Who Do I Think I Am?

"What you will hear in your ear, in the other ear proclaim from your rooftops. After all, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, nor does one put it in a hidden place. Rather, one puts it on a lampstand so that all who come and go will see it's light."

Jesus (The Man)

...And a word to my detractors out there: Where are you? Shouldn't somebody be saying "Hey, who do you think you are?" "You think you can preach your fluffy new age beliefs to me?" "I don't need a lecture from some social drop out!" These are just some ideas, you can make them your own or come up with something original I don't mind. But it would really help if someone out there would give me a piece of their mind, set me straight, knock me off of my high horse. I mean really, who do I think I am? Some kind of preachy prophet who thinks he knows everything spiritual?

Yup. I happen to have a spirit of my own, he's my man on the inside, my informer. He's not really a "he" or a "her" it's complicated, but not really. All that matters is that I have a good connection and it's primo stuff, not that "over the counter" stuff you get in churches, mosques, and synagogues. I even know the source, it's very hard to get an audience with the source but we go way back, to the dawn of time. I shouldn't even be telling you this but I'm actually related to the source, please keep this on the down low, it's super secret hush hush.

But here's where it gets kinda kinky, we're all related to the source. You, reading this, you too have a connection to the source. No, not through me, I'm not that reliable. You have a soul too! And your soul has an all access pass to the universe. You're soul is totally chillin' backstage right now eating from the deluxe fruit tray the caterers put on every table. I know you have some questions for the source but don't expect your soul to ask a bunch of bothersome questions. I mean, the source gets that all the time and must really tire of it after a while. So sure, all you have here on earth is your general admission pass and you didn't get the best seats for the big show, so what?

So don't let anyone tell you that you don't know enough about religion to espouse your spiritual philosophies. Tell them that they know too much about religion and not enough about spirituality. And don't let anyone tell you that you cannot give a lecture on the subject of the day, university professors are not the only ones who can bore people to death with their special knowledge. No one needs to hide behind a bible, a lectern, or a doctorates degree to speak their own truth. And if people don't like your preachy style or messiah complex remind them that Jesus said we are not to hide our light under a basket, but to let all who come and go see it, or hear it. But don't take my word for it, or Jesus's word, or anyone elses, go inside your self, your very own church, and listen to the sermon within.

I'm Johnny C. Wood, that's who I am!

The Book of You

Life on the earth plane is not just a series of events or a petri dish for some scientist in the heavens. Our lives begin with the context of the current moment and all of the aspects of the world we are incarnating into. From that time we begin our long sequence of experiences that shape and mold us day by day. We begin with the pain of birth, a pain so great no person can recall it later in life. This is followed immediately by the greatest joy of all, to be held in your mothers arms and make first eye contact with another soul. From there we are locked into the roller coaster of life with all of it's ups and downs and twists and turns.

When we are riding high we want to believe that we will enjoy uninterrupted upward movement, that things are getting better every day. But what goes up does come down and we find ourselves racing toward the bottom despite our will to grow and prosper and live happy and secure lives. Optimism would like to believe that we can live a life of only highs and that there is no limit to our joy and when things are going well we like to believe that our optimism is justified. But when things are not going well, when we are not happy or secure and things seem to be falling apart all around us, we fear that things are only getting worse and that there is no bottom and we will forever spiral downward in ultimate despair.

When we are experiencing the irrational exuberance of upward mobility we can use some cautionary wisdom to prepare us for the eventual crest and downward movement around the next corner. But it is when things seem to be spiraling out of our control and into a diminishing chaos that we actually seek out some insight or inspiring message to get us through the cold, dark winter of our discontent. The weight of the world and all of our burdens are so heavy sometimes we think we should simply end the journey to escape the pain and suffering. Even if you have never considered suicide or experienced the bitter taste of depression, you have found yourself asking "Why?" and felt that no answer can satisfy the query.

In these times it is necessary to step back from your life and see the bigger picture, and there is one analogy that can take you out of the dark corners of your despair and put you back in your soul seat for some much needed perspective. Life is just a book your soul is reading while it sits in a comfy chair by a warm fire. You are the main character, but alas, you are just a character in a book and your life is just a story. And no matter how cold and dark the night, no matter how poor, how hungry, how hurt, it is a really good book and your soul just can't put it down. When you are falling, when you are in pain and suffering, remember that you are actually your soul who is simply so caught up in this story that it feels real and it's lost in the character, you.

Perhaps your personal and professional life is going well but the world around you seems to be falling apart, sound familiar? Keeping up with world event can be an enormously stressful task, especially if you are actually a journalist who is required to know everything before the general public. And of course if your personal and professional life is in jeopardy and world events seem to be spinning out of control, the stress factor is thrice to tenfold what it may otherwise be. So apply this analogy to the news as you read the morning paper or ritualistically watch your trusted news source. The world in which we live is just a book you are reading, and no matter how hopeless it seems, it is an amazing story to read, absolutely brilliant.

This can be more than a book, any form of art can replace the book in this analogy. Life is a movie your soul is watching while eating juju bees and buttered popcorn. Life is a song your soul is listening to while it dances transfixed holding a lighter like a torch in the crowd. Life is a game your soul is playing and perhaps taking too seriously at times, forgetting it's just a game. The point remains the same, you are your soul whom is merely lost in your story, your role, your haunting melody. Someday the book ends, the song is over, and the credits role, and yet the story lives on, the song is still humming in the ears of those who shared the stage with you. But most importantly, you're still your soul, still reading books, watching movies, and listening to songs. Remember this and marvel at the beauty of your life.

Two Golden Rules

There is a widely accepted story of Jesus' life and times and it's ripe with symbolism. Christianity focuses on Jesus the character in such a way that many people fail to really see the context, the events surrounding his life. It's impossible to understand the life of Martin Luther King, or Martin Luther, without understanding the darkness their light was cast into. When good hearted people observe and undergo great wrong doing they experience a burden, like a weight being added to a load they must carry. It takes courage and conviction to confront those who harm others, and sometimes one must risk their very life to do the right thing. If you cannot find the strength to take your stand you go on carrying that burden as it slowly weighs you down.

Jesus was a working man who found himself and his community at the mercy of religious and imperial authorities, his homeland was under occupation from a strange and distant empire. He was brilliant and passionate and took time in his life for learning and teaching others and they sought out his wise council. And in this role he heard many stories and witnessed many events that gave him a perspective that few others had, he could see clearly the soul crushing force of church and state on the people they claimed to serve. Taxes and fees were imposed on the common man draining their very vitality, and the gold every person must trade bears the face of a conquerer.

When Jesus said "Give to Caeser what is Caeser's, and give to God what is God's" he was referring to both the concept of currency and to the material aspect of gold. Gold represents any coveted possession as it has always been a valuable commodity and worthy of trade for any item of significant quality. To mint coins in a ones own likeness and force the use of this currency is a nonviolent tyranny in itself. But it's also a contract in which one validates the conquerer by accepting his gold on his terms. When one uses a currency to buy anything they are also buying the institution that minted the currency, and the ruler and armies it represents. All of the gold always belongs to Caeser even when it's in your possession.

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas it was for money, Judas was not an evil soul who wished harm on his friend. But those who were of dark soul and cold heart used gold to tempt a weakened Judas to turn in his friend. Perhaps Judas was days away from losing his land, or his family had no food or clothes. The Roman empire was not unlike our modern American empire whose currency seems a blessing and a curse imposed on a world by military force. Much of the same lands occupied in biblical times are occupied today now by the American empire and of course Israel. Jesus the man would not be on the side of the military occupiers in the Israel/Palestine conflict but Jesus the god is slipping the occupiers nukes.

The classic golden rule as stated by Jesus in the book of Matthew says "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." But there is also a longstanding joke deemed the alternate golden rule "The one with the gold makes the rules." Cynical as the joke may be it is an interesting reality from the times of Jesus all through history up to today. Both of these golden rules remain as relevant and valid in the American empire as they were in the Roman and the British empires. And yet they are so different from each other, they seem to epitomize two opposing world views. One is based on fear and material wealth and the other on love, spiritual integrity, and respect for one's fellow man. Let the Caesers of the world take that cold lifeless metal from the ground, we shall turn our hearts to gold and be forever rich.