THE JOY OF BEING HUMAN

BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO SPIRIT

I am honored and greatly pleased to find myself on Medium in the company of fellow travelers in this life who with intelligence and commitment search for and speak of Truth. I am here to learn, and you, my friends, teach me. Thank you.

Now, am I learning? Yes, I am happy to say. We search together for the same thing, the Truth of our journey here, in this life. And, it is a joy.

Oh, yes, of course, there are difficulties for all of us, but that is the source of much learning. None of this is easy. No one said it would be, as we agreed before this birth to this journey.

We chose to be who and “when” we are on this planet. We agreed to be in each others company, and in the company of others, who challenge us with what seems to be deprived, selfish ignorance.

We are here to be a benefit to all of our fellow travelers, although there are often times we wish some of “they” weren’t around. We benefit each other, while we occasionally cuss some of our companions in this school.

None of this experience is by accident, or in error. We work at remembering, or at least accepting, why we chose to be who and where we are.

Some of you know exactly what I mean.

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I confess that I say these things largely for an apparent selfish reason. Writing is a way for me to hear the inner voice of the Spirit of Truth that inhabits by grace every one of us.

This is not to pretend, much as I would like, that all I write comes from the Spirit of Truth. I can only hope that some little piece of what I say might be influenced by that Spirit, which is gracious enough to at least teach me through some of these words.

Will this be published? I do no yet know. Much of what I write is not. We will see.

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I came in from my deck overlooking Aransas Bay a short while ago. My not so quiet contemplation during my time out there stirs something in me that I need to digest, thus I write.

I came in feeling pleasure to be Rip Parker, a not terribly bright or spiritually informed man in the later years of his life, but one thing I am learning, and that is to accept him for exactly who he is.

Since this is good learning for me, I like to presume the same is true for you, i.e., self acceptance, even pleasure in being who you are.

I’ve found that most of my long life I have spent feeling guilt for uncertain reasons. Guilt is inherent in our culture I think largely due to institutional religious brain washing us into stupid concepts of “original sin”, etc.,and totally missing the truth Jeshua brought us.

Worry not, I am not a a “Christian” evangelist. The truth Jesus (Jeshua) brought us in his good news of the Gospel has little to nothing to do with what the institution attempts to push upon us so it can have power over us.

He never claimed to be God, only Son of God, and he did his best to show us we all, everyone, are son’s and daughters of man and God. This feels pretty good to me. No reason for guilt.

In this societal atmosphere, it is not easy to accept the fact he thought us regarding a universe, and beyond, of total LOVE, without judgement. This is his true Gospel good news.

Damn, this world we agreed to come to sure doesn’t make it easy to fully accept the truth, but that is the point. No one said it would be easy to accept the Truth, and to live it.

I remind us that Jesus was not the only one to tell us this Truth of love in his words and his life. Love is inclusive, never exclusive. Those who egotistically, and wrongly try to tell us that “Jesus is the only way” just don’t get it.

I sometimes wonder why he doesn’t just slam them down, but Love doesn’t work that way. My humanness causes me to think sometimes more in the way of most humans, in the way of violence.

This readily demonstrates how much more I must learn, so that I am no longer tempted to judgement and violence as an answer. It is not.

I can see my friend Jeshua smile and roll his eyes that I still allow human inclinations to spontaneously dictate my emotions. Hang on Buddy. I’m a bit slow, but as you know I am learning, as are we all, many not as slowly as I.

Huxley’s Perineal Philosophy spells it out. He gets it. Every corner of the world has those who find the Truth inscribed on their hearts, regardless of the religious impositions they face. We will meet them on the other side.

Many proud “Evangelicals” have some real surprises coming their way, and may be escorted to special remedial classes on the other side, and sent back to try to do it better, dispelling the heavy burden of karma they have chosen to take on.

I know, that sounds like judgement. Maybe it is. If so, I am forgiven. I am not the brightest bulb on the billboard, so I’m cut a little slack, thank You. And, so are you. Guilt is not allowed between us.

It is still a pretty good job for me to dispel feelings of guilt that comes upon me for no particular reason. Sure I make mistakes, we all do, but our assignment is to recognize them, learn, and walk away.

Even Jesus cursed and killed a fig tree for failing to feed him when out of season. I suspect he later regretted that, and did it only once, as far as we know.

He carried the great power of mastery over the material world. It is good I do not. I’d end up killing more than an innocent fig tree. Yep, the Almighty knows what they are doing.

Yes, “they”. Although the Source is not “him”, but is All (… male and female they created, as well as all else) the Source is All and also One.

Damn it, I’ve gone to preaching. I am NOT one to tell you what to think or do. Listen to YOUR heart, not my words. There I go again, telling you what to do.

Oh well, that’s just Rip. No guilt here, folks, and no forgiveness asked. I have it already, thank you.

Since this unintended sermon is about to get out of hand, I leave it as is. Don’t know about you, but I feel better.

Sleep well, and KNOW WITHOUT DOUBT, you are loved “just as you are”. (Remember Billy Joel sang about that in one of my favorites of his songs.)

As sons and daughters of man and woman and of God, let us kick back, and have a little fun. Why not?