PoHymn: A Rustling in the Stagnant … March 16th, 2016

 Jonathots Daily Blog

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I Am Common

I am common

Don’t blow smoke

I can be an ass

Quell your sermon on esteem

Teach me to be honest

Escape the perils of self-worth

And find the worth of true self

I am common

One with all

All within my one

For snowflakes may be unique

But never travel alone

A drizzle, flurry, blizzard

Do you catch my drift?

I pursue no culture

Just human blood

I possess no country

Merely a searching soul

I see you

It is my mirror

For you are common, too

Separation creates the anger

Segregation invites the danger

Nationalism destroys our peace

Religion vacates the heart of compassion

I am common

No better, no worse

I believe, not bound by verse

I clear my eyes

To give window to my soul

I scourge my mind

So half can become whole

I am common

And so are you

The sooner we appreciate this

The quicker we will know

No one is better than anyone else

Please, help me grow

I am common

So I come as a man

Will you meet me in the middle?

Doing the best you can

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Fallen… February 21, 2013

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He crawled to my door, recently cast to earth by that which he considered to be god-like. He was a discombobulated mutation of the Gingerbread Man, Humpty Dumpty and a misfit toy. After twenty plus years of marriage, three children, late notices on bills, burned meat loaf and too few kisses, he found himself alone–abandoned by the other human soul who had promised to remain forever.

He was suddenly surrounded by ants, worms, dirt and spit-out gum. Like the ant, he was scurrying around to rediscover the picnic. As the worm, he was flat on his belly, sucking up the soil–and he was discarded, flavorless.

He and she were no longer we.

He was alone for the first time in over two decades and had no idea what to do. I am not so sure why he decided to seek me out. But years of handling such visitations have taught me the rules of operation: never bring an opinion–just a cup of coffee “to go” and two ears “to stay.”

He sat on the floor so as not to allow himself any further descent–and uttered the typical words: How could she do that? What did I do wrong? What are people going to think? What am I going to do now?

Even though these might sound like questions, they really aren’t. They are screams into the darkness, pleading for response but never remaining for an answer. It is important to remember that two words are absolutely forbidden during these excursions into the dark night of bewilderment: “God” and “the future.” Both of them seem too mean, too forbidding, too misunderstood and too impotent.

He is hurt. He presently does not possess faith, but is rather possessed by a smothering faithlessness. He doesn’t need quotations and does not require counsel. He doesn’t even really appreciate a flick of my eyebrow or an ill-placed, “I see.”

He is fallen. He will never rise again if he is not allowed to savor the moments of self-pity that generate the revelation of the true value of existing blessing.

We spend too much time criticizing those who have already been criticized. We are too eager to throw stones at those who have already been stoned. We sit in judgment over those who are precariously doomed to execution.

We lack the sensibility to remember what it is like to be fallen when we are standing on our own two feet, peering down at the hapless victim.

He will have better days. He may reconcile with his former love or he may not. But this is not a sickness unto death. Recuperation, however, demands that we allow people to crawl before they walk, and stroll before they run.

Sometimes “fallen” is the only way we actually become grounded.

Because dirt is closer to the earth–and the earth is our residence.

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Alone, Without Faith, Works… April 12, 2012

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Atheists and agnostics often make the mistake of assuming that all believers in God are closeted bigots with a third-grade-McGuffie-Reader understanding of the world. Likewise, those ardent followers of the Almighty often think that atheists and agnostics are bitter old men and women on the verge of mental and spiritual collapse, brought on by their great lacking and soulful malnutrition.

Of course, both sides are quite wrong.

Many believers in the Divine One are intelligent, fruitful, scientific, inventive and creative entities. Also, many of those who choose not to consecrate themselves towards any kind of conviction about God’s existence are loving, gentle, compassionate and joyful creatures.

The reason that both camps can function without giving much awareness or allegiance to the other is that they do have one-half of a truth, which gives them one-half capacity. The problem is, both believers in God and atheists and agnostics, for some reason or another, think they are in a custody battle and have decided to side with either their mom or their dad. The ones who believe in God are Daddy’s boys and girls and usually have very little respect for Mother Earth. And the ones who have turned their backs on the paternal part of their parentage are quite fond of Mother Earth, while ignoring dear old Dad.

This is why our planet basically runs half-full, with no one ever tapping all the resources available.

I live in a happy home. My Father is in heaven and He created me. He did not desert me upon my birth, but is very interested in my life, gives me great wisdom and is prepared to defend me against my own foolishness and the ridiculous notions of others. I am also a “Mama’s boy” in the sense that I understand that the earth is part of the great family that my Father in heaven intended, and the more I understand about this earth the better my relationship will be with others, myself and Him.

Most religious people have turned the earth over to a creature they refer to as “Satan” or “the devil.” Yes, Christians have a tendency to think that God is in heaven and “will make everything all right someday,” but that the earth is at the mercy, temperament and judgement of the Evil One. Now, I understand that belief in this idea is contingent on denominations and doctrines. But there is still a great upheaval in the religious community which causes us to believe that the earth is “against us” and only God is able to protect us from her fury.

On the other hand, those who worship Mother Earth and want to live with Mama instead of Papa insist that they do not need a Daddy. Mother Earth is sufficient to provide joy, peace and understanding. And because they do live in this plane of existence, they often prosper as much or more than those who are waiting for a heavenly reward.

Enter Jesus. He is the first to come along and say that Mom and Dad have not separated OR divorced, but are trying to keep the family together, even though the children are fussing and working to fester derision. Jesus said that “God’s will can be done on earth as in heaven.” He said we are supposed “to discern the face of the sky” but also to “discern the signs of our times.” Most of Jesus’ parables have some mention of seeds, growing, plants, birds, flowers–letting us know that Mother Nature, herself, extols the style of Father Creator.

What is the weakness of atheism? It lacks a Father who is able to sustain us through the times when Mother Nature may be insufficient to our cause due to our weaknesses or misunderstanding–who gives us a Daddy who cautions us against becoming weary in well-doing in loving our fellow-humans.

What do Christians lack? Respect for Mother Nature and the scientific community, which is discovering more about the glory of creation, the Christian community therefore remaining ignorant about things that could bring prosperity, leaving many of the faithful impoverished instead of empowered.

This is why I am a follower of Jesus. All of the other religious teachers lean either towards Mother Nature or the Almighty God. Jesus alone instructed us to honor BOTH parents. How should we do that? Here are three ideas:

1. Don’t reject knowledge. New information about the earth and the universe is never to the detriment of God. It either clarifies or expands the height and depth of His power.

2. Grace does not cover stupidity. You cannot come to your Father, having insulted your Mother (earth) and think everything is going to be okay. Matter of fact, it was your Father who told you that “whatever you sow, you will reap”–a warning to respect Mother Earth instead of assuming that Daddy is going to trump her efforts.

3. Find Father in Mother and Mother in Father. God is in nature–and nature is certainly explains the realm of God. When you draw those parallels and you establish commonality between the earth and the heavens, you actually have discovered the essence of the gospel. This is precisely what Jesus taught in his analogies.

• Yes, people who live alone, without faith, still have lives that work–because they honor Mother Nature.
• And individuals who have faith with works are successful because they have tapped half of the potential by worshipping God.
• But the only way to gain contentment during your journey here is to respect Mother and Father–and give due to each one at the right moments.

It is the teaching of Jesus.

And it is the way to keep from creating a custody battle, which, if you’re not careful … could leave you orphaned.

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Sitting One

 I died today. 

I didn’t expect it to happen.  Then again, I did—well, not really.

No, I certainly didn’t expect it.

I’ve had moments of clarity in my life.  Amazingly enough, many of them were in the midst of a dream. For a brief second I would know the meaning of life or the missing treatment to cure cancer.  And then as quickly as it popped into my mind it was gone. I really don’t recollect dying.  Just this unbelievable sense of clear headedness—like walking into a room newly painted and knowing by the odor and brightness that the color on the wall is so splattering new that you should be careful not to touch it for fear of smearing the design. The greatest revelation of all? 

Twenty-five miles in the sky time ceases to exist.

The planet Pluto takes two hundred and forty-eight years to circle the sun. It doesn’t give a damn. 

The day of my death was the day I became free of the only burden I really ever had.  TIME.

Useless.

Time is fussy.  Time is worry. 

Time is fear.  Time is the culprit causing human-types to recoil from pending generosity. 

There just was never enough time. 

Time would not allow it.  Remember—“if time permits …”

Why if time permits?  Why not if I permit?  Why not if I dream?  Why not if I want?  Why does time get to dictate to me my passage? 

It was time that robbed me of my soulful nature.    It was time that convinced me that my selfishness was needed. 

I didn’t die. The clock in me died, leaving spirit to tick on.  

So why don’t we see the farce of time?  Why do we allow ourselves to fall under the power of the cruel despot?  Yes, time is a relentless master—very little wage for much demand.

I died today. 

Actually … a piece of time named after me was cast away.