.

The story may indeed be valid, and clearly the story of Jesus is one of love and compassion, but the organized dogma is shackled by chains of fear to strip you of your self esteem, your ability to question what remains unanswered in these documents, while being told they are clear. Questioning is our human nature that should not be repressed.

You are born to a family that has chosen which document to follow, or not in some cases, making your will restricted if you question those that are your only reference for care and love at the time of your own development when you want to please. This shuts down the questioning which is our undeniable gift to reason and be human.

The one undeniable truth is love and dignity. You don’t need anyone to teach you this. It is our innate trait that is given to us freely at birth. Being determined to unlearn doctrine and return to the state of wonder, inquiry and compassion is the hard choice, but the clear path to a well lived life which may lead you to a building of worship or an inner building of your own design.

That is our collective church we were born into. I hope to see you all return there to build hope and live authenticity in the service of humanities survival where we question and wonder at the awe of life. The dialog with self is a dialog with God, if they do exist.

Disillusionment

 

                                             Anne Louise Germaine Necker de Stael-Holstein 

                                                        by artist Marie-Eleonore Godefroid

On the precipice of a country revolving backwards to embrace the worst of past atrocities I am left with one word that signifies the last 6 years of back-peddling. Disillusionment. The present should always represent hope, a mirror of reflection that informs our daily journeys and morals with a keen eye to bettering our future. I have never been so disillusioned or distraught about our future as a species.

We've somehow lost true understanding of key definitions of human nature: kindness, empathy, chivalry, character, and moral fiber, to name a few. I'm not talking the Disney movie type, but the flawed kind with dirty hands, no white horses, moments of anger and immediate remorse.  That is real, that is human. We've replaced these aspirations with greed, gluttony, self-righteousness, self-centeredness, and bullying pulpits of arrogance. We have centuries of lessons on why religion should not have power to dictate behavior, yet the hold and destruction continues without accountability. No one NEEDS religion to be good. That is a fact.

Disillusioned masses cannot help a society function if stuck in the fear of rebuttal. Divided we are conquered, pure and simple. Prostate we are harmful to the most vulnerable. Clearly, I do not have the answers for what will make us work together for the betterment of human kind. This is where we all sit in our disbelief, our shame, our utter demoralizing fear. 

I write, because screaming at the top of my lungs remains unsatisfying. We have a crippled world right now, because gluttonous wealthy soul-less creatures have found out that philanthropy will no longer puff their egos, charity work no longer lift their external facade.  So money is horded in off shore accounts, loaded into accounts for offspring to spend on million dollar birthday parties. We see them wholly and it is the most frightening presence we cannot seem to comprehend. How do we make philanthropy stylish again and hold businesses, no matter how large, accountable and rewarded for good, punished for bad. 

It is important that we all openly question where there are no clear answers. This is the time for philosophy, art, and historical oratory and performance in every medium. The humanities are called upon when there is no clarity, there is only darkness. We can be led out of the gloom, but we need brave souls mirrored from the past of flawed characters who passionately stood up against the odds and said "no more".  

Social media and lack of strong journalism from our networks and news sources have left us rudder-less. Social media has become our only fast reliable source, but it is also our most cut-throat, evil mean spirited medium. 

This should be a time of invention and creation. There has never been a time where access and exposure to information, regardless of economics is at an all time high, yet few take full advantage except in the game playing, suspending reality venue. I see nothing wrong with escapism in moderation, if weighed with deep learning, deep questioning seeking sources of wonderment. 

Who are we, really? What are we actually capable of? Is the answer going to be destruction or  greatness. It is literally ours to decide. Germaine Necker de Stael died on her return to Paris after a sojourn through England and Europe in disillusionment. She disliked Napoleon immensely. Things don't seem to change much when progress is met with tyranny. I'm with you Madame de Stael.