Tag Archive: Christ


Problems of The Second Coming

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Religion
July 25, 2014

second-comingWhile having lunch with a client, we overheard the luncheon conversation from another table. Discussing an enigma in his life, the patron blurted in great anguish, “God I wish Jesus was here. If He were, everything would be perfect.”

“Hmm,” muttered my client. “What a load of crap.“

“I’m sorry,” I replied in astonishment.

“Jesus coming again,” he muttered. “You know, quoting the Bible, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.””

“Yeah, what about it.“

“Well, the Bible does the whole ‘second coming’ thing in a couple of chapters. Sounds pretty damn easy, right?“

“Yeah, I suppose some say that,” leaning back in my chair.

“Too damn easy. Too damn easy.“

“How so?“

Taking a sip of water, “Well, first off, just imagine Christ coming down in a chariot and some nut like Putin shoots a BUK SA-11 missile. God,” he laughed, “I would love to see to what happens next.“

Smiling, “That’s an interesting thought.“

“So Christ gets here, right?“

“Right,” I confirmed.

Continuing, “So, Christ is going to judge the living and the dead, right?“

“Right.“

“There’s currently 7 billion living people on earth. Even if He adjudicates everyone’s life in one minute apiece, it would take over 13,000 years to finish.“

“Never thought of it that way,” I nodded.

“Imagine, every living soul gets one minute to state their case … and then ‘pppppiiiiiffffffff’ … done. Pausing for a moment, “And those are just the living.” Yes sir,” he smirked with a ‘tonal’ computer voice, “your number is in year 14,072 …. Next?“

“Have a seat,” I chuckled.

“Exactly,” he sighed.

“Maybe Christ saves the 2.5 billion identified Christians and just summarily executes the rest. Then the whole process will only take a smidgen over 4,700 years.“

“Ah,” he pondered. “There’ll be other issues.“

“Such as?”

“Think about it,” he explained. “If Christ starts healing the sick, I’ll bet you dollars-to-donuts someone will sue Him for practicing medicine without a license. If He started turning water into wine, the wine conglomerate will sue for restraint of trade while simultaneously requesting an EPA toxicology report. Then He’ll have to mediate the Israel and Hamas Strip problem, Ireland’s Catholic and Protestant battle, ISIS, al-Qaeda, Catholic Priests and a host other nut groups. I guarantee you, some group will be extremely pissed when God doesn’t vote their way. So what’s He gonna do with them? And guess what? Once all the elderly start donating money to Him, the U.S. Government and IRS will sue Christ for violation of tax exempt organization regulations, infamously known as 501(c)3.“

“That’s quite a list.“

“There’s also the environmental thing.“

“You mean global warming?“

“No. I mean. What happens if people just quit their jobs because He decided to return? Think about it, nuclear reactors and power plants require daily, weekly, monthly care. Otherwise, kablooey! What happens when damns aren’t properly regulated and they fail? What happens to all those churches and jobs supporting evangelical missions, Bible publications and other items? Do children suddenly stop going to school because Christ came back? Does society stop working and wait for Christ to repair everything? What will people do? What will you and I do?“

“Man,” I said depressingly. “Now that I think about it, those few chapters in Revelations seems to gloss over it.“

“Yeah,” he said. “What’s that old quote,” as he searched his memory. “Be careful of what you ask for….”

“You may get it,” finishing his sentence.

“Maybe we don’t get Christ until we live like Christ. Maybe we just need to learn to live and love now while we have time,” thoughtfully opined.

“Amen to that!“

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The Power Of Faith Lies Within

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons
June 26, 2014

imageSomeone once said the sin against the Holy Spirit is to no longer believe He can change the world. And it is sad to believe that anyone couldn’t possibly change me. In truth, I believe God has the power, most of us simply don’t have the will.

There is an important need to return to our source of renewal. We must reinterpret our faith and renew our love, not for only our God, but for our fellow man as well. But in our hurried get it done today world faith is reserved for an hour every seven days. We drop a couple of nickels in a donation cup and head off to our favorite sports game or family outing. Thus, by the end of the year, we’ve deleted any modicum of faith and huddle together during the holiday season while secretly asking what the hell have we done.

I remember back to the days of my youth when upon my Uncle’s farm. The hoe scrapped against the upper midwest dirt, lifting the dirt of my ancestors. This no longer was a simple row of corn or beans, strawberries or rhubarb. Whatever life I have in there herein now was given by those who fell to rest long before me. And as I tilled, I enriched their faith. It’s the same faith which created me.

My ancestors never knew a Buddha would come forth. Nor could any of your descendants have known you would come forth either. Yet it was by faith and love that they believed children and grandchildren would come – that if they worked and believed – life’s wonderment and power would erupt from the bosom of soil. Thus, by faith, they lived for you and I.

Just as our forefathers believed in faith, so should we. The sunset imbibes delight through every pore as I walk along the shore of East Sound, though it is cool as well as cloudy and windy, and I see nothing but a river of faith. As Henry David Thoreau noted, faith:

“… is instantly translated; its literal monument alone remains. The words which express our faith and piety are not definite; yet they are significant and fragrant like frankincense to superior natures.”

Why must we lose life changing faith? Why do we allow life to dull our perception and praise only commonality?

When God makes a covenant with us, God says, “I will love you with an everlasting love. I will be faithful to you, even when you run away from me, reject me, or betray me.” In our society we don’t speak much about covenants; we speak about contracts. When we make a contract with a person, we say, “I will fulfill my part as long as you fulfill yours. When you don’t live up to your promises, I no longer have to live up to mine.” Contracts are often broken because the partners are unwilling or unable to be faithful to their terms.

God never made a contract. He made a promise. The greatest promise of faith we can give to one another is our love. Through that love we can create an anxiety-free respite, find our faith, encourage one another, build confidence and find the freedom to choose our own way in life.

Real faith was never ‘out there.’ True faith has always resided within.

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Knowing God

Filed under: Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons
June 25, 2014

imageI read an article by a friend who claimed to know all about God. Simply put, by reading and studying the Bible, he was able to know God. I counter by stating Islamics, Jews, Muslims and most every other religion opine in a similar way. If one reads and study that one book for one month, one year or one decade, can you really completely learn about God?

Thomas Aquinas’ may have phrased the concept correctly when he wrote, “This is what is ultimate in the human knowledge of God – to know that we do not know God.”

Often times, while watching the news of one tragic event or another, someone often sputters, “Is God a loving Father or a great vivisectionist?” Honestly, even several spiritual experiences, God remains quite the mystery. I cannot always understand His logic, His love, His hatred or His grace. I have no clue if Jesus hates brussels sprouts or liver and onions as much as I. Nor can imagine what His purpose is for the Mojave desert, the Chicago Cubs winless streak or the ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians‘ television show.’

I do know many view God from a myopic personal viewpoint. For instance, when the father of the friend mentioned above became sickened from cancer, he loudly queried, “Why did God allow this to happen?” Yet when 15,887 people died in the Tōhoku earthquake and another 6,000 from the Philippine typhoon, nary a question was raised.

Thinking out loud, is it better sometimes for calamity to strike? Could such calamities awaken the deep root our own prejudices and snap them from the limb of our own tree?

I think the real tragedy is that all of us believe we know more of God than we actually do. Thus, we never etch a serious time in discovering the love He claims to have afforded. So I ask each of you today to drop your concepts, drop your opinions, drop your prejudices, drop your judgements and explore God’s love.

What does He look like now?

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Is the World Largely Dark or Just Me?

Filed under: Life Lessons, Religion
June 23, 2014

Olympic_TorchA friend often claimed her given name meant “light.” Accordingly, she was quite the scholar; with a near genius IQ who performed elongated math equations in her head. During her travels, she claimed to have found no one of equal. Thus, she fictitiously carried a lighted torch while claiming to “Light a world largely dark.”

One day, a wise man sitting in a darkened coffeehouse heard her words. “My friend, if your eyes are blind to the sight of the omnipresent light of the day, do not call the world dark. Your torch adds nothing to the glory of the sun and your intention to illumine the minds of others is as futile as it is arrogant.”

As Anthony de Mello would say,

“We all need to identify less and less with the “me.” By doing so, we’ll all be more at ease with everybody and with everything because we’ll no longer be afraid of being hurt or unlike. We need to reduce the desire to impress everyone. Can you imagine the relief when you don’t have to impress anybody anymore? Oh, what a relief.

So why do I refer to de Mello and being one of ‘true light?‘

While flying to upstate Washington over the weekend, a woman saw me reading de Mello’s work, ‘Taking Flight.’ Being a devote Christian, she claimed to know the true “Light” and opined that de Mello’s books did little to enhance one’s development in authentic Christian spirituality while simultaneously exposing the soul to serious spiritual danger.

Additionally, I should consider, “… that dabbling in Buddhism, Taoism, and other ideologies isn’t just a simple pastime. These practices could expose one to occult influences that could have lasting and damaging effects upon the mind, body and soul. So unless one is attempting to communicate with the One, Holy and True God – and in ways deemed acceptable – I need to understand I’m placing myself at enormous personal risk.”

Paraphrasing Dale Carnegie, I subtly responded, “The ideas I stand for are not mine. I borrowed them from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole them from Jesus. And I put them in my life. If you don’t like their rules, whose would you use?”

“Oh,” she beamed with a broad smile. “They are worthy leaders.”

Leaning back and looking over Washington’s coastline, I muttered in thought, “Socrates would talk with people he encountered on the street, using the opportunity to question them about their views on justice, piety, courage, and other virtues by which human beings lived. His pointed questions–and the inability of his listeners to answer them satisfactorily–showed them that their knowledge was incomplete or tainted with faulty ideas. For this, he received a death sentence.”

Most will not believe in the real God because they’re unable to broaden their minds past that of their own world.

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Love is the Place of Many Rooms

Filed under: About Love, Life Lessons
May 28, 2014

House of Many RoomsThe husband of a dear friend of mine has an aggressive form of cancer. Thus, sometimes our conversations focus’ upon the inevitable trip from cancer to heaven. What’s heaven really like? What’s heaven really all about?

If I had the chance to relive any of those conversations I would say heaven is not so much a destination as it is love.

People whom are closet are the ones who love us deeply. And I know all of us, without exception, could use more time here on earth, but I believe we are very beautiful people; that we are destined to learn how to treat one another better. Once we learn that, we move forward. And the very people we are introduced too are teachers, yet during life we find ourselves both teacher and student.

Life is not about getting an award, getting applause. It’s about contributing to others. I never tire of hearing thoughts of someone’s lessons learned, regardless of how painful they are. Yet I remind everyone that regardless of what lay in heaven, each of us must concentrate on this day, this journey, this moment and this life. We all can plan ahead … but we’re forced to live today.

So I challenge each of you. Do we ever say much that’s nice? Do we ever give others our time, a time of real emotions and love. What do we do for others? When you die, who will attest to your life? And whom will attest to mine?

From a personal viewpoint, others have made some of the finest golden footprints in life. I have little to show. How many times have I uttered, “Hey! I love you.” What have I given to others? What have you given to another?

All of you who read this are all precious and loved. Everything we do matters to someone. But remember, you can’t save everyone. More than likely, God put you here to ‘be present’ in their journey of life, including success, hard times, laughter, sorrow, birth and death.

So to all who’ve seen heaven, “Is it a must see to believe dwelling?” John 14:2 states Christ exclaimed, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” Maybe we need to understand is that the place Jesus prepares is more relationship oriented than a specifically a home. It is these relationships that free us from the selfishness which blocks us from God and each other. God resides within a deep, intimate and abiding relationship. That’s where He wants us to live and love.

We always seem to get lost in the home. And it was never really about the home, i.e., the structure. What makes a home is the loving relationships existing within. I don’t believe Jesus is interested in finding us a building, complete with sofa, stove, toilet and front yard. He wants us to find the specific space in our life to create the same love He has in union with the Father and Holly Spirit.

Borrowing from the Kung Fu series, we are all wanderers in a sometimes-trackless land. Yet all of us can find that which is sought, and more. There’s also something of rare value for the one who shared his journey. Could you risk the loss of such a benefit?

Real heaven is living in Holy Communion with the spirit of love. Why can’t we do this here on earth as it is done in heaven?

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The Proof of Heaven Lies Within

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt, Life Lessons — 2 Comments
May 27, 2014

proof-of-heaven-232x300Another in a Continuing Series of Letters to a Friend

Dear Ms. J:

I have heard of “Proof of Heaven.” But I prefer the material of Elizabeth Kübler–Ross. As a reader, her work seems more relevant than Eben Alexander‘s.

What I think about God and God’s love is that people teach us so much of life. The trick is to be present to each other, listen to each and hear their stories. While I am here to listen you, to give you the love I possibly can, your life and courage has added to my faith.

I consider it an honor and privilege to walk with you on your journey. More importantly, the question I continually ask myself (or secretly to God) is where am I helping you go?

Some inevitably ask why do I run from God? Why have I, who’s seen heaven and Christ himself run from Him? If they knew me, if they really really knew and loved me, they would understand I’m not running from Christ … I’m running toward Him.

In truth, I am a humbled man. And as a humbled man, I can learn a lot. Every encounter, every conversation, every relationship or chance meeting is infused with the opportunity to bless one another. Deep down, we know this, but we get busy, making the dollar, finding love, and figuring out life’s problems.

Many of my nights are filled with voices from the past. I hear their voices from time to time, their reminders and confessions. I pulled out some old military pictures the other day. There within the halls of time’s gone by, I secretly sit in meditation with Christ and relive those moments.

I believe we are all connected – every thought, every word, every deed. Everything has energy that lasts forever. So, I suppose we are either influencing someone in a positive manner, or a negative one.

To that end, regardless of what you may think, I find you are a wonderful person. I believe you’re beloved beyond your wildest imagination! You an honor watch, a Celebration of Life. You seem to love all unconditionally; just the way God loves us!

Having been to heaven myself, I know the only thing we take with us is the love woven into our hearts. Thus the purpose of my letter Tucson is for you …. to never doubt you are here with great purpose.  The proof of heaven lies within us, not what someone says.

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It’s About The Dash, Not The Dates

Filed under: About Love, Life Lessons — 2 Comments
April 1, 2014

The DashWhile staying at a friend’s home, my heart decided to take a sudden vacation. Thus, for a minute or so I had no heartbeat. Having a fatal disease, I accept the fact that, at any one moment in time, I could “check-out” into the neither-land of life.  For the moment, I cannot recall white lights, beckoning of dead relatives or anything noticeable. I do however recall a voice telling me I had to return.

Having earned a living in the insurance business, I’ve been offered an uncommon view of death. Within the walls of most major life insurance companies, life is summarized via a series of seemingly simple screens. Underneath those screens lie a web of heuristics and algorithms that would make IBM Watson proud. Each applicant is analyzed by the totality of known medical conditions, statistically rating everything from an ingrown hair to heart disease. After the analysis, insurance contracts are filled with legalese that tests the nerves of most claimants, including terms such as exclusions, cash value, premiums and benefits leave claimants left in the dark about exactly how their benefit was determined.

Most are unaware that life insurance companies can summarize an applicant’s life via seven (7) simple computerized screens. The first screen captures your basic information: male or female, address, birthdate, Social Security Number, premium paid, life insurance amount, etc. The second and third screen is all about finances, especially how much accumulated debt, credit history and credit score. Fourth and fifth screen is one’s medical information and history. These screens run an applicant through the Medical Information Bureau looking for undisclosed medical conditions, prescriptions and physician statements of health. Insurers will also check driving records, arrests records and warrants as well as employment history. The sixth screen is basically how one died, i.e., the cause of death and autopsy report. The last screen is the claim approval or denial.

The same principles apply in regular everyday life. Ever send a resume electronically? If yes, chances are your life has been measured by some algorithm before anyone saw it, if at all. Want that Starbucks coffee? Then whipping out the ol’ credit card ensures some computer program in a faraway database will analyze every purchase, your likes and dislikes as well as future tendencies.

Society tends to measure our life by credit card purchases, homes, smart phones, iPads, iPods, data this data that.  We interact upon almost every aspect of life via a phone that it’s extremely difficult to engage in normal day-to-day conversations, even during death. For example, Scott Simon, a host on National Public Radio, shared his mother’s journey into death with more than 1.2 million followers, through dozens of tweets.

Thus, as I watched hospital staff and the interaction of caregivers, I longed to reinforce some key fundamental Buddhist thoughts. While the measure of one’s life varies from culture to culture, from individual to individual, our measurement must be based on both ideology and personal values. Dying is both a great challenger and equalizer. It breaks into our lives and smashes our personal boundaries of what life is all about. We must reach beyond our own algorithms that define us and remember to invest in someone beyond the analysis. Algorithms care little for the personal. It is we who have to remember the personal.

My hospital room reminded that life is not about the birth-date or date of death, it’s about the dash in-between. I imagined my life without a partner, a family member or a close friend. Facing death and being in pain seems a sorrowful battle when fought alone. Facing any crisis alone is extremely challenging.

To that end, why can’t all of us reach beyond the electronics and algorithms of life and give to the needs and wishes of one another? Doing so would be very Buddhist, very Christ-like.

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Equanimity In The End

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt — 3 Comments
February 11, 2014

DeathAs you may know, one can often find me meditating in the wee hours of the morning. It is here, where I often find peace and harmony with the world and with God. So, in this sense, I offer the following story occurred February 11, 2014 between 2:45 AM and 3:30 AM.

————-

“W. Get up and meditate. I want to talk to you.“

“Uughhh,” looking at the clock. “2:26 AM Ms. K. I am tired today.”

…. 2:39 AM ….

“W.! Get up and meditate. I have a surprise for you.“

“Ughh…. Ok, Ms. K..” Stumbling about. “Can I use meditation music?“

“No. No meditation music.“

Glancing at upon my clock … 2:42 AM.
Within several moments of starting my meditation, I seemed engulfed by a powerful presence. There, standing in front of me was Ms. K., my friend who passed late last year. Standing in spirit form, she stood beautifully. While there was no physical body, her face, eyes, lips
 and hair was identifiable, but appeared gleaming by a warm soft light.

Everything about her was translucent. It was the strangest thing ever. I could see her, but see through her. She lived, but was different, beautiful, radiant and swarmed by golden light. 
While her smile was deeply moving, what captured me was this deep sense
 of love and peace. And aside from Christmas Eve 1978, this was perhaps the most powerfully
 expressive amount of love I have ever experienced. Ms. K’s touch peacefully
 penetrated my body. We embraced and our
exchange was filled with an overwhelming sense of acceptance.

Ms. K guided me through her new home. It was a world not unlike our own. At first glance, the grass was green, but each blade
 echoed a similar golden hue, a drop of dew and glistened from warmth surrounding everything. Each tree leaf was illuminated with a sense of deep purity. It was a most peaceful and accepting world where a light humming form of music I cannot adequately describe. There were no musicians, no choir, no rap, no reggae
 or jazz. It was harmonic.

“W., this is the hum you hear at night. It is the music of the universe. It’s god’s
love. You, as do many others, hear the harmony of life.”

Before I could respond, we suddenly stood overlooking a city. The city seemed
 small and quaint, but it was hard to say. Every building was surrounded
 by golden aura, emanating from every wall, every roof and each window. Suddenly, without notice, a tall man stood before me. Adorned in white,
 I was embraced and a rush of ever present love streamed
through my body.

“You are forgiven.”


“I am forgiven?” I queried.”

“You are forgiven. Whatever you have done, you are forgiven. I forgive you.“

Just as quickly, Ms. K. and I were alone.

“Was that God?“

“Yes.” K. replied as she smiled. “I told you I had a surprise for you.“

…. 3:30 AM …. Meditation ended.

Everything written is an abbreviated account of my forty-five minutes in heaven (at least I can only relate it as being in heaven).  Being a meditation practitioner for years, I can honestly state I did not fall asleep, did not dream this vision, and did not enhance any part of the story.  I tried as a best as possible to accurately reflect the events.

In real life Ms. K. and I were not true friends. Outside of an occasional business meeting, we did not spend any non-work related time together. However, every since learning of her passing, I have had several “telepathic” conversations. Most of my persistent queries have surrounded what is “Heaven” like and what is God like. The other key part of my conversation centered upon many of my personal failings (adequately described herein this blog).

I can only presume after much pestering she found a way to answer my query.

I want everyone to know that this conversation has not converted me to conservative, Biblical quoting scholar.  In truth, much of my life will remain as the Buddha once described:

“Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”

In other words, our life goes forward and each of us must life it.  Some may claim this vision is a proclamation of my impending death.  Truthfully, that could be true.  But then again, I wasn’t supposed to live this long anyway.  Yes, I have Multiple Sclerosis and my circulation system kind of really sucks at this moment.  But I hope to tarry on for another 100 or so years. Ha! Ha!

I offer only two points.

  • First, I am not unique. I am not superhuman, overly blessed or specifically chosen.  And I still have no understanding why Ms. K. has chosen to communicate to me. But I am honored by her presence.
  • Secondly, I simply offer this story to say that any one of us can be forgiven. If we live in love, breathe in love and give love to others, any one of us can have the same wonderful experience.

If my story offends anyone, I am truly sorry. But I really hope my story brings each of you some peace or hope; that my story offers each of you something positive. If I can be forgiven, any of you can be as well. The real gift Ms. K. provided me was a process. It’s a process that allows any of us to live our days and allow us a degree of equanimity towards the end, looking at that black, implacable wall of death, to allow us a degree of peace, a degree of non-fear.

And I want in.

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The Compassion of Christmas

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt, Religion — 4 Comments
December 24, 2013

Christ CompassionSitting without power in a northern Vermont/New York town, a few of us huddle against the hotel’s fireplace and embrace the radiant heat. And thus, another Christmas Eve stands firm at my door. Here in the woods, there is no Santa, no ghost of Christmas past and even Marley has been placed upon the back shelf of many a mind.

Still, if I had to explain what Christmas is all about, I would summarize by using the word “love” or “compassion.” Certainly, we can see Christ’s compassion. He had many faces; some fierce; some wrathful; some tender; some wise. Dalai Lama once said, “Love and compassion are necessities. Thus, without them, humanity cannot survive.“

Without becoming religious, I have been lucky to see Christ everywhere. There are so many whose hands and eyes have touched me. And in an unceasingly unending river of love, they continue to embrace my soul today. They touched me when I was partially paralyzed after a military accident some 30 years ago. And because of my caregiver’s strength, her strength became the kind of mudra and imprimatur that now guides my life. She could clearly see into the nature of my suffering. And she stood strong, recognized that I’m wasn’t separate from her and transformed my suffering.

But Christ’s compassion has another component: the seeds of compassion require watering. Several weeks ago, I attended a healthcare fair in East St. Louis, Illinois. Anyone traveling through East St. Louis would say that this is the land God forgot. The seeds of their own compassion had rarely been watered. But the conditions for compassion must be activated, they have to be aroused. Each us can activate an amazing abundant amount of compassion throughout our life, but we choose otherwise. Why?

Sometimes we hinder love through our own self-pity, our higher-than-thou moral outrage, or simple fear. We look unto the world and see a world paralyzed by fear. And in that paralysis, our capacity for compassion also becomes paralyzed. Instead, we harbor a “scarcity mentality” and shrivel in the face of trial. Thus, compassion drains us.

But I promise you the type of love and compassion Christ delivered can be truly enlivening.  We can open the world and have an undefended heart. The archetype of this in Buddhism is Avalokiteshvara, Kuan-Yin, she who perceives the cries of suffering in the world. We can stand with 1,000,000 others, hand-in-hand, and embrace the powerful instrument of love.

This Christmas, I ask you to come out of the cave. Be compassionate, remove one another’s problems and transform yourself into the Buddha of love, into the Christ of compassion.

We can be powerful partners of life – we can be compassionate fathers, with sons who are loved, with daughters who are honored, with mothers who are proud. We can embrace the plumber, the road builder, the caregivers, the doctors, the lawyers, the president (faults and all), and with all beings.

This Christmas, sit in the lotus sea of love and actualize the potential for all mankind. That’s what Christ accomplished. And we can as well.

Have a wonderful and blessed holiday.

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Be The Christ in Another’s Life

Filed under: About Love, Faith & Doubt — 2 Comments
December 11, 2013

VermontThe window overlooking Vermont is surrounded by oceans of trees. Looking upon Nature’s marvel, I realize she gave nothing without labor. I remain utterly speechless and in awe.

Here in the deep woods, I can dust snow from tree branches and ponder the struggle. Yes, she struggled. In love, she forged and bored through listless rock to create this world, the world in which we live.  Each of us on this island earth are connected, born from that very labor of love. And everyone needs to understand our earth, this spirit of life, this beauty of creation loves everyone given life.

Over the years I have traveled to and fro, from Asia to Africa, from Canada to South America. In all those travels, I am not unaware of the encircling power of love – the love of people; the love of potential and the love internal peace that only someone who truly loves another gives. There is a tremendous power within unabridged love, in drawing life’s breath from one another. Those who share the depth-less, that someone so deep, so encompassing, there is no other.

Even I found the richness of God’s creation in my love, I now understand God’s true love includes both power and strength: the power of a received kiss and the foundational strength forged year after year.  Yes, my love knew me. She understood my significance and stirred life through a simple touch. In her hand, the key of the lonely heart trembled and the simple twist of her wrist unleashed the magic of Christmas. Agape love understands, for everyone needs someone to set them afire.

This Christmas, give the power of love.  We need NOT be independently wealthy. Nor does being a rich Scrooge to make a difference. Surely there’s something about our service that doesn’t require having an enormously rich neighbor to facilitate?

This type of glory is not about recognition. It’s about assisting those in need. Thus, this Christmas, remember those who’ve not had the opportunity to receive this power of love.  Understand one in six children live below the poverty level. 1.6 million children are homeless and represent 38% of the entire homeless population. Somewhere in your neighborhood, there is an elderly man or woman who believes they are alone.

Together, we have the power to reach unto those in need.  While shopping for the holiday, drop a toy in the collection box, pay someone’s monthly heating bill or sit and listen to their life story. There is nothing like the power of listening. All of these souls have the same right to kiss their dreams just as you or I. Awake from the slumber, come to them as a friends. Regardless of fault, each person is worth knowing.

While I lost my love to my own ego, I look through the forest onto Lake Champlain and I hope somewhere she searches for me.  Regardless, were she here, we would embrace the community and acknowledge a power greater than any CEO.

All of us can be the Christ in another’s life.

Live … love … offer peace and comfort. That is what God’s love is all about. It is very Buddhist and very Christ-like.

And to Ms. K. … Merry Christmas … wherever you may be.

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