Eighteen Months … June 8, 2012

(1,538)

There is never any need to be ashamed as long as you’re not frightened by your own reality.

Eighteen months ago I realized I was living in a home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, that I could no longer afford and didn’t need because all of my children were grown and on their way.

Let me give you a little history. When I was a twelve-year-old boy, I quietly made a decision, sitting by a bonfire at a church camp,  that I was going to spend my life using my talents to bless other people. Move ahead forty years. It now seemed ridiculous to me to tuck my dreams away in a closet to continue a domesticated lifestyle in order to merely fulfill local righteousness.

So I packed up and headed off to see America. Someone asked me how long I thought I would be on the road. My response? “How long will I live?”  I see no reason to stop being productive and settle in to some sort of safe-haven of agedness, perched upon my perceived laurels.

In eighteen months I have crisscrossed the country four times, sharing in front of tens of thousands of people. What have I learned? If you will allow me a bit of drama, I have observed that we are on the precipice of one of the most intriguing, but dangerous, junctures in our earth story. Being a bit of a history buff, I can tell you that never, to my knowledge, in the chronicling of human events, have the five forces in our natural world come together in such a negative conclusion.These five forces are religion, business, science, entertainment and politics.

Let me punctuate my point. From 1925 to 1950, our planet was actually poised for its own destruction. There were so many dictators, tyrants and people with erroneous missions roaming the worldscape, that the possibility for internal implosion and external explosion was not only looming, but seemed to be upon us. Yet cooler heads prevailed–but it’s only because those five institutions–religion, business, science, entertainment and politics–refused to give in to the haranguing hordes.

Not so today. When I step in front of an audience I feel nothing but heartfelt empathy and tenderness towards the people. If you will forgive me for lacking a bit of eloquence to gain efficiency, let me put it plainly: Our leadership sucks.

Never have we had religion, business, science, entertainment and politics coming to the same conclusion and promoting those findings like burning acid on the souls of the people. And their conclusion is clear: the end is near.

Religion has always been suspect in this particular venue, with “Jesus is coming soon,” the “four horsemen of the Apocalypse” being drug out of the corral, and “signs of the times” being harkened to by authors and evangelists for years and years.

But now business has joined the “non-Hallelujah Chorus.” Yes, we are constantly being told that banks are failing and all markets are ready to crash, rendering our economies dangling by a single thread over the fires of a fiscal hell.

Here comes science–with the doom of global warming, which will melt the polar ice caps and flood the earth.

The entertainment industry, which in times past has been a source of encouragement to our world, is now filled with comic book heroes fighting notorious villains, vampires, post-nuclear scenarios of devastation, werewolves and fatalism.

And of course, politics, trying to rally the vote, is always pointing out a new threat from some third-world power, which may or may not be of any substance, but grabs the public by the throat, choking the life out of us.

Yes–choking the life out of us.

We spend all of our time in religion, business, science, entertainment and politics convincing the people that the world is going to end, even including a ridiculous presentation about a Mayan calendar culminating on December 21st, 2012–actually marking our demise. In an attempt to market products via the twenty-four-hour news cycle, the entire industry, theology, commerce and philosophy of our world has turned into “the little boy who cried wolf.” Those who want to make a buck are convinced that they cannot gain the attention of the public without alarming them with often-unfounded findings. And then they deign to sit back and criticize the public they have terrified for being immobile, if not lazy. It reminds me of parents sending their children to their rooms for punishment, and then coming back an hour later and yelling at them because they didn’t clean up the area.

When you frighten people, you stymie them, and when people are stymied, they forget to believe in their own talents, and therefore, cease to believe in others. That’s what I see.

I see a society that is obsessed with its own destruction–hypochondriacs, if you will–inventing illnesses, problems, dilemmas and disasters which are not only unlikely, but certainly preventable. We need some sanity, and by sanity I mean that we need people who will purposely neglect useless information that we can do nothing about, in pursuit of activities which are in our scope of vision.

So what do I feel my mission is after eighteen months? I would like to quietly walk into a room, sit down and tell people the following five statements:

1. Jesus is probably not coming soon, so you might want to talk more about how he wanted to bless the world instead of destroying it.

2. The banks have been in worse positions before. We will not fail because we run out of money; we will only fail if we use our money short-sightedly.

3. The world will not drown from its own polar ice caps. If we learn to respect Mother Nature, we can honor Father God, and in so doing, create a happier family.

4. There are no vampires; there are no werewolves. There is no Spider Man. There is just you and me. We are not Super Heroes, but we do have ability and we need to find it and start using it.

5. Politics is a procedure to avoid solving problems. Stop looking to leaders for answers. Start looking into your heart for answers to lead you.

I am not so certain I can get anyone else on board with my little traveling show. There is just too much money to be made in petrifying people. But I will tell you this–it is the only message worth sharing. If Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito and Franco were unable to destroy the world in a twenty-five-year period, it’s rather doubtful that Iran, messing around with nuclear trash, is going to pull it off either.

Get to the business of living your life. Stop thinking that your life is out of your control, and stop finding sanctuary solely in your nuclear family as you Facebook pictures of your latest pet turtle. Take some authority over a world that is racing towards craziness–and might accidentally get there.

After eighteen months, I can tell you this:

The end is not near.

But what is near is an end to motivation–if we don’t reject the silliness of those who are looking for evil under every rock.

   

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Are Human Beings Basically Bad? … February 23, 2012

(1433)

 

It was Trent’s fourth birthday. As excited as he was about the presents and the upcoming party at  Chuck E. Cheese, what was really revving his emotional engine was the prospect of going to the park and being allowed to go to the playground on his own. Dad would be nearby–but Trent would finally be allowed to play to his heart’s content without a parent hovering over his shoulder.

 

Independence. Trent was thrilled. Arriving at the park, he leaped from the car and ran towards the playground, with all of its contraptions and possibilities. Dad perched himself on a bench nearby, reading a newspaper and sipping some coffee. It was less than ten minutes later that a woman came running towards Papa, asking him if he had a little boy on the playground. She explained that his son, Trent, had just knocked down her little daughter for no good reason.

 

Dad immediately ran over to the location of the accosting and asked Trent what had happened. At first he would not respond. So Dad threatened to take Trent away from the playground–to punishment at home. Finally, with bitter tears drizzling down his cheeks, Trent replied, “She knew how to make all the stuff on the playground work and I didn’t! So I knocked her down.”

 

Dad suddenly realized what the problem was. Even though Trent was old enough to be on the playground, because he had never used any of the equipment on his own, he was unfamiliar with how to do it right. So instead of admitting his need or watching other kids and following suit, he decided to strike out.

 

You see, friends, that is the birthing of all “bad.” Even though there are many religious people who contend that human beings are born with original sin, Jesus disagreed. He said that little children were the citizenry of heaven.  He compared them to angels. No one is born bad. No one is flawed from birth with any permanent predisposition to anything–unless they relent to it.

 

That may not be a popular view, but the alternative philosophy renders us at the mercy of either a juggernaut of genetics or a religious doctrine of human depravity. The difference between good and bad in human beings is really quite simple. If people don’t know what they’re doing and they’re not humble enough to admit it, learn from others and appreciate those teachers, they will eventually do something to hurt the folks around them–and even themselves.

 

Here is what makes human beings bad:

1. They become angry because they don’t understand. The predominant motivation for anger in our lives is a lack of comprehension about how things really work without the pursuit of a greater insight on the issue. Just like Trent, we are thrust on the playground without adequate instruction. In other words, it’s easier to be pissed off than it is to acquire knowledge.

2. They don’t understand because they refuse to imitate. I don’t know about you–when I’m baffled about something, I just look around for anybody who’s been there before and try to copy off their paper. I don’t want to look stupid and end up angry. Yet there is a silly and sappy notion in the hearts of human beings that appearing vulnerable–in need of input–makes us look ridiculous. Just for the record, I am a man, but I always stop and ask for directions. If I need help carrying something, I will not strain my legs or break my back to do it. Bad and evil enter the human heart when we refuse to honor our need for aid.

3. And the reason we don’t imitate is that we were taught that it’s weak to do so. I cannot think of any greater reason that evil flourishes except that people are frightened of appearing less. It’s how Hitler controlled Germany. They were a country beset by difficulties after World War I and he taught them that they were a super-race that needed to rule the world, and dispelled all notions of need. It doesn’t do any good to preach a gospel that says “the meek shall inherit the earth;” “when we are weak we are strong;” and “confess your faults one to another,” when the brunt of society is screaming “self-esteem” and “self-reliance.” You can take perfectly good people and ruin their lives by convincing them they should be angry because they don’t understand, and see them continue to misunderstand because they fear imitating others–because the imitation of others would be a sign of weakness.

 

Can it really be that simple? Absolutely. All “bad people” are angry because they don’t understand; they don’t understand because they don’t want to imitate, and they were taught not to imitate because it made them look weak.  So are people naturally bad? Are they born in original sin? No. It is an outgrowth of a foolish rendition of pride in one’s work which leaves out a learning curve and garnering knowledge from others.

 

Here, on the other hand, is how you make good people. Teach them to:

 

1. Watch for winners. Look out for folks who are doing it right and get to the business of studying their procedure. It would be  wonderful if we actually would follow “what would Jesus do”–if we would first study the style of Jesus. But instead, we assume that Jesus would react like the typical American. He doesn’t. If you want to be a “good person,” you’ve got to start watching for winners and turning your back on the losers.

2. Appreciate and apply. When you come across a winner, make sure you walk up and congratulate him or her on the discovery and then honor the effort by applying it in your own life. I am not a rock–I am a sponge. When I see good things happening, I absorb them. When I read the scriptures and there’s something in there that is tender-hearted towards humanity, I own it. I appreciate and express thankfulness, and then I apply it in my own life as a tribute to the beauty. There is no goodness in life without imitating powerful ideas.

3. And finally, be grateful to your brothers and sisters. Not every meaningful experience in your life will happen in your own family or genetic lineage. You will need emotional and spiritual boosts from many travelers. So when you meet people for the first time, instead of treating them as strangers, be prepared to receive fresh spirit from their journey. Be grateful for your brothers and sisters.

 

So are people basically “bad?”  No–they have to be taught to be angry because they don’t understand, and to refuse to understand because they don’t want to imitate, and that imitation makes them feel weak.

 

But as for me and my house, we’re going to watch for winners, appreciate those champions, apply those precepts into our lives and be grateful for all of our brothers and sisters. The choice is ours–as it should be.

 

People aren’t bad; ignorance is bad–especially when it’s backed up with arrogance and cemented by reverence.

 

So that’s the first step in our I.G.P.–evaluating our society on intelligence, growth and progress. So what’s the next question? What shall we talk about on the morrow? How about this one:

 

Is God mean?

 

**************

Got a question for Jonathan? Or would you like to receive a personal weekly email? Just click my email address below and let me know what’s on your mind! jonathancring@gmail.com

 

  **************

Below is the first chapter of Jonathan Richard Cring’s stunning novel entitled Preparing a Place for Myself—the story of a journey after death. It is a delicious blend of theology and science fiction that will inspire and entertain. I thought you might enjoy reading it. After you do, if you would like to read the book in its entirety, please click on the link below and go to our tour store. The book is being offered at the special price of $4.99 plus $3.99 shipping–a total of $8.98. Enjoy.

http://www.janethan.com/tour_store.htm

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.

I.G.P. … February 22, 2012

(1432)

 

Clarity–it always makes things so clear, don’t you think? Like standing next to a lake and being able to see the bottom. True or false, you do have the sensation that you could stick a straw in and drink until your belly’s full, without fear.

 

Then there are those times that the waters get muddied. Honestly, I’ve gone to various bodies of water and have been invited to swim and because it was so murky, I had no desire to go in and add new silt to my already ongoing collection on my skin. I was told by all the residents that the water just LOOKED ugly–it was really very clean. But I don’t know how you can have a sense of cleanliness without clarity.

 

It’s what I’ve been feeling lately as I gaze across our blessed nation. My discoveries have led me to a conclusion–the I.G.P. meter. I for intelligence, G for growth and P for progress. Very simply, it’s a way of measuring what human beings do and how we should evaluate ourselves in grading our present status. Are we becoming more intelligent? Are we growing away from our stupidities and into deeper understanding–emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically? Are we making legitimate progress towards acceptance and forgiveness and away from blood feuds and dogma?

 

Good questions, don’t you think? And as you look into the waters of humanity, you have to see that they are muddied by all sorts of chunks of gunk–so large that you can literally pick them up with your hands and remove them if you have the heart to do so. But I don’t think we can continue to judge our fate–or our value–based on our history, our potential or our sense of entitlement. It just doesn’t make any difference if the founding fathers believed something unless what they believed can be transferred into our world, and you and I can find a way to keep the golden parts alive in our generation, passing it along faithfully to the next one.

 

No wonder we’ve returned to a “Marvel Comics” mentality, where we’re constantly seeking superheroes to confirm our real desire, since our passions are requiring more from us than we seem to be willing to give. What are the chunks of gunk? What are the things that are robbing us of clarity and the ability to see for ourselves what the next things need to be to advance our species? What stands in our way? Because even though we tout that the human race is powerful, anointed with special grace, and that each one of us supposedly is unique and without duplication, when we actually do sit down to discuss our future, or even our present plans, a sense of dismay and fatalism seeps into the conference room. Even when we make movies about the future of the world, they are always bleak, filled with violence and destruction.

 

If we feel so positive about ourselves, why is there so much negative energy? If we’re so certain that “no child should be left behind,” why are all the children being left in the dark from the responsibility of perfecting their talents? Why do we remove art and music from our schools and then insist that art and music are an essential part of our culture–blessings that inspire our nation to greater discovery?

 

I don’t think it’s so much an issue of hypocrisy as it is that the waters have been muddied for so long that everyone thinks they should look the way they do. Not so.

 

I would like to take a couple of days to talk about this. I considered sharing it in one jonathots, but I don’t want to pile up a bunch of concepts that end up being applauded for the merit of writing but abandoned because of complexity. So for today, let’s just deal with this–it is important that we take an I.G.P test for our country. Where is our intelligence? What is going on with our growth? And how are we making progress?

 

For the sake of simplicity (basically, for my own personal use), I have boiled it down to three questions. Finding the answer to these questions will help us both discover the present I.G.P. and also create the clarity that could set us off in more positive pursuits. Are you ready to get rid of some chunks of gunk? It will purify the waters. It’ll make you want to swim and drink again. Right now nobody wants to jump into any endeavor for fear of being tainted by the filth. But if we could remove some of these chunks of gunk, we could yell confidently, “Everybody in the pool!”

 

I will do the first question tomorrow–and I’ll even do you one better. I’ll tell you what it is:

 

Are human beings basically bad?

 

**************

Got a question for Jonathan? Or would you like to receive a personal weekly email? Just click my email address below and let me know what’s on your mind! jonathancring@gmail.com

 

  **************

Below is the first chapter of Jonathan Richard Cring’s stunning novel entitled Preparing a Place for Myself—the story of a journey after death. It is a delicious blend of theology and science fiction that will inspire and entertain. I thought you might enjoy reading it. After you do, if you would like to read the book in its entirety, please click on the link below and go to our tour store. The book is being offered at the special price of $4.99 plus $3.99 shipping–a total of $8.98. Enjoy.

http://www.janethan.com/tour_store.htm

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.