Think critically, live simply, and love always...

As I sit here at my key board, as I have more times than I can count, it is 5:45AM. The sun still is threatening to rise and the moon can still be seen. This time of day has its own blissfulness about, in a way that seems as though one is still dreaming, and the world is about to begin again, for the first time again. It is quiet outside, except for the two dogs in the neighbors yard that bark for me to come over. Sometime when the neighbors are gone, I’ll throw cold hot dogs over the fence. They don’t feed those dogs very well, and have almost no contact with them. It saddens me. They are beautiful animals, but are slowly learning to not trust humans. I thought that right was only reserved for us. I suppose that thought is a lot like us humans, totally self centered.

But this time of the day is where I do most of my soul thoughtfulness thinking, and where life seems complicated the most, but the solutions seem easier. The simplicity of a life lived where one works and learns and raises their children to love, and to know that love is the core value in life, not gain of any kind, is the true value and gain. Gain is what makes life complicated. Striving for gain is when the world goes to war. Not just the kind of wars like what is going on in Iraq, those poor souls, but it is the gain that is fought over in our neighborhoods, work places, schools, clubs, and churches. We are searching for gain in property, and seeking gain in stature, in pride, in financial security (ignoring the teachings of Jesus), and in prestige. We want to be financially secure, spiritually secure, and socially secure. And, in searching for those gains, we turn to outer, or peripheral, judgment and measures to build a foundation of the pursuit of this gain; through politics, church, family, money, or status.

By involving ones self in these external dependences we fall into the trap of thinking our problems in life are external in the first place. Truthfully, our reliance on our own ability to fulfill our divine potential is far greater than having a retirement plan, or a great deal of property. Retirement plans can go out of operation at anytime. Money can go as easily as it came, or even more so. Property, when it comes down to it, can be claimed by our federal government at anytime for any untold reason. Status, reputation, and class are always a few days away from each other. If a man looses his fortune, his friends forget him. If a man gains a fortune, he forgets his friends. It is a never ending battle of backwards and forwards. Living simply doesn’t mean thinking simply, or being simple in ones religion or ethics. The relationship that a person has with themselves pertaining to an external divine intervention, which translates internally through the transcendence of conversion must come not simply. This is a lesson that I have learned the hard way. Although I do not contend my conversion, it was done simply. Issues of righteousness were cut and dry, black and white, light and dark. Although the base of Christianity is to be the dichotomy of living in the light and escaping the dark, issues of righteousness can deem to be complicated. Some say simply, I read, I obey, I die, I live. While others might say; read what? Obey what? Die how? Live when? Being holy isn’t just abstaining from sin, but in fact requires acts of righteousness. “Isn’t that the same?” No it is not. According to the teachings of the Great Master, our best obedience is to offer mercy to those who don’t seem to deserve it. That is the second actually, the first, according to the scripture is to love your fellow Christian with all you life, living and in death. This is what the whole scripture is about.

The simplicity is that God wants us to do only two things, Love Him, and Love your neighbor. Both of these are defined by the entire bible. That is where the critical thought comes from. One MUST educate your self as much as possible, and rely on your faith as it is at the time in which it manifest itself. My faith today is totally different than what it was 20, 15, 10, and 5 years ago. 26 years ago, I was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins. 26 years ago, I didn’t know what sin was. In fact, I was quite naive for many years after that in many ways. I have always wanted a simple life, craved it in fact, but, I have never allowed that to happen. Then, 18 years ago, I was baptized again, for the first time, again. This time it was a true conversion. But still, even to this day it is hard to relax. For some reason, I carry the weight of the world around my neck, as if to yoke myself into slavery of concern. The beauty that is Earth, and all things created are rarely enjoyed, in my case, because I am deeply concerned for the well being of my fellow man. This complicates my thinking and heart tremendously. I rage at the injustices that transacts in this world. I loath with passion the abuse of religion that transpires day to day; using God as the reason to have your holy war, when in truth, no war is holy. No cause for war is holy, and reasons for death in masse are not holy nor justified. Yet, we have our titles and our ideals, and idols, in which we justify war (as an example). To many, this issue of war is simple, and the reasons are sound, this is what I call simplex sentential complectus.

We want our wars to be simple; to be issues of light and dark, black or white, but they are not. At the end of the last century (starting with the Spanish American War), life and reason became play things to the extremely wealthy, and joining financial bodies began to pull the harp strings of the western world. This is what has lead us to so many of our conflicts, including WWII. These issues are so complex, and have so many avenues of venture, that it is almost impossible to get the “BIG” picture. But the example of WWII is a good one. The case was that Hitler wanted to rule the world, and we had to stop him. That is a very simplistic outlook on that particular war, but yet, when asked, so many people will generate that particular opinion. The truth of the matter is that it was in every participants best financial interest to go to war. There is far too much detail to try to explain this any further, but the point is, it is not so simple as to putting a stop to Hitler.

Today there are many of the same types of thought processes. I have met people who take our current president at face value. 5 minutes of internet research can tell you that this is ignorance and a desire to live and think simplistically at its finest. Oh how easy life would be if all of our politicians were so righteous as George Walker Bush. How cut and dry life would be. It is easy to pick a side in life when issues are simple, black and white, light and dark as it were. The problem is that type of thinking leads to a malignant apathy towards all people Iraqi. Should we continue our war in Iraq? Yes! Those people need us and democracy to lead them into a better life! Right? Oh, if only things were that simple. The US Military has killed over 700,000 Iraqi soldiers and citizens since 2003. That isn’t mercy, that’s annihilation; murder in masse. We are commanded to obey the demands of Christ, which is to LOVE our enemies. Regardless of the outcome, we should have been giving the Iraqis all that it needs in order to live life in a Christian way. “What about Suddam?” Again, the issue is not so simplistic. However, true change comes by conversion, and if you want to change the world, then convert it. That extremely complicated task, is really the simple answer to the problem. The Christian life is simple, and yet complicated. The concepts of pleasing God are simple, but getting to that position can be a complicated path.

No longer should we try to be simple in our thinking…trying to live life in embracing simple thoughtfulness. It is not until we can use all of our brains, and think critically, can life and its decisions become quite simple. And that will always lead you to love. So, in the interim, “Think Critically, live simply, and love always…”