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Jonathots Daily Blog
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Flops, failures and flunk-outs.
I learned more from these than from any blessing that ever came my way.
I shall be candid and tell you that I’ve garnered practically nothing from success—except that it tends to make me over-rate my ability.
I knew a fellow.
We were acquainted with each other for twenty-seven years. Sometimes we were friends; other occasions, enemies. It was always spicy.
He died thirteen years ago.
Yesterday he came to my memory, and I realized that for all intents and purposes, nobody knows about R. B. I think even his family may have allowed his image to slip from their minds.
I learned a lot from him. (Mostly through those aforementioned flops, failures and flunk-outs.)
But there were times that were rich with emotion.
And all the encounters were chocked full of experience.
I’d like to take a while to tell you about that twenty-seven-year journey, one story at a time. They won’t be long—and I certainly hope, not tedious.
If they end up being boring, it’s only because I failed to tell them well.
But at the end of our journey—whenever that happens—I hope we will share the value of learning instead of just assuming.
For the sake of his privacy, we shall refer to him as R. B.
The first time I encountered him was right after I finished writing a musical…
Jonathots Daily Blog
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“Make it shorter.”
“Fewer words, please.”
“No one will read anything that long.”
“How about just a tweet?”
I, for one, believe there’s a certain amount of charm in finding fewer words to express ideas. But sometimes, we just want less because we don’t want to hear more.
I smile when I hear writers begin articles with, “There’s so much to say…”
There may be much to say, but there’s a great need to scrunch it together and pitch it to the American public in a way that mingles thoughtfulness and good cheer.
You may or may not agree. But even though I realize great books have taken hundreds of chapters and billions of words to express eternal ideas, I must tell you, the appetite is gone for such mental munching.
So I need to be concise. Like:
The minute I start adding an explanation to this, I will probably lose my audience.
Another example:
Once your head stops spinning from the overuse of the word “mean,” maybe you’ll get a good chuckle. But will it inspire you to stop being nasty to the world around you?
How about this?
That may get a few “oohs and ahhs” from readers. But absent the recitation of the history of war’s futility, it might fall on deaf ears.
I did find one exception. It’s a premise that needs no explanation—an idea that does not require a series of verified testimonials.
Of all the things that have ever been said and all the things that have ever been written, this is the only principle that really needs to be followed.
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”
For the sake of our discussion today, let us transform it:
We all need mercy. It’s why we invented the phrase, “unconditional love.” But you see, love without mercy is not only conditional, but is doomed to be temporary.
Mercy is what love becomes when we find out the truth about each other.
I love the definition of mercy:
No word sums up the basic daily, fluid need of the human race more than mercy.
Love works beautifully when mercy is honored.
But love becomes discontented, frustrated and wounded if judgment is used instead of mercy.
It disappeared for a while during the Dark Ages.
Inkles of it sprouted to the surface, welcoming in the Renaissance.
Rephrased, it showed up in a document proposing freedom: “All men are created equal.”
Another hundred years and it’s found in an inauguration speech: “With malice toward none and charity for all.”
But only mercy has the power to open the world to the freedom of living a lifespan without being killed in a war.
Isn’t that amazing?
Throughout the entire history of humankind, there were always wars to interrupt the lifespan of young men who might have lived to be old and wise but perished in combat.
Mercy does not allow our enemies to walk over the top of us—but mercy is fully aware that in defeating them, we more than likely will have to live with them afterwards. We should act accordingly.
There is no statement that is better suited to the human race: “give mercy, get mercy.”
Give mercy to the Earth and protect Mother Nature. You will get mercy.
Give mercy to your husband or wife and you will get mercy.
Give mercy to the animal kingdom and only deplete their ranks by what you absolutely need. You will get mercy.
Give mercy to your enemies for their clumsy attempts to frighten you. You will get mercy.
This is our universal slogan: Give mercy, get mercy.
And because we choose mercy, when pain and harm come our way and we are due punishment, she has permission to step in and save us.
Jonathots Daily Blog
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Now and then I come across someone or something that I believe to be inadequately named by the New Oxford Dictionary.
This week I’ve been thinking about “hero.” Everyone has an image in mind when they hear the term, but we do not really have a word for people who are not heroes, but thump their chests, proclaiming themselves to be.
So I would like to offer my word for such a person:
A hero is an individual who rises to the occasion and is adequately surprised and humbled by the positive results.
A hego is a person who fails to deliver, but still insists that he* did the job.
A hero doesn’t promise, but still provides.
A hego fails and claims he never promised.
A hero considers the responsibility before agreeing to try.
A hego assumes there is nothing he can’t do.
A hego believes he is the most qualified without ever searching.
A hero demands no reward.
A hego needs the reward to confirm his worth.
A hero carries his cross.
A hego places his cross on another.
A hego exaggerates because he must be perceived as great.
Whether in politics, business, entertainment or religion, each path requires a certain amount of honor. When this is provided, a hero can emerge. When it’s ignored and shortcuts are sought, a hego is hatched.
A hero gives of himself.
A hego uses others.
A hero fears being a coward and ends up brave.
A hego believes himself brave and ends up a coward.
A hero steps back.
A hego pushes forward.
A hego asks the friend to perform the sacrifice.
A hero seeks peace.
A hego yearns for war.
Bluntly, we could consider the hego to be an exercise in foolishness except for the fact that when our enemies know that we no longer respect the role of a hero, they are more likely to attack whomever has become our latest hego.
A hero believes in others.
A hego believes in himself.
It is my heart that America needs a hero, or maybe two. For after all, we are well-staffed with the hego.
*he or she
Jonathots Daily Blog
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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G-Pop loves the Gospel.
Not because it’s religious, but because it’s good news. And good news always has a market, an audience and a possibility.
Many religious people think the Gospel is Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the world. This is the invitation to salvation, not the solution to human conflict. After all, you can have seven billion baptised believers in the crucifixion who still want to kill each other.
The power of the Gospel is the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
For years, it has been honored as a sacred oracle, and even though tarnished, attacked and ridiculed, it stood the test of time–the only hope for us getting along with each other.
Then came 2016.
Under the masquerade of a Presidential election, the Republicans, Democrats, press, pundits and lobbyists worked together to dismantle the integrity and power of the Golden Rule. Through countless proclamations, we were told that “loving your neighbor as yourself” was too weak a position to defeat ISIS, negotiate Syria, overcome racism or eliminate terrorism.
You and I were there for it. It was televised nightly–a four-step process:
It was a macho, self-righteous belief that the “exceptionalism of America” means that we have a duty to view ourselves as superior to the rest of the world.
Both political parties utilized the platform, abandoning the Golden Rule in favor of alleged “brass balls.”
What is G-Pop telling his children?
What is our mission in 2017?
Get out there and renegotiate the Golden Rule.
Yes, the Golden Rule is under siege.
For thousands of years, it has prevented us from dissolving the human race
The Golden Rule is still gold.
It just needs people who will continue to tout its value.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
Jonathots Daily Blog
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What type of government would Jesus have preferred? Wasn’t the early church basically a communist organization? Is there one form of government that represents Christian principles more than another?
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
He continued by saying that if his kingdom were of this world, then his disciples would need to fight.
Government, politics and nationalism always establish a foundation with a flag flying–which then needs to be preserved and protected. This creates natural allies, and of course, enemies.
Jesus’ premise was simple: Wherever you place your devotion is where you will be devoted.
Makes sense, right?
So if the teachings of Jesus only worked in a democracy, with a capitalistic style of commerce, then nearly 70% of the world would be left out.
On the other hand, if Jesus had favored socialism and an even-handed distribution of funds to the masses, then the initiative to excel and do better for oneself would have been discouraged.
So Jesus promoted a lifestyle which excels under every form of government, because it does not need a particular climate.
Christianity has survived everything–from revolution, to renovation, to renaissance, to reformation–even to the threat of annihilation. Why?
Because Jesus said the kingdom of God is within us.
Each believer is a self-motivating, self-governing and self-aware “nation.” So we make our own decisions without having to express loyalty to politics or society.
To pull this off, there are three laws by which we maintain the “congress” inside ourselves:
1. No one is better than anyone else.
We don’t need a government to tell us what is acceptable or forbidden. It can be lived out through our actions.
2. Don’t worry.
The elimination of the fear of the future gives us the energy to shape our tomorrow.
3. Go the second mile.
The worst enemy of any culture is mediocrity. It’s when we begin to believe that our lesser efforts are sufficient.
You can take these three principles and live them out in any culture.
So Jesus is not a Republican, a Democrat, a socialist or a capitalist.
He is of the belief that meekness (adaptability) enables us to inherit the Earth.
The producers of Jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
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A voice writing in the wilderness
Jonathots Daily Blog 
