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Monday, November 26, 2018
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Email to Granada Mosque, Spain
Datewise, the following letter was sent by me on the 6th February, 2007 to the leaders of the newly opened Granada Mosque, in Spain. I trust that the readers of my blog will be interested in the challenge it posed for a thoughtful, religious response. However, as yet I have not had any response. Anyway, here it is:
Dear all at Granada Mosque (email, 6th February, 2007, re www.wound-wisdom.tk)
Dear all at Granada Mosque (email, 6th February, 2007, re www.wound-wisdom.tk)
I was led to your site by reading Aisha Bewley's home page, and her vivid account of her travels etc. I would be pleased if you could pass on this email to her, as well as considering it yourselves. Having visited Spain
I am encouraged to read that "the highest aspect of jihad is to speak the truth in the face of tyranny", but am also aware that forgiveness and generosity must be nurtured from the home outward for the love of truth to thrive and grow in community. This is why I have now written to you, and others of many religious colours and persuasions, and invite you to take a look at my wound-wisdom website to highlight the issue: There is no hate in Love.
The website www.wound-wisdom.tk is free to all who seek, and I invite you and others to let me know if anything I have said is not true. It sprang from my concerns about a "growing up issue" described in the "Challenge to Servant-Leaders" section of the site, following my creation of the "Peace and Harmony" artwork, and the insights I had gained from it: that all of us are both male and female inside.
The "outside" is merely the wrapping which hides the complexity inside; for we are all uniquely created. If this is the case, male = female, just as black is white, and the end is a new beginning.... And we must honour the inside, as well as the outside. No judgment by an outsider is required. Parents are for nurture, pure and simple, not for whipping and stoning.
Just how religious leaders (who were created to serve the people, not just to puff themselves up) have responded is noted. Unfortunately, their response has not always been to their credit, and reveals the truth that loving adults are raised in loving homes. Anything less fails a parent’s duty of care, and damage is done. Anything less than love is not holy.
My wound-wisdom site contains a summary of the 3000 year old wisdom of Solomon (Ecclesiastes Encapsulated).
Wisdom is exulted in the book of Proverbs, is ignored at our peril, and should be the quest common to all, religious or not. Unfortunately, this wisdom is seldom dusted off, and we have to wonder: "Why ?" Surely, this wisdom is the reason that the Jews were known as the "people of the book". And this "life lessons book of life" has sprung from the "tree of life".
I am pleased to be able to tell you that my "Peace and Harmony" artwork was created under the mantle of my own "Tree of Life" photographed in Vietnam
The events which occurred soon after which catapulted me into contacting religious leaders world-wide were unexpected, but so filled me with rage (passion) as a parent that I have devoted myself to this issue since. I realize also that this issue is at the heart of world sanity and peace. We are at a critical junction. Men and women must work and love together. All must now pull together if we value human life, and the life our Creator God has given this planet Earth. Hate now will catapult us ALL into nuclear oblivion. This is why loving and living love is so important. Hate melts in the arms of Love. So what are we waiting for ? Love appeals to reason, and to respect. If we respect ourselves, we will respect others. Love gives, but is not restricted to a formula. It also receives, and everyone gains.
So my dear friends at the Granada Mosque, I trust if you have read this far that you will give love a chance, and even if I am a stranger, and strange to you, you will journey with me through wound-wisdom to its fruition, Peace and Harmony for all. And in kindness, respond, even if you have some criticisms. I will give each thought, and perhaps modify my approach. I look forward to dialogue, but don't want to get bogged down with dogma. You will notice that I have taken quotations from the Koran and other holy books from different faiths, and from many other sources. All of these speak with one voice: the truth of the Golden Rule is honoured, and that is how we all want it to be....
Yours faithfully, and May all of Life's Blessings be Yours: Peace to You (as well)
Donald Chalmers, a piper too, at www.wound-wisdom.tk (The Intricate Weaving of Something Beautiful)....
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year Resolution 2012: Good God Living
The following is a "response" to another blogger Sheri Liegh Adams (see http://selfhelpforthesoul.blogspot.com/ ) on a number of issues she identified. Initially, I had intended this to be posted as a comment to her blog, but now realize that it is far too long for a simple comment, and in any case, somehow or other, I "posted" a comment on my own blog, and now add it here as "New Year Resolution: Good God Living". I hope that Sheri won't mind my trumping her take (though I hasten to add that we agree on much which is good). Sheri lives in Canada according to my reading, so we live in different hemishpheres, but share a common humanity....
Dear Sheri and Readers
We have much in common, you and I, though you are female, and I male. I also am unable to “work” because of my many medical conditions, but what I can do (from my home in Australia), I offer to God and to All, to make my life worthwhile. I am also an older person, and now called a “senior citizen” despite my decrepitude, and so probably have the grey hair and wrinkles to support my case, which is not so different to yours, in any case. I was interested in all that you had to say, and have selected snippets from your writing, which you and your readers should recognize easily enough when I post them, if they have done their “homework”.
I have put my questionings and doubts in “brackets” for the most part, and have tried to encapsulate what you have written in a progressive way. I have also attempted to make “more inclusive” and “universal” the quotes (“we instead of “you” etc). Anyway, here are our points of agreement, and my argument, “grouped” into paragraphs for easy, progressing digestion.
Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your father's wives (?!)(How many can one man have ? How many did Jesus have ?), for this would violate your father (?!).
God loves us and wants to see us (all of us !) doing well in all areas of our (own) lives. Do we love our neighbour(s) as ourselves ?
GOD IS LOVE !!! God is Peace ! God is Light ! Power (Good), Life, Divine Creator, Parent, Shepherd, Deliverer, Helper, Rock, Strength, Mercy, Pre-sent, Always…. God does love the sinner (all sinners !). God hates “the SIN” (many sins, actually), but loves the SINNER (do “we” ? All ?).
GOD NEVER TEMPTS US. God is not a mean God. Our faith will be tested, yes, but God is not in the business of tempting us. There is only one who tempts, and that is the devil. If you have a roof over your head, clothes to wear, food to eat and people who love you, then consider yourself much richer than many.
Remain pure (to your own self), regardless of your marital status (all people are sexual beings). For Blessed are the pure in heart; they shall see God. Homo-sexuality is “Sexual orientation to persons of the same sex” (a minority) (Hetero-sexuality is Sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex – the majority). If you have family or friends that are closer than your natural birth family, you are rich in love.
It is a personal choice whether or not to pursue the act of masturbation (if in doubt, you may take a cold shower, or not !). Our (own) great (good) power is from God, not from ourselves.
There are (good) laws to abide by. They are not there to make life a hassle or to make life difficult. They are (should be) set in place to protect us from either ourselves or from others (how can a death sentence help the living ?).
The temptations that come into “our” lives are no different from what “others” experience (and we all succumb to many temptations – from eating more than we need, to admiring someone attractive). Those claiming to be wise, can become utter fools (in a new situation – more often than not).
Thou Shalt Not Be A Selfish Pig: Consider the needs of your (partner/)spouse before your own. Thou shalt say "I love you," daily in thought, word and deed.
We are rich if we have some form of shelter, some clothes to wear, some food to eat and friends or family that love us. Anything over and above these things are blessings from God (the God of Love )(and for which, we are accountable).
Those who cannot ask for help (It takes a humble heart to be willing to say, "I need help") and ask for it (or receive it, when it is freely given as an act of love) are too proud to admit they are having problems (also).
(Abuse and) Rape is “The crime of forcing another person to submit to (degrading) acts” – (against that person, which do not reflect well on the abuser)(Please Note: The one who has power over another is the one who has likely sinned). (Immorality is the sin of un-equal relationship – abusive power of the powerful, which – most likely – counts against the one holding that power – the one who has most likely abused it.) Sexual immorality is a sin (of un-equal sexual power of the powerful, which counts against the one holding that power, who abuses it).
(Share the) Good News of the Gospel of (Truth and Light)…. Be enthusiastic. Be joyful. Be brilliant…. (Try “Me” (God)…. and know my Good thoughts today.): The streets are (and have ever been) littered with prostitutes (why ?) selling their bodies for money (why ?). Homes are filled with incest (why ?) and child abuse (why ?). Watch any of the current talk shows and you will find out just how much sexual impurity there is out there (why ?). Sexual assault is on the rise (?), currently standing with 1 out of every 2 women being sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime (In any age, this is “the” disgrace ! Why ?).
The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience.
When you are feeling tempted to do something you “KNOW” is wrong (for yourself and/or an “other”), “speak” (call upon) the name of “God” (to inspire you). (If you are not “saved” from “wrong” action by timely “inspiration”, make sure that your actions with kindness are made. And then you [and I] should be AOK, which is at least what we all want, including God, the Creator of All things, Great and Small, White and Black, Male and Female, etc. etc ad infinitum [and down to “you” and “I”].)
(After all, God is recorded as saying “I am that I am”. Who are we to doubt that “God” [both “he” and “she”] – at the very least also meant “I am what I am; I am where I am; I am who I am; I am how I am; I am why I am; I am because I am; I am therefore I am ? If God is Good, Spirit, Love, Life, Divine Creator, Parent, Shepherd, Deliverer, Helper, Rock, Strength, Mercy, Pre-sent, and Always [the Alpha to the Omega – the first to the last – all inclusive] – as previously mentioned – we will not doubt this “possibility” [at the very least] – and say an enthusiastic “Amen !” and “Amen !” to that !)
Yes, we should “Enjoy learning about our One True Loving God” (and about our own "selves" - not slaves, but - "Children of God", deserving of "repect" and "care" for who, or "what" we are - and have been "Uniquely Created to Be" - by God, the Creator of All Things).
Now this brings me to the “Five Fingered Prayer” previously mentioned by Sheri Liegh Adams:
Actually, there are ten of them; each hand mirrors the other (so this doubles the trouble we should go to get things “right”):
When you fold your hands for prayer, your thumb is closest to you. Therefore, pray for those who are closest to you. This could be family, your closest friends, co-workers, and so on. The Pointer Finger is next. This reminds us to prayer for those who are teachers, (religious leaders) and others who instruct and teach us. Anybody who teaches us something, including doctors, teachers, pastors, and others are included here.
The middle finger is often the tallest finger. This reminds us to pray for the leaders of our nations, the leaders of our (religious institutions) and any leaders that God may bring to your remeberances. Believe it or not, your ring finger is your weakest finger (yes, it is). When praying, use this finger to pray for those who are in need. This could include the sick, elderly, poor, widowed, orphans and so on. Lastly we have our Pinky finger. It is the smallest of our fingers. This is the time to pray for ourselves. We should always pray for our own needs, ONLY AFTER we have prayed for the needs of others....
Like the “Golden Rule of Love” which Jesus confirmed as the Rule upon which all others depend (The First and Paramount Rule – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and – Love your Neighbour as you love your [own] Self”), the so-called “Five Fingered Prayer” is probably just as important as the prayer attributed to Jesus, which can now easily be understood to mean (as one among the many translations):
God our Mother, God our Father, God of Earth and Heaven,
God among us and within us, You are Holy !
Continue Your reign in us, as in all creation.
Forgive us our failings and shortcomings, as we forgive others, too.
Lead us through our temptations, and strengthen us to contend with evil.
For all Love, Healing, and Life, are Yours, Now, and Forever.
So let it be. Praise God ! Amen ! (And Amen !)
Now I don’t know about you (Sheri Liegh Adams and readers), but I (with many a same understanding as yourselves) will not be the first one to caste a stone at those whose God-given sexuality is different to mine, nor to women. Lest you ill consider my motivations for saying so, I hasten to add that I write to support Biblical purity, and the lesson that Jesus himself taught to the craven would-be stone-throwers. None was without sin. As for the woman, Jesus said “I do not condemn you either. Go now, and sin no more”.
But what is sin ? A woman without options in that cruel world was then, as now, without sin. She perhaps (and quite likely) was a victim of cruel circumstance. It is the abuser in unequal power relationships who sins. It is an unfortunate fact for us mere men, that while men exclude women (50% of the population) from leadership on an equal basis, minorities too will face discrimination and persecution from craven majority mob mentality. It is time for this patriarchal sexist subjugation of women and minorities to be known for what it is: abuse of power. Abuse. This is the “abomination” ! Full Stop ! End of Story !
I am who I am. I do nothing by my own authority. I am telling you the Truth; whoever obeys my teaching will never die. I am the Light of the World. Thus spake Jesus, 2000 years ago, and we are still arguing ? This is beyond belief ! What is there to argue ? If we have no love (empathy, compassion, care), we are nothing. Nothing at all.
Marriage is not “The state of one bound in servitude as the property of a slaveholder” (husband). It never has been, and never will be. It is a relationship of equals, in partnership. Likewise, our lives, and the lives of “others”, from village to world.
Inequality kills; “inequality” should and must be roundly condemned, for it springs not from God (Love), but from the devil.
Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum – it has been demonstrated – Ο.Ε.Δ. – I.B.D. etc) – and I now Ieave “it” (Life-long Loving) up to “you” !
Dear Sheri and Readers
We have much in common, you and I, though you are female, and I male. I also am unable to “work” because of my many medical conditions, but what I can do (from my home in Australia), I offer to God and to All, to make my life worthwhile. I am also an older person, and now called a “senior citizen” despite my decrepitude, and so probably have the grey hair and wrinkles to support my case, which is not so different to yours, in any case. I was interested in all that you had to say, and have selected snippets from your writing, which you and your readers should recognize easily enough when I post them, if they have done their “homework”.
I have put my questionings and doubts in “brackets” for the most part, and have tried to encapsulate what you have written in a progressive way. I have also attempted to make “more inclusive” and “universal” the quotes (“we instead of “you” etc). Anyway, here are our points of agreement, and my argument, “grouped” into paragraphs for easy, progressing digestion.
Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your father's wives (?!)(How many can one man have ? How many did Jesus have ?), for this would violate your father (?!).
God loves us and wants to see us (all of us !) doing well in all areas of our (own) lives. Do we love our neighbour(s) as ourselves ?
GOD IS LOVE !!! God is Peace ! God is Light ! Power (Good), Life, Divine Creator, Parent, Shepherd, Deliverer, Helper, Rock, Strength, Mercy, Pre-sent, Always…. God does love the sinner (all sinners !). God hates “the SIN” (many sins, actually), but loves the SINNER (do “we” ? All ?).
GOD NEVER TEMPTS US. God is not a mean God. Our faith will be tested, yes, but God is not in the business of tempting us. There is only one who tempts, and that is the devil. If you have a roof over your head, clothes to wear, food to eat and people who love you, then consider yourself much richer than many.
Remain pure (to your own self), regardless of your marital status (all people are sexual beings). For Blessed are the pure in heart; they shall see God. Homo-sexuality is “Sexual orientation to persons of the same sex” (a minority) (Hetero-sexuality is Sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex – the majority). If you have family or friends that are closer than your natural birth family, you are rich in love.
It is a personal choice whether or not to pursue the act of masturbation (if in doubt, you may take a cold shower, or not !). Our (own) great (good) power is from God, not from ourselves.
There are (good) laws to abide by. They are not there to make life a hassle or to make life difficult. They are (should be) set in place to protect us from either ourselves or from others (how can a death sentence help the living ?).
The temptations that come into “our” lives are no different from what “others” experience (and we all succumb to many temptations – from eating more than we need, to admiring someone attractive). Those claiming to be wise, can become utter fools (in a new situation – more often than not).
Thou Shalt Not Be A Selfish Pig: Consider the needs of your (partner/)spouse before your own. Thou shalt say "I love you," daily in thought, word and deed.
We are rich if we have some form of shelter, some clothes to wear, some food to eat and friends or family that love us. Anything over and above these things are blessings from God (the God of Love )(and for which, we are accountable).
Those who cannot ask for help (It takes a humble heart to be willing to say, "I need help") and ask for it (or receive it, when it is freely given as an act of love) are too proud to admit they are having problems (also).
(Abuse and) Rape is “The crime of forcing another person to submit to (degrading) acts” – (against that person, which do not reflect well on the abuser)(Please Note: The one who has power over another is the one who has likely sinned). (Immorality is the sin of un-equal relationship – abusive power of the powerful, which – most likely – counts against the one holding that power – the one who has most likely abused it.) Sexual immorality is a sin (of un-equal sexual power of the powerful, which counts against the one holding that power, who abuses it).
(Share the) Good News of the Gospel of (Truth and Light)…. Be enthusiastic. Be joyful. Be brilliant…. (Try “Me” (God)…. and know my Good thoughts today.): The streets are (and have ever been) littered with prostitutes (why ?) selling their bodies for money (why ?). Homes are filled with incest (why ?) and child abuse (why ?). Watch any of the current talk shows and you will find out just how much sexual impurity there is out there (why ?). Sexual assault is on the rise (?), currently standing with 1 out of every 2 women being sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime (In any age, this is “the” disgrace ! Why ?).
The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience.
When you are feeling tempted to do something you “KNOW” is wrong (for yourself and/or an “other”), “speak” (call upon) the name of “God” (to inspire you). (If you are not “saved” from “wrong” action by timely “inspiration”, make sure that your actions with kindness are made. And then you [and I] should be AOK, which is at least what we all want, including God, the Creator of All things, Great and Small, White and Black, Male and Female, etc. etc ad infinitum [and down to “you” and “I”].)
(After all, God is recorded as saying “I am that I am”. Who are we to doubt that “God” [both “he” and “she”] – at the very least also meant “I am what I am; I am where I am; I am who I am; I am how I am; I am why I am; I am because I am; I am therefore I am ? If God is Good, Spirit, Love, Life, Divine Creator, Parent, Shepherd, Deliverer, Helper, Rock, Strength, Mercy, Pre-sent, and Always [the Alpha to the Omega – the first to the last – all inclusive] – as previously mentioned – we will not doubt this “possibility” [at the very least] – and say an enthusiastic “Amen !” and “Amen !” to that !)
Yes, we should “Enjoy learning about our One True Loving God” (and about our own "selves" - not slaves, but - "Children of God", deserving of "repect" and "care" for who, or "what" we are - and have been "Uniquely Created to Be" - by God, the Creator of All Things).
Now this brings me to the “Five Fingered Prayer” previously mentioned by Sheri Liegh Adams:
Actually, there are ten of them; each hand mirrors the other (so this doubles the trouble we should go to get things “right”):
When you fold your hands for prayer, your thumb is closest to you. Therefore, pray for those who are closest to you. This could be family, your closest friends, co-workers, and so on. The Pointer Finger is next. This reminds us to prayer for those who are teachers, (religious leaders) and others who instruct and teach us. Anybody who teaches us something, including doctors, teachers, pastors, and others are included here.
The middle finger is often the tallest finger. This reminds us to pray for the leaders of our nations, the leaders of our (religious institutions) and any leaders that God may bring to your remeberances. Believe it or not, your ring finger is your weakest finger (yes, it is). When praying, use this finger to pray for those who are in need. This could include the sick, elderly, poor, widowed, orphans and so on. Lastly we have our Pinky finger. It is the smallest of our fingers. This is the time to pray for ourselves. We should always pray for our own needs, ONLY AFTER we have prayed for the needs of others....
Like the “Golden Rule of Love” which Jesus confirmed as the Rule upon which all others depend (The First and Paramount Rule – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and – Love your Neighbour as you love your [own] Self”), the so-called “Five Fingered Prayer” is probably just as important as the prayer attributed to Jesus, which can now easily be understood to mean (as one among the many translations):
God our Mother, God our Father, God of Earth and Heaven,
God among us and within us, You are Holy !
Continue Your reign in us, as in all creation.
Forgive us our failings and shortcomings, as we forgive others, too.
Lead us through our temptations, and strengthen us to contend with evil.
For all Love, Healing, and Life, are Yours, Now, and Forever.
So let it be. Praise God ! Amen ! (And Amen !)
Now I don’t know about you (Sheri Liegh Adams and readers), but I (with many a same understanding as yourselves) will not be the first one to caste a stone at those whose God-given sexuality is different to mine, nor to women. Lest you ill consider my motivations for saying so, I hasten to add that I write to support Biblical purity, and the lesson that Jesus himself taught to the craven would-be stone-throwers. None was without sin. As for the woman, Jesus said “I do not condemn you either. Go now, and sin no more”.
But what is sin ? A woman without options in that cruel world was then, as now, without sin. She perhaps (and quite likely) was a victim of cruel circumstance. It is the abuser in unequal power relationships who sins. It is an unfortunate fact for us mere men, that while men exclude women (50% of the population) from leadership on an equal basis, minorities too will face discrimination and persecution from craven majority mob mentality. It is time for this patriarchal sexist subjugation of women and minorities to be known for what it is: abuse of power. Abuse. This is the “abomination” ! Full Stop ! End of Story !
I am who I am. I do nothing by my own authority. I am telling you the Truth; whoever obeys my teaching will never die. I am the Light of the World. Thus spake Jesus, 2000 years ago, and we are still arguing ? This is beyond belief ! What is there to argue ? If we have no love (empathy, compassion, care), we are nothing. Nothing at all.
Marriage is not “The state of one bound in servitude as the property of a slaveholder” (husband). It never has been, and never will be. It is a relationship of equals, in partnership. Likewise, our lives, and the lives of “others”, from village to world.
Inequality kills; “inequality” should and must be roundly condemned, for it springs not from God (Love), but from the devil.
Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum – it has been demonstrated – Ο.Ε.Δ. – I.B.D. etc) – and I now Ieave “it” (Life-long Loving) up to “you” !
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Lovingly Confronting ( गोल्डन रुले ) Condemnation
THE FOLLOWING IS AN OPEN LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP PETER AKINOLA, OF NIGERIA
to respectfully challenge the position he has taken as reported in the Nigerian press :
Dear Peter (Sunday 15th March, 2009)( see
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=137926
“We have none of us done our duty as free societies. We have oppressed the poor; we have accepted advertisement in the place of truth; we have given too much power to money; and we have been indifferent to the quality of human character.
“The democracy of the future must be a great deal better and cleaner than any which now exists, with more reverence, more discipline, more love of beauty, more joy in life, as well as more social justice and better distribution of wealth, more freedom for the soul and more friendliness between man and man.”
“What a long and strange war it is where violence tries to crush truth ! Hard as it may struggle, violence cannot weaken truth, and its efforts only make truth stand out more clearly. Truth, however brightly it may shine, can do nothing to stop violence, and its light only irritates violence even more. When might is ranged against might, the stronger defeats the weaker. When discourse is ranged against discourse, what is true and convincing confounds and dissipates what is based only on vanity and lies. But violence and truth can do nothing, the one against the other.
Nevertheless, don’t be fooled by that into thinking that they are at the same level as each other. For there is this extreme difference between them: that violence only has a course marked out for it by God’s command, such that its effects redound to the glory of the truth which it is attacking, while truth subsists eternally, and triumphs in the end over its enemies. Because it is as eternal and powerful as God….
Truth subsists eternally, and triumphs in the end over its enemies.”
The words above are not mine of course, but they are appreciated by me; one conscripted to do my “duty” for my country some 40 years ago. And it is still so today. Today, I am blessed – a proud father, loving parent and grandparent, artist, piper, free thinker, poet, and writer….
I am encouraged to read from Islamic sources that "the highest aspect of jihad is to speak the truth in the face of tyranny" (and that “there is no fault in you if you make a mistake, but only in what your heart "intended”), but am also aware that forgiveness and generosity must be nurtured from the home outward for the love of truth to thrive and grow in community. This is why I have now written to you, and others of many religious colours and persuasions, and invite you to take a look at my wound-wisdom website to highlight the issue: There is no hate in Love.
The website www.wound-wisdom.tk is free to all who seek, and I invite you and others to let me know if anything I have said is not true. It sprang from my concerns about a "growing up issue" described in the "Challenge to Servant-Leaders" section of the site, following my creation of the "Peace and Harmony" picture-puzzle artwork, and the insights I had gained from it: that all of us are both male and female inside.
The "outside" is merely the wrapping which hides the complexity inside; for we are all uniquely created. If this is the case, male = female, just as black is white, and the end is a new beginning.... And we must honour the inside, as well as the outside. No judgment by an outsider is required. Parents are for nurture, pure and simple, not for whipping and stoning * See Biblical References Below *.
I know that I speak to you as one “from the bottom, up”, but I trust that the importance of the loving message encapsulated in the “Peace and Harmony” artwork and attachments will not be lost on you – for each one has a place, in God’s place – even for one at the bottom.
I trust if you have read this far that you will give love a chance, and even if I am a stranger, and strange to you, you will journey with me through wound-wisdom to its fruition, Peace and Harmony for ALL. And in kindness, respond, even if you have some criticisms. I will give each thought, and perhaps modify my approach. I look forward to dialogue, but don't want to get bogged down with dogma.
You will notice that I have taken quotations from the Koran and other holy books from different faiths, and from many other sources. All of these speak with one voice: the truth of the Golden Rule is honoured, and that is how we all want it to be....
1. There is no hate in love: Hate melts in the arms of Love. Parents are for nurture, pure and simple.
2. The “Golden Rule” is common to all religions:
3. “Do not do to others that which you would hate for yourself”, and
4. “Loving your neighbour as yourself” IS
5. “Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”, as WE
6. Recognize ourselves in all others (ALL people are created equal members of one human family).
Long may your love light shine long ! May all of Life's Blessings be Yours, also: Peace to You (as well)
May all the blessing, honour and power so freely given to us return to the One God who gave life to US….
I am, Yours sincerely, and faithfully
Donald Chalmers, a piper too at “The Intricate Weaving of Something Beautiful” http://www.wound-wisdom.tk/ and www.myspace.com/a_piper_too
– CONFRONT ♥ CONDEMNATION –
In Mosaic law, a woman caught in the act of adultery must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say ? (John 8.5)
Jesus said: Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone…. (John 8.7)
I pass judgment on no one. But if I were to do so, my judgement would be true, because I am not alone in this; for God who sent me is with me (John 8.15,16). What I say is true, because I know where I came from, and where I am going (John 8.14). I am the light of the world (John 8.12); I Am Who I Am (John 8.23,27). I am telling you the truth (John 8.34); the truth will set you free (John 8.31). Stop judging by external standards, and (if you must) judge by true standards (John 7.24)….
And one by one, being convicted by their own conscience, the older ones first, to the last, full of shame, they left (John 8.9).
The moral of the story is not changed by my slight repositioning of the text, and is supported by the following texts:
Love your neighbour as you love yourself (Luke 10.27). Do this and you will live (Luke 10.28). Loving your neighbour as you love yourself IS loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Luke10.27-28). Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. Give to others, and God will give to you (Luke 6.37).
And there are many other examples of the Golden Rule, both in the Bible, and in other major religious texts. For example, in the Bible: Leviticus 19.18, Matthew 7.12, Matthew 22.39, Mark 12.31, Luke 6.31, Romans 13.9-10, Galatians 5.14, James 2.8. This is an obviously important theme, and not called “Golden” for nothing, since it (The Φ Rule, or measure of fullness, or ripe maturity), as with “gold” is pure, uncontaminated.
There is no hate in Love. This is the message of Love, which IS God.
Micah, in his Old Testament message has this to say:
The Lord has told us what is good. What God requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God (Micah 6.8).
Going back in the Old testament even further (Isaiah 54.17):
No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and all tongues that rise up against you shall be condemned. This is the heritage of the Lord, and this is the vindication from me (God). Or put differently: No weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory. The Lord has spoken.
How great is the grace of God (Ephesians 1.7)…. All things are done according to God’s plan and decision (Ephesians 1.11)…. For God completes all things everywhere…. (Ephesians 1.23). Everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks (1 Timothy 4.4)…. Watch yourself, and watch your teaching (1 Timothy 4.16). For spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life, both for the present, and for the future (1 Timothy 4.8)….
Now, unto God (you are gods [Psalms 82.1 and 6, John 10.34]), say and do what is right. Don’t use your power to cheat the poor, and don’t accept bribes. Don’t join with those who plan to commit murder or do other evil things. Then you will be safe; you will be as secure as if you were in a strong fortress. You will have food to eat and water to drink…. (Isaiah 33.15-16).
All of the forgoing is not just about you or I, but about us, together – for who among us cannot say:
Almighty, Creator, God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the in-spiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love each other as we love you, and worthily reflect and magnify your great, universal, Holy Name, form, being and self…. (based* on Anselm of Canterbury*)
Late have we loved you, beauty so old and so new; late have we loved you. And see, you were within; always…. (Augustine*) We watch without willing; we love without willing…. (Valentinus*) But, we may be able to, in some way, to express what we are in no way able to express fully…. (Augustine*)
We know we did not make ourselves; we were made by God, who abides for eternity…. That is how it is, when at each moment, we extend our reach, and in a flash of mental energy, attain eternal wisdom, which abides beyond all things…. (Augustine*)
Our One Hope (to love, and to be loved, in return) Unites All. May all of life’s blessings and benefits be yours (also)….
Live Love. Love Live. Live Love and you will Live Φ. For further proofs of Love’s Teaching, see www.wound-wisdom.tk
May all the blessing, honour and power so freely given to us return to the One God who gave life to US….
Please voice your affirmations of this principle at http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=137926 etc.
Please let Archbishops and Politicians know that you will not be the first to cast a stone, and will not let them do so, either, without protest, and call upon them to uphold the human rights of your brothers and sisters, NOW.......... for to hurt "others" hurts our own "selves", also.
to respectfully challenge the position he has taken as reported in the Nigerian press :
Dear Peter (Sunday 15th March, 2009)( see
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=137926
“We have none of us done our duty as free societies. We have oppressed the poor; we have accepted advertisement in the place of truth; we have given too much power to money; and we have been indifferent to the quality of human character.
“The democracy of the future must be a great deal better and cleaner than any which now exists, with more reverence, more discipline, more love of beauty, more joy in life, as well as more social justice and better distribution of wealth, more freedom for the soul and more friendliness between man and man.”
“What a long and strange war it is where violence tries to crush truth ! Hard as it may struggle, violence cannot weaken truth, and its efforts only make truth stand out more clearly. Truth, however brightly it may shine, can do nothing to stop violence, and its light only irritates violence even more. When might is ranged against might, the stronger defeats the weaker. When discourse is ranged against discourse, what is true and convincing confounds and dissipates what is based only on vanity and lies. But violence and truth can do nothing, the one against the other.
Nevertheless, don’t be fooled by that into thinking that they are at the same level as each other. For there is this extreme difference between them: that violence only has a course marked out for it by God’s command, such that its effects redound to the glory of the truth which it is attacking, while truth subsists eternally, and triumphs in the end over its enemies. Because it is as eternal and powerful as God….
Truth subsists eternally, and triumphs in the end over its enemies.”
The words above are not mine of course, but they are appreciated by me; one conscripted to do my “duty” for my country some 40 years ago. And it is still so today. Today, I am blessed – a proud father, loving parent and grandparent, artist, piper, free thinker, poet, and writer….
I am encouraged to read from Islamic sources that "the highest aspect of jihad is to speak the truth in the face of tyranny" (and that “there is no fault in you if you make a mistake, but only in what your heart "intended”), but am also aware that forgiveness and generosity must be nurtured from the home outward for the love of truth to thrive and grow in community. This is why I have now written to you, and others of many religious colours and persuasions, and invite you to take a look at my wound-wisdom website to highlight the issue: There is no hate in Love.
The website www.wound-wisdom.tk is free to all who seek, and I invite you and others to let me know if anything I have said is not true. It sprang from my concerns about a "growing up issue" described in the "Challenge to Servant-Leaders" section of the site, following my creation of the "Peace and Harmony" picture-puzzle artwork, and the insights I had gained from it: that all of us are both male and female inside.
The "outside" is merely the wrapping which hides the complexity inside; for we are all uniquely created. If this is the case, male = female, just as black is white, and the end is a new beginning.... And we must honour the inside, as well as the outside. No judgment by an outsider is required. Parents are for nurture, pure and simple, not for whipping and stoning * See Biblical References Below *.
I know that I speak to you as one “from the bottom, up”, but I trust that the importance of the loving message encapsulated in the “Peace and Harmony” artwork and attachments will not be lost on you – for each one has a place, in God’s place – even for one at the bottom.
I trust if you have read this far that you will give love a chance, and even if I am a stranger, and strange to you, you will journey with me through wound-wisdom to its fruition, Peace and Harmony for ALL. And in kindness, respond, even if you have some criticisms. I will give each thought, and perhaps modify my approach. I look forward to dialogue, but don't want to get bogged down with dogma.
You will notice that I have taken quotations from the Koran and other holy books from different faiths, and from many other sources. All of these speak with one voice: the truth of the Golden Rule is honoured, and that is how we all want it to be....
1. There is no hate in love: Hate melts in the arms of Love. Parents are for nurture, pure and simple.
2. The “Golden Rule” is common to all religions:
3. “Do not do to others that which you would hate for yourself”, and
4. “Loving your neighbour as yourself” IS
5. “Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”, as WE
6. Recognize ourselves in all others (ALL people are created equal members of one human family).
Long may your love light shine long ! May all of Life's Blessings be Yours, also: Peace to You (as well)
May all the blessing, honour and power so freely given to us return to the One God who gave life to US….
I am, Yours sincerely, and faithfully
Donald Chalmers, a piper too at “The Intricate Weaving of Something Beautiful” http://www.wound-wisdom.tk/ and www.myspace.com/a_piper_too
– CONFRONT ♥ CONDEMNATION –
In Mosaic law, a woman caught in the act of adultery must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say ? (John 8.5)
Jesus said: Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone…. (John 8.7)
I pass judgment on no one. But if I were to do so, my judgement would be true, because I am not alone in this; for God who sent me is with me (John 8.15,16). What I say is true, because I know where I came from, and where I am going (John 8.14). I am the light of the world (John 8.12); I Am Who I Am (John 8.23,27). I am telling you the truth (John 8.34); the truth will set you free (John 8.31). Stop judging by external standards, and (if you must) judge by true standards (John 7.24)….
And one by one, being convicted by their own conscience, the older ones first, to the last, full of shame, they left (John 8.9).
The moral of the story is not changed by my slight repositioning of the text, and is supported by the following texts:
Love your neighbour as you love yourself (Luke 10.27). Do this and you will live (Luke 10.28). Loving your neighbour as you love yourself IS loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Luke10.27-28). Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. Give to others, and God will give to you (Luke 6.37).
And there are many other examples of the Golden Rule, both in the Bible, and in other major religious texts. For example, in the Bible: Leviticus 19.18, Matthew 7.12, Matthew 22.39, Mark 12.31, Luke 6.31, Romans 13.9-10, Galatians 5.14, James 2.8. This is an obviously important theme, and not called “Golden” for nothing, since it (The Φ Rule, or measure of fullness, or ripe maturity), as with “gold” is pure, uncontaminated.
There is no hate in Love. This is the message of Love, which IS God.
Micah, in his Old Testament message has this to say:
The Lord has told us what is good. What God requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God (Micah 6.8).
Going back in the Old testament even further (Isaiah 54.17):
No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and all tongues that rise up against you shall be condemned. This is the heritage of the Lord, and this is the vindication from me (God). Or put differently: No weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory. The Lord has spoken.
How great is the grace of God (Ephesians 1.7)…. All things are done according to God’s plan and decision (Ephesians 1.11)…. For God completes all things everywhere…. (Ephesians 1.23). Everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks (1 Timothy 4.4)…. Watch yourself, and watch your teaching (1 Timothy 4.16). For spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life, both for the present, and for the future (1 Timothy 4.8)….
Now, unto God (you are gods [Psalms 82.1 and 6, John 10.34]), say and do what is right. Don’t use your power to cheat the poor, and don’t accept bribes. Don’t join with those who plan to commit murder or do other evil things. Then you will be safe; you will be as secure as if you were in a strong fortress. You will have food to eat and water to drink…. (Isaiah 33.15-16).
All of the forgoing is not just about you or I, but about us, together – for who among us cannot say:
Almighty, Creator, God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the in-spiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love each other as we love you, and worthily reflect and magnify your great, universal, Holy Name, form, being and self…. (based* on Anselm of Canterbury*)
Late have we loved you, beauty so old and so new; late have we loved you. And see, you were within; always…. (Augustine*) We watch without willing; we love without willing…. (Valentinus*) But, we may be able to, in some way, to express what we are in no way able to express fully…. (Augustine*)
We know we did not make ourselves; we were made by God, who abides for eternity…. That is how it is, when at each moment, we extend our reach, and in a flash of mental energy, attain eternal wisdom, which abides beyond all things…. (Augustine*)
Our One Hope (to love, and to be loved, in return) Unites All. May all of life’s blessings and benefits be yours (also)….
Live Love. Love Live. Live Love and you will Live Φ. For further proofs of Love’s Teaching, see www.wound-wisdom.tk
May all the blessing, honour and power so freely given to us return to the One God who gave life to US….
Please voice your affirmations of this principle at http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=137926 etc.
Please let Archbishops and Politicians know that you will not be the first to cast a stone, and will not let them do so, either, without protest, and call upon them to uphold the human rights of your brothers and sisters, NOW.......... for to hurt "others" hurts our own "selves", also.
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