Alright, I guess I'm back. This blogging is too addictive.
SHOCKER
This may not be news to some, but I just got a shocker a few weeks ago. I'm still reeling from it. I posted on someone's blog and got a response. The response was something like: good luck trying to convince black folks that they have a big part in God's plan. That many will SAY that God is colorless, but are stuck on a sistine chapel picture.
That really saddened me. More particularly the first part I mentioned.
I guess it would take a hammer to just keep bashing at 'em until folks understand how important they are?
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CHAGRIN
Much to my chagrin, I have been doing A LOT of research, reading, studying, questioning before coming to alot of the conclusions I've come up with. Thank God, its all been from Jewish sources.
So, imagine my flabberghastedness (lol) when my new favorite blogger Domino introduced me to this website that basically said alot of what I had discovered. That, plus, hearing what kabbalists are saying, what i've got is nothing new! Well, why didn't anybody just up and tell me these things? Why did I have to do so much research to get to it?! lol.
At any rate, I do come with a different angle. And so, I suppose that is my purpose.
If you don't know what I"m talking about, skip it.
I'm chagrined about because, on the negative side, my ego was slightly blunted when I realized, I wasn't the first to discover these things. But at the same time, my interest and joy was peaked because I felt somewhat validated.
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At any rate, I hope I make sense.
More importantly, I hope that commentor was wrong and that there are many black folks who know that they have worth and that God loves them like all his other creations. Wouldn't it be weird to have a racist God?! Goodness gracious!
9 comments:
Miriam: "good luck trying to convince black folks that they have a big part in God's plan.
Miriam, that's an interesting statement.
Well, if "black folks" have a "big part in God's plan" it seems only reasonable to assume that they're participating in that "plan" whether they're "convinced" of it or not.
In other words, being "convinced" of it, is not a prerequiste in order to participate.
Now, I ask: What is this great and wonderful plan that God has cooked up for us?
What if He has no plan at all? What then?
Maybe, just maybe, He put us here for us to come up with a Plan All On Our Own.
And since He has no prescribed purpose for us to carry out, then ANY plan we come up with, is just fine with Him. Maybe, just maybe, He has NO preference at all in the matter.
Hmmmmm. I like it when you say, Hmmmm.
And God's color? Hmmmm? What is the color of Love. I say that it's a rich blue, my favorite color.
What is your color of Love?
God is everything seen, and everything not seen.
I know I'm sounding a bit flip here, and I don't mean to.
@Miriam: "I hope that commentor was wrong and that there are many black folks who know that they have worth and that God loves them like all his other creations. Wouldn't it be weird to have a racist God?! Goodness gracious!"
I had to bring that full quote in just to have it near me as wrote my response.
Slavery trampled upon our worth and value as human beings. Chattel? How close that sounds to "cattle."
We weren't considered too much more important than "cattle." It all came down to what price we could fetch.
Slaves turned to religion, and in this case, the white man's religion (which the white man felt was just fine, because he could point to Biblical references that called for slaves to be obedient to their masters) to validate their worth.
In was from there that many of the old Negro Spritual's sprung, and God's promise to free the slaves as He had the Israelites in bondage.
"Go down Moses, way down in Egypt land, tell ol' Pharoah, let my people go."
The Bible confirmed their worth, and bolstered their hope, that if God could free those slaves in Egypt, He could, and would, free them.
Can you imagine the jubilation, and the slaves' assurance of God's Love when emancipation finally arrived and ol' Pharaoh was defeated: thousands died in that civil war that had slavery at the heart of it.
God, in His less than sublime state, is all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly, to borrow a line from the movie of that name.
There's nothing that He's not, since He's All Of It.
"Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is One Lord."
The last time I checked, there's no two in One.
In His sublime state: He's Purer than pure, Holier than holy, and more Perfect than perfect.
"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity...."
And He's no more a racist, than I'm a racist, or you're a racist.
And let's just say for the sake of argument that God is a racist: Why in God's name would He make us to be spat on because of our color, or Jews, for that matter, as they've certainly seen their share of misery.
It would take one cruel God to create some that He favored, and some that He didn't favor as much, all for the purpose that those He did favor would have a go at those He didn't favor.
Namaste
Hi Domino,
Domino said:
Well, if "black folks" have a "big part in God's plan" it seems only reasonable to assume that they're participating in that "plan" whether they're "convinced" of it or not.
Yes. They are surely participating in that plan. Just that I think there are two ways to go about a mission. You can go the route of bump-in-cars, in which you keep going left until you hit a wall, then turn right... keep going that way until you meet the wall again. Thus, by default one will fulfill their mission.
Or, living more consciously, willingly, and actively. By knowing the path and through faith and prayer kinda change the roads as well.
Its not so much "convincing" I think its more awareness in the heart that I hope for in BW.
Maybe, just maybe, He put us here for us to come up with a Plan All On Our Own.
Which goes back to living consciously.
What is your color of Love?
I never thought about it. I seem to have been giving my girls alot of yellow and purple. Maybe those are my favorite color.
Blue is an interesting color! There is a lot written about the color blue! I never really thought which is my favorite. I have to think on that.
Just for one thing, Jews are supposed to wear fringes on their garment and one of the strands of the fringes is supposed to be blue.
In His sublime state: He's Purer than pure, Holier than holy, and more Perfect than perfect.
Another concept I learned, was that in one realm there is God. 100% and nothing else. As we descend into our "world" things seem separate. It is there -where there is apparent division- that purity and impurity plays a role.
It would take one cruel God to create some that He favored, and some that He didn't favor as much, all for the purpose that those He did favor would have a go at those He didn't favor.
I'll say!
Thanks!
God has plans for all of us! Glad to see you back Miriam!
@felicity: "God has plans for all of us!"
Trust me Felicity: it's not my purpose to be confrontational.
But for the longest we have been told and we have assumed that God has a Plan for us.
You know what, I have no clue what that Plan is. And I have given these things a lot of thought over the years.
I'd just like to throw out something here for us both to think about.
You know how many people I meet online and offline, who are still seeking to know what God's Plan is for them?
Why would God develop a Plan for each of us, and don't tell us what that Plan is?
How would we ever carry out a Plan with which we have no knowledge?
Don't you think that, if such a Plan existed, a loving God and Father would let His children in on it?
Maybe God's Plan was to create No Plan At All, but to turn that responsibility over to us.
Just a thought.
I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on the subject.
Seriously!
Namaste
@Miriam: "Thus, by default one will fulfill their mission."
Interesting thought Miriam. You give things a surprising twist.
But we're both assuming that such a Mission exists in the first place.
Will someone here please help me!
What is the Mission? What is the Plan?
Since it's been my life-long goal to please God, tell me what is His Plan for me?
Is it "salvation?"
Why would God create conditions for me from which I would need to be saved?
Remember, He created All Of This.
Is it "enlightenment?"
Why, then, would God create me with a benighted mind, and tell me to become enlightened?
Is it to be a good person who must seek Him night and day?
Then, if that is the case, why did He create me so that I'd have to make the choice?
Why not make me good to begin with, and guarantee that I seek Him?
Oh, He wanted to give me the choice to seek Him or not to seek Him, to be good or not be good.
Why?
Or, living more consciously, willingly, and actively. By knowing the path...."
I like the living more consciously, willingly and actively (a great idea), but Miriam, for what purpose?
@Miriam:
As we descend into our "world" things seem separate. It is there -where there is apparent division- that purity and impurity plays a role.
You're being wisely taught. But what role does All The Division play?
Clearly, here in the world of relativity, one thing exists because of another.
Short and tall, cold and hot, rich and poor, female and male.
But to what purpose?
And what of time? It's not a dyad. It's a tryad. We have yesterday, today, and tomorrow; that is, we think in terms of the past, the present, and the future.
And what of space? It's not a dyad. It's another tryad.
We think in terms of here, there, and everything in between, which is neither here nor there.
I'm not being confrontational: just asking.
Blue resonates with my soul. Why? No reason: it just does.
@Miriam:
"I seem to have been giving my girls alot of yellow and purple."
Isn't purple the color of royalty? You can't start too soon reminding them of Who They Really Are. *smile*
I pray I haven't ruffled anyone's feathers. I only have love for All.
Namaste
Hi Domino,
Domino said:
Trust me Felicity: it's not my purpose to be confrontational.
I am nervous to do this, but I feel I must interject here. When I go to christian bloggers, I don't try to raise doubts to the readers w/questions. Perhaps this is not the strong approach, but it is my approach.
I get a bit nervous that you are questioning someone's belief system. And at my home at that. I can not gauge where someone is holding and so I won't cast doubts in their hearts lest I derail anyone. I feel that when folks are ready to question, they will -if they even need to.
Not sure why I get protective of my readers,but I do. and That is that. I have to be okay with that. But I don't want you to feel stifled!
In fact, I go daily to your blog to read and learn! And I welcome your visits and comments. I just get nervous when it seems questioning on an 'other' that I can't vouch for.
Please forgive this and please respect it.
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re: Mission. It is not necessary that you believe that we have a mission. I do.
What that mission is is a bit more difficult to admit to LOL. But with a purposeful God -it would seem logical that His creation has a purpose.
According to Judaism -and again I am a learner, NOT A TEACHER- the purpose is simply to serve God. To recognize and enjoy His kingship and to develop awe in Him.
In order to do that He had to create creation -which He did, in His manner. To get into why more deeply, I think you really have to ask Him.
Well, throw some free will into the mix and you have what we have today.
Why not make me good to begin with, and guarantee that I seek Him?
He did. You are! Do you not seek Him?
It seemed that we -mankind- chose a harder path by choosing the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Kinda like selecting level 3 in a game before we even mastered level 1.
Clearly, here in the world of relativity, one thing exists because of another.
Short and tall, cold and hot, rich and poor, female and male.
But to what purpose?
That we not go nuts when we figure out that its all God. That we are and everything is all part of Him.
If everything remained -or appeared I should say- one with God. God 100% life would be as before creation.
I don't think its the most thrilling thing that God did -hence His not saying "and it was good" on day two. (at the symbolic start of separation and divisions). But it was necessary to create the scenario of free will.
From what I learned, when the Almighty created man in His image: its like first I make an image of myself. Then I send it down to the world. As it descends into more coarser world (two top realms, then the world of thought, then world of speech, then world of action)it becomes more and more divided.
To the point that even God's attributes are divided into parts. (kindness, Strength, Harmony, etc)
On their "way down" these can be seen as separating lights. i.e. first just two attributes, then three, then four...until we get 10.
Time is also a creation for this realm. I haven't read too deeply on that. But the way time is seen is like a spiral.
If you take the "time telescope" and peer into the hole, adjusting it for May 22nd. You'd see all the May 22nds that ever existed.
Not too unlike groundhog day. But not quite! Some say its basically the six days of creation spead out into thousands of years.
I'll have to do more research to get a better answer.
Why, then, would God create me with a benighted mind, and tell me to become enlightened?
Interesting, because in that website about the pineal gland, I was reading about how kids START OFF with lots of melatonine in their pineal glands, but it gets reduced as we grow. Not sure what that is all about.
BTW-sorry i'm answering scattered. I think I"m tired.
re: space. I learned that in the spiritual realm there is no space. To get closer to something, the thing just resembles it more.
Where as here, because of our thickness, coarseness, materialness, etc., we require time and space. Another topic I need to explore more.
Thanks!
@Miriam:
"When I go to christian bloggers, I don't try to raise doubts to the readers w/questions. Perhaps this is not the strong approach, but it is my approach.
And you should stick to your approach.
I regret putting you in a situation where you felt compel to exercise caution.
I won't do it again. You're right: this is your Home, and I should be on my best behavior while here.
I also extend my apologies to Felicity, just in case she found my approach offensive, or inappropriate.
Regardless of my purpose, it was not good enough, or strong enough, to risk hurting, or trampling upon the beliefs of others.
@Miriam: "Please forgive this and please respect it."
There's nothing to forgive, and, believe me, I do respect it.
I value the bloggers' relationship that we have developed and would do nothing to damage that.
@Miriam:
It seemed that we -mankind- chose a harder path by choosing the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Kinda like selecting level 3 in a game before we even mastered level 1.
I like that unique way you have of stating things.
@Miriam:
"What that mission is is a bit more difficult to admit to LOL. But with a purposeful God -it would seem logical that His creation has a purpose."
I agree: His creation has a purpose--an indispensable one-- designed by a God of Purpose with a Purpose.
@Miriam:
"If everything remained -or appeared I should say- one with God. God 100% life would be as before creation...."
An astute point.
You're being taught well. The absolute (where everything is One Thing), apparently did not suit God or us, or we would have remained there in the forever.
"As it descends into more coarser world (two top realms, then the world of thought, then world of speech, then world of action)it becomes more and more divided."
I have read this description before of the descendent process, and it's a valid way of viewing those various passages.
@Miriam:
"But the way time is seen is like a spiral."
It has been described as such, not linear at all.
You have a most amazing way of expressing a thing, and I'm blessed to be a recipient of your unique viewpoint.
And I have learned from you. Thanks.
Namaste
In regards to an earlier discussion (Shockers and Chagrins)--
as far as God's Plan in all its particulars-- well, let's just say there's a lot more we don't know that what we do. Recently I asked a teacher of mine, who is a master of Kabbalah, why there are so many people in China. We got into a long discussion, involving some of the basic components of why the world is like it is, and why it became this way based on several climactic events in history, and the final answer as far as China was-- we don't really know.
Nevertheless, we can certainly glean glimmers of the Divine Plan. It's a delicate balance-- a basic component of the way the world functions can be called the law of the preservation of free will. And yet, of course God revealed, to a certain degree, aspects of his purpose which underlie and inform the historical process. Yet, because of the law of the preservation of free will, it's probably not going to bash you on the head like a two-by-four.
The basic component of the plan, as according to a Kabbalistic reading of the Torah, is the Messianic ideal. The rectification of reality and bringing the world back to an uplifted state (although perhaps more accurately this could be called its real, proper state) is the fuel behind the whole historical process which was basically initiated by Adam when he did what he did. This is the principle that underlies the six thousand years of history, until the seventh millenium and onwards.
The Torah, the way we see it, was given because mankind couldn't do it by itself. It needed a file of sorts which, once in the world, would make the process of rectification inevitable.
Of course the Torah was given to the Jewish people, but it effects and is involved in the rectification of all of mankind and the whole universe. Really, nothing is left out.
Basically the healing and unification of the world is the Plan in general. And from there you have details.
To call the plan a plan just alludes to the truth that informing all occurrences, great and small, is Divine wisdom. God multitasks infinitely.
Of course, we can never really get out of the plan. This actually involves some of the greatest mysteries. Basically, the paradox between Divine knowledge and our free will is resolved when we realize that the Divine Plan and how it manifests is multitiered, so to speak-- it has various levels. And how these levels interact and form a unity is basically beyond us.
By talking about a plan we are really saying that God is purposeful, this existence is purposeful, everything that happens is purposeful.
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