Abbey Mountain

Simple Spirituality

2012-01-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

Although religion is declining among educated people worldwide, the interest in spirituality and in ultimate questions remains high. I frequently hear comments and discussions of these among friends. I see movies, books and TV programs addressing spiritual issues.

I have spent much of my life inquiring about the right spiritual path. I have read complex books of theology. I have seen some of the famous gurus who appeared in North America during the last 40 years. I have read books and scriptures from the major cultures. And during this time of investigation I have practiced my own simple disciplines to keep me happy and whole.

Having reached my mid 60’s, which is older than most of my ancestors lived, I have concluded that spirituality is actually simple, but it encompasses our whole life. It goes well beyond prayer, meditation, singing, or reading scriptures, as important as these are for me.

It starts with how we live our daily life. Do we chose what is healthy and holy (or whole) for our body, mind and soul, or do we live from hour to hour in a helter-skelter fashion?

Most of us know what is good for our bodies, whether or not we practice it. We need simple food, balancing fruits and vegetables with whole grains, potatoes, and legumes, plus some meat and fish for those who eat them. We need a regular sleeping pattern with 6 – 9 hours of sleep at a regular time to keep our bodies refreshed. We cannot afford to imbibe much alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, whether legal or illegal.

We need regular and vigorous exercise, although not in extreme amounts; half an hour per day is an adequate minimum. That is about it for the body, except for bathing and attending to sickness or wounds. The body is the temple of the spirit, so its care is essential to spirituality.

Spirituality is the nurture and care of our spirit in all of its dimensions:

Our heart and emotions
Our mind and learning
Our work and career
Our money and possessions
Our home, gardens and all growing things
Our parents, siblings, children and other relatives
Our friends, neighbors and our opponents
Our community of people we know and meet
Our actions and conduct, particularly in stressful times
Our character and morals
Our future and our destiny

All of these items above involve important aspects of our spirituality. However, in all of these we are fortunately never acting alone:

There is a guiding hand of Providence that inspires us and supplies our daily needs. I believe God creates and upholds this world, the cosmos, and every being within all time and space.
The Spirit of God speaks to us through a variety of voices and subtle influences, including our own thoughts and feelings. We can learn to distinguish His voice from both our own muddled thoughts and from the temptations of the evil powers about us.
There are wonderful teachers and writers, of whom Jesus of Nazareth was the greatest. His voice has spread across the centuries and I believe we can listen to him speaking directly in our hearts.
There are evil powers, both visible and invisible, which we must oppose.
There are angels and beings of light that help us in our struggles.
And there are kindred spiritual seekers who are also trying to build a more beautiful and harmonious world

Our daily life takes place within this immense spiritual universe. Our struggles are meaningful, even at times when we see mostly darkness and despair.

We each have a divine purpose for which we are created; until we find and pursue this calling, we can never be happy or contented.

Our spiritual life does not require us to make spectacular, heroic progress. We often learn by trial and error, but are protected as long as we try fervently to do what is good.

We need to be contented with our current possessions and circumstances. That does not mean we cannot expect wonderful new experiences ahead and aspire to a better future– we should!

Fortunately, spirituality is simple enough that a child or any ordinary person can comprehend it. However, caring well for our spirit in all it's aspects will challenge us throughout our lifetime.

Pondering Good and Evil

2011-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

An 18th century Italian rabbi once said:

“We will not examine anything new here. Rather, we will direct our attention to certain well known and generally accepted truths among us; for the very fact that they are well-known and generally accepted is the cause of their being overlooked.”

One of the frustrations of the modern age is that, with the explosion of knowledge and information, everything has become complicated. We find fundamental issues difficult to distinguish, such as who is good or evil.

Perhaps most people on the globe would agree that Hitler and Stalin were evil, although some would claim these men were misunderstood, products of an unfortunate childhood or of difficult circumstances.

The word “evil” has fallen into disuse, due to the theory that everyone is essentially good, if we could only understand them and know what makes them behave so badly.

But deep down, we know better. When someone lies to me or cheats me in business, I get rightfully annoyed. Such a person is bad, and I don’t want to hear his or her excuses.

For me, someone is good if they are nurturing and caring for everyone around them and doing no harm to anyone. They should also take care of the natural environment to be good.

An evil person tears down and destroys, whether by lies, sarcasm, cheating, theft, rage or violence. A person who is selfish and exploits others constantly, rather than helping them, is simply evil. I don’t care why.

People who try to live a good life often wonder if they are succeeding. Ironically, truly evil people don’t suffer from this self doubt: they are convinced that they are good. Surely both Stalin and Hitler believed they were helping the whole world.

This question of what is good or evil is ancient. Jesus addressed it in his famous parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew chapter 25. On Judgment Day, the Son of God is pictured judging all of humanity and separating them into two groups, the sheep and the goats, one for eternal reward and the other for punishment. To the sheep, who are good, the Lord says:

   “I was hungry and you fed me,
   I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me a room,
   I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
   I was sick and you stopped to visit,
   I was in prison and you came to me.”

Surprisingly, the sheep respond with doubt. They wonder if He has gotten it right in saying that they had done so well. They can’t remember ever doing these things for the Lord. But he says: “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”

However, the wicked goats respond to their judgment with vehement denial. They never admit to doing any evil. What was Jesus’ charge against them?

   “I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
   I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
   I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
   Sick and in prison, and you never visited.”

Simply put, Jesus says their persistent negligence undermines everything: their marriage, their family, workplace, and whole community.

How might this standard apply in our modern lives? I suggest that it is in having attitudes and actions inspired by love, especially toward those who are most difficult to love.

Jesus asked his followers to love each other with a love as great as the love He had demonstrated towards them. But He went further. He required them to love foreigners, strangers, enemies, neighbors and their difficult family members.

I don’t know about you, but I have nearly always been stuck with having at least one impossible neighbour. There are family members that only a mother could love. And I find certain cultural groups and nationalities difficult for me to understand or to love.

What is worse, there is just not enough time or money to take care of all the people we meet. Walking down a city street, you can pass many beggars with outstretched hands. Our family and workmates make requests beyond our ability to satisfy. I feel inadequate to respond to the hundreds of urgent appeals I receive from wonderful charities, who have designated me a likely donor. How do I meet these challenges?

We need to be reasonable in the standard we apply to both ourselves and to others. I cannot meet every request or demand, but I can respond reasonably within my power. If my paramount objective is to love and to serve, I can do this both in business and in my daily life. Let me give you a practical example.

I spent four months in hospital this past summer. I had many nurses and other staff members looking after me. Most were quite competent, but there was a marked difference between some who did everything in their power to ease my suffering and discomfort, and others who did only the minimum necessary, and with reluctance. I could judge within five minutes which nurses were the sheep and which ones were the goats.

I believe we can distinguish who is consistently good among the people we know. Of course, good people can grow tired and too busy to meet all requests. We don’t need to agree to unreasonable demands, but we need to meet anger with calm, and to treat ill behaviour with kindness.

Good and evil exist in plentiful supply all around us. There are, however, different degrees of goodness and of evil. Even good people occasionally make mistakes and bad people have some residual goodness. But overall, as we live and develop over many years, we choose a predominant tendency to goodness towards others or to selfishness (which is easily justified in our own minds).

After a long while our good or bad deeds become habits and determine our ultimate character. Strangely, it is only the good who ever find true happiness and real joy in their lives. Evil is never fully satisfied or contented.

So in the spiritual world, we become part of the kingdom of heaven, or else we exclude ourselves from it by our own choices and actions. The kingdom of heaven is the transformation that can bring us to not only to a far better world in this life, but also to eternal life in the world to come. It is the ultimate destiny and reward for those who lovingly serve their fellow humans and who worship the King of Heaven.

Hospital and recovery

2011-08-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Transforming life’s major challenges into adventures

2011-08-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

No one can go through life without facing challenges. Sometimes these challenges are large and frightening. How we face them depends mainly on our attitude. We could despair and consider the challenge an outright disaster. Or we can hope for some glimmer of light that will lead us through the storm to a good place beyond. Neither approach is easy.

In May 2011, I encountered one of the greatest challenges in my life. I had been feeling tired and having trouble sleeping. Reluctantly I went to the doctor and had a chest x-ray, which showed a little fluid in my lungs. I was given a diuretic pill to reduce the fluid in my system. I started feeling worse, so I went to St. Mary’s Hospital in Sechelt, British Columbia on May 1. I laid down for a nap in the intensive care unit and never realized what happened next.

As I was sleeping my breathing became erratic and the medical staff realized that my lungs were completely filled with fluid. They induced a coma, and paralyzed me so they could insert a life support tube into my lungs. I was airlifted to a large hospital in Vancouver where a team of medical experts battled for three weeks to save my life. I didn’t start waking up from the coma for 40 days, and then it took me a few more weeks to regain my senses, due to the powerful drugs wearing off so slowly.

After I finally understood what had happened and realized that I was almost paralyzed, I told my wife Kathy we should consider this hospital stay an adventure. I might well have considered this a disaster.

There were negative things about my hospital stay. To start with, I couldn’t speak due to a tracheotomy that put a tube into my lungs that bypassed my vocal chords. Eventually, I was provided a sheet with letters of the alphabet in order to spell out my requests or complaints. But Kathy could barely understand my communication and I was helpless to do anything for myself. I could hardly move my arms or roll over on my side.

Those of you have spent time in hospitals, or have been with friends or family who are seriously ill don’t need a detailed chronicle of the indignities experienced in hospital. But I will share just a few. Not being able to go to a toilet, but rather getting wet and soiled is irritating to say the least. Not being able to eat or drink or even to suck on ice cubes was immensely frustrating when I felt so thirsty. I dreamed that the doctor had given me permission to have ice cubes, but my nurse refused to guided by my mistaken recollection – they worried I might choke on the ice. I was helpless to do anything whatsoever for myself and the nurses were sometimes too busy to help me, and a few nurses seemed fatigued and unsympathetic.

However, most of the hospital staff was kind and competent. I had many visitors, cards, flowers, messages and phone calls. Kathy stayed by my side daily and sang to me and prayed for me, even before I became conscious. She was an angel of mercy in my desperate situation.

Small simple pleasures cheered me. Drinking Tazo tea was a delight. Seeing the mountains, sky and clouds from my window was calming. Eventually, Kathy and her brother were able to take me outside into the garden sunshine. I enjoyed many interesting conversations and had time for inspiring reflection. Friends brought me fresh fruit and flowers.

My struggle to regain my health seemed endlessly long at the time, but in less than 6 weeks after the coma, I had mostly recovered from my congestive heart failure. However, my muscles affected by childhood Polio, had become still weaker. I could not feed myself at first and it took a long while before I could get out of bed or stand up. Finally, I managed to sit up in a wheelchair, even though it seemed highly uncomfortable at first.

Each day I made a little progress and eventually I was able to use the bathroom on my own. The hospital staff helped me through rehabilitation, but there was improvement left to finish when I was discharged from the hospital at the end of July.

So how could this experience have been an adventure rather than a disaster? I chose to count my good times and blessings during this time as more significant than my limitations and suffering. I met people I would never have met. I learned things I could know no other way. I heard many personal stories. I made friends with each nurse, staff member and each patient. They came from everywhere: from Africa, India, Ireland, Caribbean, Australia and many other places.

I had long chats and played cards with Kathy. I had encouraging visitors and I eventually got a phone in my room. I avoided TV and internet so that I would have tranquility. I had hours to think, read and contemplate. The doctors said that rate of my recovery was surprisingly quick given the enormity of the blow to my system.

I believe that God works out the circumstances of our lives for our good, so I didn’t take this severe illness as rebuke or punishment. Perhaps this illness brought a message that I should attend more fully to my health as I grow older.

As I am reaching the end of my long health ordeal I feel strangely reborn. This trying time has proven valuable. My life has returned with surprising new potential. I feel an overwhelming sense of wonder and hope. I eagerly await the coming years, even more adventures.

Now it is August and I am back at our delightful home. I am swimming almost every day in our swimming pool. Our gardens are in full blossom and the fruit is ripening on our trees and berry bushes. We eat salad and veggies daily from the gardens that our friends/caretakers have tended. We have many visitors. Life is very good again.

Conversation with God?

2011-01-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

In earlier times, people of faith readily affirmed the concept of conversing with a Higher Power, who was called by different names in various languages around the world. Today, even those who follow faith traditions are less certain what conversation with God means in practice; and those who doubt the spiritual dimension consider such conversation purely imaginary. Yet prayer, and hearing back from God, is at the heart of spirituality, so ignoring this mystery comes at great expense.

I grew up in a family where talking to God was entirely natural. When I left my faith in my late teens, I joined the modern mindset in scoffing at such primitive ways. After espousing materialistic atheism for a few years at Harvard, I gradually found myself growing curious about fields beyond a material dimension, such as ESP, and other paranormal phenomena. With others of my generation I was intrigued by eastern religions, which seemingly dispensed with a monotheistic God and god-given moral codes.

I will not repeat here how my meanderings led me eventually back to my Judeo Christian heritage, since I have told this story before. But although I now worship the God of my ancestors, my concept of God and the possibility of conversation have been immensely expanded.

I realize how foolish it is for a tiny human speck living on one of the many billions of planets to believe that we have the standing to talk with God from any point of even remote equality. The Old Testament accounts of Abraham, Moses and David arguing with God worked a lot better when God was conceived as a planetary deity, far greater than an earthly king, but at least remotely related to our scale.

Now that our concept of God has been expanded necessarily by a billion times, we wonder how we could conceivably relate to such a Supreme Being. It is not surprising that so many moderns have simplified this issue by dismissing the God concept entirely. Regrettably, I don’t have irrefutable arguments for the determined skeptic. But I have some hints for curious-minded souls.

I start with the observation that people in nearly every culture and time have had some concept and practice of prayer. While these phenomena can be dismissed as primitive, the arrogant assertions of unique brilliance of the 21st century mind are not supported by observation. Architecture and engineering in ancient Egypt and Greece were clearly world class by any standard. There is little reason to believe that philosophers, poets and theologians who lived in the past 3,000 years were inferior to us, except in population numbers. We are not appreciably smarter; we are just more numerous than our ancestors.

Most religious traditions have affirmed prayer both as spoken words and also as silent thoughts offered up to God. While there have been sporadic reports through the centuries of God speaking to us in direct audible speech, the general tendency is to hear His Voice as the thoughts we receive, or by surprising events.

Dialing into the thoughts of God is not as superstitious as some might suspect. Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist in recent centuries, considered God’s thoughts to be an incomparable treasure trove. So did the ancient writers of the Psalms.

We do not easily tune into the thoughts of God. Spiritual training, discipline and introspection are needed to discern God’s voice. And yet, a little child knows clearly at times what God wants.

God is the ultimate source of all brilliant thought and invention, whether or not the person so inspired knows, or gives credit to God. We can train our minds and hearts for better reception, but all of humanity receives this gift of occasional inspired thinking, unless we destroy our minds.

I will not digress here to consider the source of evil thoughts and impulses to action, which is another topic.

The practical question many would ask is: if we pray for a specific request, will God answer? Unfortunately, the answer is an unqualified “maybe.” God hears our every thought, prayer, or curse. But God responds in surprisingly diverse ways.

I have taken vexing questions and situations to God and at times received quick answers, which seemed miraculous. Millions of others testify to such results. But countless prayers also seem to go unanswered for reasons that theologians cannot explain. God always hears, but His decision-making is incomprehensible to our minuscule minds.

God can never be manipulated to suit our purposes, whether by the unscrupulous, or even by those who live according to His Will. Sometimes the upright petitioner seems rejected, and sometimes the scoundrel receives a miracle. God does not play according to our rules!

Climbing the Spiritual Mountain

Almost every culture has used the metaphor of a mountain to symbolize our spiritual journey. In reality, spiritual people do not need to enroll in actual mountain climbing expeditions. But they do need to prepare for an arduous, life-changing journey.

The mountain climb consists of relationship building and of character transformation. To relate well to such an infinite God is markedly demanding. The relationship building is not only upward to God, but also in relating honestly and kindly to all of humanity. These two types of relationships cannot be successfully separated.

Jesus summarized the spiritual journey as loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. That is the foundation of spiritual relationship. This involves making God the center of our entire universe, which is harder than it would seem. But the rewards are heavenly.

We can gradually bring our lives and thoughts into the presence of God by making Him the center of our consciousness. Every action and every breath we take can become part of our unending conversation with our Creator. This is the meaning of “praying without ceasing” as enjoined by St. Paul.

True spirituality practiced for a lifetime leads us to becoming friends with God, as incredible as this may be. In one sense. God is already the Friend of all who seek Him, but this is not their conscious experience moment by moment. In fact, I have not met anyone who lives so far up the mountain that they are God-conscious at every waking moment. But I believe that such a high spiritual altitude may be attainable. That is likely the place Moses and the other spiritual giants of the past lived.

God invites us daily to conversation: through the exquisite beauty of trees, ocean and mountains; by celestial music; by transcendent artistic creation; by all growing things; through the unexpected kindness of a stranger; and, by the ineffable beauty of daily life. There is no better friendship or conversation than this.

Ancient Empires and Conquerors: Reflections on my trip to Turkey, Greece and Italy

2010-07-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last March, my wife and I had an opportunity to join an archaeological tour of

Turkey

with friends. We decided to visit Greece and

Italy

at the same time. We spent an entire month in this interconnected region.

Turkey and

Greece

have been assaulted by invading armies since the earliest recorded history. Even their legendary times, like the Trojan War, involved protracted military campaigns and sieges of impregnable fortresses.

Under Alexander the Great, the Greeks conquered Turkey, Persia and most of the known world as far as

India

. A few centuries later, the Romans subjugated this region and built a world empire that lasted 700 years. After that, the Byzantine Empire ruled the Mediterranean region for nearly 1000 years.

From about 1400 to 1800, the Ottoman Turks dominated the entire Mediterranean region, and controlled much of Egypt, Arabia and parts of Europe. They became the most powerful empire on earth. Although Emperor Charles V was the most powerful ruler in Europe, he trembled at the military might of the Turkish Sultan. Fortunately for Charles, the reigning Sultan died right when the Turkish armies were poised to take Vienna and to sweep further into Europe.

At any given time, Turkey, Greece, and

Italy

were either ruling their neighbors or being ruled by them. And nowhere is this more evident than in the city of Istanbul, where our recent trip began. This city has been settled for at least 2,500 years, but it did not gain prominence until the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to make this city the new capital of the Roman Empire (which soon morphed into the Byzantine Empire). Constantine left

Italy

because Northern tribes were threatening to take Rome, which fell less than a century later. The Emperor Constantine named his city after himself: Constantinople. Later the city name changed to Byzantium and then finally to Istanbul.

There are many visible remnants of these ancient empires. Museums overflow with statues, weapons, costumes, thrones, coins and sarcophagi commemorating ancient generals and kings. Ancient city ruins have been excavated and partly restored. Old stone roads that were built two thousand years ago still run through flourishing fields today. In

Turkey

, history lives visibly on.

Spiritual Conquerors

An entirely different type of conqueror also profoundly affected these Mediterranean lands. Small bands of unarmed travelers walked along Roman roads with an entirely different vision of conquest. I am talking about the first Christians who arrived in the First Century. They sought to build an empire of the spirit. The evidence is hard to find at first glance. They left few objects to be found in museums nor did they build monuments. But in another sense, the evidence left by these spiritual conquerors is immense.

Saul of Tarsus was the most notable early Christian missionary. He started his life as a devout Jew and rose to high leadership in that community. When Christians started attracting many Jewish followers, Saul led the movement to exterminate them completely. But on a trip to Damascus, where he planned to arrest and kill, Saul was struck down by an overpowering vision of Jesus speaking to him from Heaven. Within a few days, Saul was transformed and became Paul the devout Christian messenger.

Paul walked on endless Roman roads with Barnabas, Silas, Mark, and Timothy to found new churches throughout

Turkey

. Later, Paul and his companions moved on to Greece and

Italy

. Their intention was radically different from the plundering soldiers that lay waste every region they passed through. Instead of mass subjugation, these missionaries taught equality of all races, classes, and of male and female. They build new communities based on love and compassion, rather than on wealth and power.

Their teaching was deep love and compassion for all people: love for family, for neighbors, for strangers and for foreigners. Never before had such a compelling spiritual vision been offered with such great self sacrifice. These messengers were opposed, outlawed, tortured and killed in every city they visited. But still they marched on.

Leadership in early Christian communities was demonstrated by humility and by willingness to suffer. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Rome to explain his vision:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In today’s post-Christian world of Europe and North America, we forget how profoundly the Christian message changed history. It soon spread throughout

Italy

and prospered during the Dark Ages. St. Benedict built the first Italian monastery which we visited at Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern

Italy

. Other monasteries soon spread out from there.

Eventually, all of the pagan tribes of Europe were converted to Christianity. Obviously, “converted” is a relative term, since no tribe or nation has ever become fully “Christian”. Even today I wince at things said and done supposedly in the name of Christ.

But the transformation of Europe was unmistakable. Read Sir Arnold Toynbee’s Study of History and his analysis of all civilizations that have been known since recorded history began. Though not a “Christian” himself, Sir Arnold credited Christianity with being the fundamental element of European Civilization. For centuries, this civilization was labeled “Christendom”. Later it became known as “Western Civilization”, and now its law, economics, and social vision have swept over the whole world.

Western Civilization brought us our calendar, our legal system, our modern concept of morality, social justice, public service, and the equality of all races and gender. It inspired universities, built hospitals, and freed slaves. Though many scholars in the 21^st Century consider Christianity obsolete, they forget what the world was like before it arrived.

I am not a Fundamentalist. I have high regard for other religious traditions. I believe in fresh spiritual insights for every century. But to deny our debt to these First Century Christian pioneers is unthinkable. Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, and the best thinkers of our planet have recognized the potency for societal transformation that Jesus inspired.

Obviously, many bad things have been done by people allegedly following Jesus Christ. But these so-called followers with their personal agendas of coercion can never offset the world transformation brought about by his sublime teaching.

By contrast, memories of the great Mediterranean kings have been mostly lost in the sands of time. We still see lovely statues, crowns, jewelery, and crumbling monuments built in their honour. But they didn’t fundamentally change history. People hardly remembered which marauding army had come through last. Their glory was in rampage, blood-lust, and plunder.

The great English Romantic poet Percy Shelley wrote Ozymandias, which is about the futile poignancy of earthly conquest:

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Far better then generals or kings were those spiritual pilgrims who conquered their own minds, and who learned not to lose their temper. They helped gradually transform a violent society into one that is more gentle. These spiritual conquerors achieved the true immortality that former kings and emperors only dreamed of. They brought us a taste of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Photos from Turkey: Ancient Ephesus and Galata Tower in Istanbul

2010-06-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

An Explainable Religious Faith

2010-05-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

I have been traveling recently in Turkey, Greece and Italy. I heard many languages spoken. I saw evidence of religious faith in many places. I want to write a short explanation of my faith that could be understood by someone from a different culture and from another religious faith or perhaps no faith. So here are the main elements of what I believe:

I believe that it is very important to treat all people with the same love and respect that we show to our family and friends. We should treat neighbors and foreigners as we hope they will treat us.

That means forgiving others when they behave badly, loving difficult people, and having compassion for all people who are suffering. It means helping people in whatever way they urgently need to be helped.

It means treating everyone alike, whether they are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, educated or unschooled, of any religion or no religion. All people equally deserve my love and respect, no matter who they are.

Our natural tendency is to treat other people well only after they have demonstrated their good behaviour towards us. We tend to treat people well if they are already nice and friendly.

But that approach isn’t good enough to improve our world. Someone has to take the first initiative to offer goodwill whenever there is suspicion or hatred. To break the global curse of conflict and war, we must be willing to show love towards those who don’t (seem to) deserve it.

We need a higher moral and ethical standard than education, government or logic can produce in us. I believe that higher standard can only come through God’s inspiration.

Most people throughout the centuries have believed in God or in a Higher Power of some form. Regrettably, our human tendency is mostly to reject God’s wisdom. We would rather do everything our own way, even if it is wrong. Our unwillingness to listen God’s suggestions is the main cause of conflict and suffering.

There are many forms of religion in this world, but not all of them work equally well. I spent more than a decade investigating various religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Atheism. I have concluded that Jesus is the best guide to life. I have found no other faith teaching as helpful as his.

Jesus showed us how to find God’s wisdom and to follow it carefully. Unfortunately, many followers of Jesus do not imitate his life style. But whenever we practice his way of listening to God and loving everyone, we find new reason for hope. Jesus created a better world all around him by following God constantly. If we learn to listen intently to God, we will be inspired build a far better world around us.

Through Jesus, we see the face of God. It was for this reason that God sent Jesus to us. Jesus was willing to bet his life on his relationship with his Father God. Jesus died and returned to life to show us the potential for immortal life. That is our deepest longing: to live forever in a better place, on a higher plane.

I believe in miraculous events, but not in humans having magical powers. I see God doing astonishing things in my neighbourhood that you and I could never accomplish without Divine help.

I sense the Spirit of God participating in my daily life. In quiet moments I receive Spirit guidance for my challenges and my projects.

My faith affects everything I do and say. It changes who I am.

Not that I always get things right. I make many mistakes despite my belief in a higher standard. Often I don’t treat others with enough love and respect. But that doesn’t negate my faith.

I am on a long journey of learning: how to live and die, and how to find eternal life. My goal is to help bring a little bit of heaven down to earth. That is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus demonstrated for us.

Searching for a Credible Faith?

2010-02-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

From time to time I meet people who are searching for a dependable faith. The older woman I mentioned in my April 23, 2009 blog post “I Believe in the Absence of God” was one of them.

I met this same woman again recently at my swimming pool and she questioned me intensely about my faith. This surprised me since she hardly knows me. She is searching eagerly for a source of hope before she dies—but she is not prepared to settle for any belief that lacks credibility. The blind faith she had as a child disappointed her. She now wants to find TRUTH, not just pleasant myth. Finding a reliable faith has been my life-quest as well.

I use the term “faith” (or religion) to mean our ultimate road-map for life. This concept applies to an individual, and also to a family or a community of people. It helps to have a group of people living together who share the same values and the same “faith” road-map. That is a faith community.

So in a sense, a Materialist or an Atheist can also have a “faith”—faith is defined as whatever system of living and thinking that we are willing to bet our life on.

Both Albert Einstein and the renowned British historian Arnold Toynbee included Communism and other secular belief systems in their observation of religious phenomena. I quite agree with them: any system of thought and practice that drives its adherents with consuming passion is a kind of “religion” or “faith”.

I would include “Environmentalism”; in my category of faith. Some of my friends believe that there is nothing more worth living and dying for than to save the fragile planetary environment. Heroes of Greenpeace have risked their lives in trying to save the planet and its endangered species. Although their faith is not supreme wisdom for living, I have no quarrel with most of their goals. On the other hand, they may fail to address some of life’s most perplexing questions. Or they may worship Creation, but forget its CREATOR.

The term faith implies principles we believe intensely, but that cannot be proven to a skeptic. True faith involves struggle and contention, almost by definition.

Faith is also something we value so much that we naturally want to share it with friends. That may cause conflict, particularly if we become too zealous and impatient to convince others.

Any search for faith that is not linked to finding wisdom and understanding will eventually prove unsatisfying. Real faith changes our emotions, but it should persuade our minds as well.

The religion of my childhood seemed too peculiar for me to accept without question. People in my Amish Mennonite community in the 1950’s followed their traditions as best they could. However, they believed some things that seemed naive, if not foolish to me.

My father was an example of this naivete, although he was also a marvelous man in many respects. My Dad was born over a hundred years ago in 1906. He dropped out of school after grade six to help support his family when his mother died in the great flue epidemic of 1918. Like many rural people, Dad had some far-fetched ideas that seemed laughable to his better educated children.

For instance, my father claimed that fishing worms fell down from the sky whenever it rained. There is no doubt that whenever there was a heavy rain at our farm, the ground was covered with earthworms; they came out of the earth to avoid drowning. My father’s interpretation, however, was that the worms fell down out of the sky together with the rain. His observations fit the facts as he understood them, but his line of reasoning was humorously deficient. His approach to the Bible seemed equally haphazard to me.

Traditional religions often become mixed up with elements of superstition or folk tales. We see this ofttimes in other people’s religions, but not always in our own tradition. I notice that city dwellers have their own superstitions, such as astrology. Whenever there is an absence of real faith, then folk tales and superstitions fill the vacuum.

Albert Einstein famously remarked: “All men are equally wise and equally foolish before God”. The Infinite One must laugh at the pretentions of small earth dwellers. How little we humans truly understand; but our preachers and academic teachers hold forth with bland confidence nonetheless on subjects none of us understand very clearly.

After years of observing religion and faith in its many forms, I have become less critical of primitive and traditional religion. I did not realize as a boy that people admired my Amish Mennonite family. I thought we were far too peculiar to be accepted by our neighbors. However, most people have considerable respect for sincere believers: whether they are Catholics, Baptists, Jews, Buddhists, or Environmentalists. In one sense, each of these faiths is incredible. Perhaps that is the very nature of faith—to believe profoundly in what other people do not (yet) find convincing.

I have concluded that even the ignorant and simple people rarely go far wrong when they sincerely try to follow their scriptures—that is exactly what scriptures are for. Thus in my older years, I find that I believe many if not most of the things that my father held dear. I don’t accept all of his superstitions, but I find faith in God, in Jesus, and in the Bible better for me than any of the alternative faiths/religions that I have investigated.

Although some people may be struck by the lightning of God’s truth at any age, authentic faith must be proven genuine on the battlefield of life. Faith that is not pure gold will not endure the refiner’s fire.

It is God who fortunately reveals Himself to those who seek Him; it does not depend on our intellectual sophistication. That is why highly educated people may never find faith, while simple folks are still finding God all around the world. Humility before the ULTIMATE INTELLIGENCE is the only requirement for faith and worship.

The language of faith is mysterious because it attempts to describe a REALITY so much larger than human intelligence can grasp or explain. Faith may sometimes seem vague or precarious, but it is a lifeline. It brings hope, enthusiasm, courage and vision. It depends more on guidance from above, than our mental gymnastics.

Where faith is totally lacking, people find life very dark. However, there is always light available for those who will follow it. That light grows gradually brighter as we approach the ONE who lives in LIGHT. St. Paul describes God to his young friend Timothy as the one … “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever.”

Faith should be credible, but it will also remain tantalizingly and spectacularly incredible.

Trying to Comprehend a “Billion Times Bigger” God

2010-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

We live in the Star Trek generation. Images of space travel are commonplace in movies and on TV. But most of us are oblivious to how drastically our world view has shifted during the past century.

I grew in up the 1940’s and 1950’s with uneducated farmers and tradesmen who retained much of the perspective of earlier centuries. One of my mother’s cousins questioned the idea that the Earth rotates around the Sun, because Old Testament scriptures in the King James Translation seemed to imply that earth is fixed at the center of the Universe.

Although I heard about the Russian Sputnik, the first satellite ever launched in 1957, my awareness of the stars and galaxies was minimal until I went to Harvard College.

I took a course in Astronomy in 1965. My Professor was Dr. Owen Gingerich. Little did I realize how profoundly this course would change my understanding of the universe. Nor did I realize that Professor Gingerich would become one of the better known and respected astronomers in the world.

Professor Gingerich explained the historical development of Astronomy and taught us the mathematical formulas that are used to calculate the size of the earth and to measure distances to the moon and to the other planets in our solar system.

We studied the great 16th Century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus whose mathematical calculations of planetary orbits demonstrated why the earth could not be the center of the universe as was commonly believed in his era. Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei extended this research which brought a stinging rebuke from the Pope.

But it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that astronomers discovered the full extent of the universe. This required new telescopes and other scientific instruments for observation. The distances of inter stellar space were so vast that entirely new concepts of measurement were needed.

The concept of light years still astounds me. If we could board a space ship and travel at the speed of light (roughly 186,300 miles per second) it would take us more than four years to travel to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. However, traveling at the speed of our most distant space probe, Voyager 1, this journey would require 72,000 years just to reach this nearest star.

Our Galaxy, the Milky Way, has an estimated 200 - 400 billion stars that are the size of our sun or up to 100 times larger. The Milky Way stretches about 100,000 light years across. Our neighboring galaxy, the Andromeda, contains about a trillion stars. The universe is estimated to contain 80 billion (or more) galaxies like the Milky Way. The total number of stars is estimated to be more than 50 billion trillion (50 sextillion stars).

I sympathize with the 16th and 17th Century Vatican officials who rejected the revolutionary concept of a universe without the Earth at its center. And I understand the profound religious disturbance which is still being caused by a virtually infinite universe.

This radical development is upsetting the religious views developed over the past 3,000 years. Just when humans believed that we had figured out our World, our God and the Universe, new astronomic information has upset our view of the Cosmos.

The God which humanity had previously conceived of seemed powerful and ancient, but ruling only a single planet, plus some heavenly lights in the sky. (The lesser Greek gods were scarcely beyond the realm of mortals.)

But now we must either dispense with the God concept altogether, or else try to comprehend a Being that is billions or trillions of times larger. This development is profoundly challenging our religious and spiritual concepts. There have been at least four different responses:

1. This new information about the vast scale of universe has caused many people to abandon religion and faith altogether, particularly in the academic and scientific community. The world of faith and spirituality involves a different way of perceiving from the rational calculations of science. Some call this left brain and right brain. While some scientists have no problem using both kinds of thinking, others demand a single rational mode to make ultimate determinations. They want God to be proved by scientific methods, or else abolished completely.

2. Other people have retained religious concepts and practices as useful myths for our rites of passage, but for little more. They have become practical atheists with a nostalgic religious culture.

3. At the other extreme there are religious people who ignore or deny this new scientific information in order to hold on tightly to their historic faith. They view science with extreme skepticism. They see science as the enemy of faith.

4. Finally, some people refuse to discard either the new information coming from scientific observation, or to dispense with findings from the spiritual world. They hold both in dynamic tension. Albert Einstein was in this group and so is my former Professor Owen Gingerich.

He sees the hand of a creator at work in every aspect of nature, from interstellar space to the smallest aspects of the human gene. Dr. Gingerich remarked:

“As we look into the next millennium, we can see some redemption from suffering and evil in the hands of scientists. They can stem the scourge of plagues, can help bring forth more abundant produce from the earth, can tap the abundant energy of sunshine. Yet some of those same keys also unlock biological warfare, can generate monsters, can destroy our atmosphere.

“Salvation does not come from science. Salvation comes from age-old insights into human nature, and the on-going quest to be reconciled to God. It comes from Jesus not only reminding us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but with the parable of the Good Samaritan, where he told us our neighbors can be strangers anywhere.”

So what kind of God can we try to imagine? God is not a billion times bigger than before, because God doesn’t change. God was just as big when he called Abraham out of Ur and when Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

I believe that God is the Source of all music, all inspiration, all knowledge, all design, all thought, all power, and the source of all matter and energy. He inhabits the affairs of the entire universe from immensely large to infinitesimally small. Even the most brilliant human minds today can grasp only a tiny fragment of all that God has created.

The most astonishing thing of all is that this immensely powerful God still communicates with us and nourishes us in more ways than we ever comprehend.

Materialism and Scientism: A Religion of Despair?

2009-12-02T10:12:00.001-08:00

When I was a young student at Harvard, I embraced the religion of the avant-garde: a rejection of God and the adulation of human accomplishments, particularly of science. Friedrich Nietzsche had declared a century earlier that “God is dead”, but it wasn’t until the 20th Century that so many educated people flocked to this new philosophy.

Some call this Atheism. Others call it Materialism, since its believers deny any reality beyond the material. But I like the term “Scientism” since it most accurately describes the new religion: the dogmatic worship of Science.

My university days were the most lonely and despairing time of my life, but I didn’t realize the cause of my malaise. Fortunately, in time I saw the limits of non-faith and started a search for something positive to believe. To my surprise, I gradually rediscovered the sublime beauty of Christian faith after trying several alternatives.

I believe that the most serious challenge to traditional faith is not the contending denominations within Christianity. Nor is it even the differences we have with other faiths. Rather, it is the complete negation of soul, of spirit, and of any Higher Intelligence.

Let me quote from one of the early advocates of Scientism, Bertrand Russell:

“That man is the product of causes which had no provision of the end they were achieving;
that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms;
that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave;
that all of the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system;
and the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
Only within the scaffolding of these new truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”

I am indebted to Charles Tart who in his recent book The End of Materialism described this new belief system so clearly. My religious views are different from Charles, but I appreciate his observations on spirituality and how it can be reconciled with science.

I have high respect for science and for scientists. But like Einstein, I see science as the handiwork of a great Higher Intelligence, who created the endless galaxies, as well as the subatomic realm.

The central pillar of my belief is this great God who has communicated with humans throughout all ages. I am not distressed by the seeming disparity of religious beliefs. When you consider how minuscule is our intelligence compared to that vast INTELLIGENCE of our Creator, how could any of us ever begin to comprehend or to explain His marvellous nature fully? How could we begin to explain Heaven, His Celestial Dwelling beyond matter and time?

Fortunately, we have no need to fully understand these wondrous matters. We need only enough wisdom to live our lives. And we need charity, sympathy and tolerance for those who see things differently from us. We can never persuade anyone by arguing, although civilized conversation is helpful.

Regrettably, our public schools and universities have outlawed all expressions of faith except for the beliefs of Scientism. That is a tragedy. However, people of faith have partly brought this upon ourselves through our own religious dogmatism. We deify our own moral understanding which we mistake for God’s law. We reject scientific observations if they seem to conflict with our beliefs, rather than pondering them carefully.

For instance, I believe we have lost credibility by our total opposition to evolutionary theory. Most scientists speculate that the universe began in one instant in time by a cosmic explosion—the “Big Bang” theory. So why not hold on to the more defensible belief that only God could have brought about such an amazing creation of the universe in one second? Whether God created Man in one day or He is still continuing to create life matters little, so long as He is the Creator. The details of earliest human history are lost in fog. Why not acknowledge that the ways of God are so far beyond us, that we don’t always know his methods. Evolutionary theory could well be wrong in various respects, but likely so are some of our own concepts about God and how he works.

I believe in the essentials of the Christian faith of my ancestors. Not because they were so wise—like us, they could only see “as through a glass darkly”. But God has provided enough light and inspiration to humanity in every culture and in each century so that we could know Him. The changes of belief over time and across cultures are not fundamental. I believe God is leading us gently to a better understanding.

The problem with Scientism is that with God dead, and the universe governed by random chance, humanity has no protection and no assurance for the future. Furthermore, there is no answer to death, despite frantic research to extend our lives. It is not surprising that this belief system brings loneliness and despair.

Humanity stands at a crossroad. Those who share a traditional faith in God must learn to get along, despite our many differences. We also need to engage lovingly and thoughtfully with those who have lost faith in anything greater than science. That view brings the despair evident in Russell’s comments. Our faith brings a strong hope:

So long as God is in His Heaven, all will be right with the world!

Three contemporary versions of Psalm 23

2009-10-22T06:50:00.001-07:00

1. The Message translation by Eugene Peterson
^1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

⁴ Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I'm not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd's crook
      makes me feel secure.

⁵ You serve me a six-course dinner
      right in front of my enemies.
   You revive my drooping head;
      my cup brims with blessing.

⁶ Your beauty and love chase after me
      every day of my life.
   I'm back home in the house of God
      for the rest of my life.

2. Psalm 23 Antithesis (author: anonymous)
The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me into deep depression.
It hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy, for activities sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done,
For my ideal is with me
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines
My in-basket overflows.
Surely fatigue and time pressures shall follow me
All the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.

3. Psalm 23, Japanese version:

The Lord is my pace setter, I shall not rush.

He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.

He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity.

He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind, and his guidance is peace.

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here.

His timelessness, His all-importance will keep me in balance.

He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity, by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility.

My cup of joyous energy overflows; surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours.

For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord, and dwell in His house forever.

Dealing with Life’s Disappointments

2009-08-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a somewhat disappointing trip to the Midwest to visit with my extended family. Before I left, a visitor came to our house with a bad cough which I caught before leaving for the airport. So I was sneezing, wheezing and coughing up phlegm on the plane to Chicago. This hacking cough continued throughout the night and during a long drive to Southern Indiana. At our big family reunion, I was too tired to fully participate in all of the activities.

When I had almost recovered, my wife and other relatives caught an even worse flu with constant diarrhea. This disrupted our vacation plans of canoeing, sightseeing, swimming. Furthermore, the weather in the Midwest was cold and rainy most of the time, which dampened our summer fun. In Wisconsin, mosquitoes prevented us from sitting outdoors. Not much of a summer vacation.

I could write pages more about disappointments, both yours and mine. Close friends have a teenage son with severe recurring cancer. Another friend has a homeless brother who has fallen into a nameless coma. People all around are losing jobs. Highly talented young people can’t find work commensurate with their abilities. Seniors have lost a lot of their retirement funds in the financial crisis.

A natural response to our disappointments is resentment. We can vent our rage. We can sulk and withdraw from life’s seeming caprice.

But that is not our only option. We can also acknowledge our disappointments but still make the best of our life situation.

One of the great inspirations of my life was watching the heroic death of Linda Bergwall, who had worked in New York as a fashion designer. Linda received a long series of chemo treatments, but eventually it became clear that they were not working. So she set about buying and fixing up a home in Pennsylvania for her husband Jim and two lovely daughters. She made a farewell visits to family and friends. She came with us on our boat to watch the Vancouver fireworks. She enjoyed good food, music, and every pleasure she could find. She was constantly full of life, although dying.

When Jim and Linda visited our church, they taught us this poignant litany:

God is Good

All of the Time.

All of the Time

God is Good!

To watch Linda’s joyful faith when she was being consumed by cancer seemed contradictory, almost naïve. Yet, I believe she and Jim got it exactly right. It is hard to explain how God is good when our world is in such a hopeless mess. But that is the essence of faith.

I have found several ways to minimize disappointments so that they don’t derail our lives. The first is to Reduce Expectations. Fortunately, I had remembered how many things can go wrong on a family vacation, so I was not surprised by this summer’s events. However, at other times things succeed beyond our imagination. My maxim is high hopes, but low expectations. Giving up on our hopes is not good, but having high expectations that are so often dashed is also frustrating. Essentially, we need to remember that life has lots of ups and downs. We should prepare for both good times and hard times. Neither lasts indefinitely.

A second way to limit the damage is Calm Acceptance. We can not avoid most of the difficulties we encounter, but we have some power over our reactions. Sometimes we dwell on our misfortunes, we complain loudly and look around for who is to blame. A better way is to let the harsh wind blow over us then pick ourselves up and move forward. Otherwise we waste precious energy bewailing our fate.

A third method to avoid being depressed by misfortunes is to Live in the present. Anticipating a wonderful vacation for many weeks seems OK, but can prove disastrous when it fails to materialize. I know a couple that invested huge energy and money for a year abroad; this actually wrecked their marriage when the reality of the experience turned out so much worse than the imagined pleasures. Equally, fretting about past disasters is a barrier to moving ahead. Each day has fresh opportunities and pitfalls. But we need to live one day at a time.

My last suggestion is Embracing Life to the fullest. At my age health concerns for my generation can become all consuming. Talk about diseases, medicines, vitamins, miracle cures, rejuvenation can fill days of conversation. In my experience, these are not only of little value, but they distract from the wonders all around us.

If we calmly accept that our lives will end, sooner or later, we are freed to embrace the delights of life. I have never so appreciated hearing bird calls before, nor savoured the exquisite beauty of each tree I see. Despite elevated blood pressure and deteriorating joints I love to work in my garden and walk by the ocean. I am discovering astonishing music and fantastic foods.

Like you, I have my share of disappointments. But I try to take them in my stride as only a momentary twinge. I stay busy with life’s delights.

Summer in the Garden and by the Ocean

2009-07-13T08:48:00.001-07:00

Our Dog Shiraz

2009-06-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our Animal and Spiritual Nature

2009-06-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have the loveliest dog named Shiraz. She is a Rottweiler cross, weighing about 70 pounds (32 kg.). She is one year old, gorgeous, friendly, highly intelligent and well trained. She is perhaps the nicest animal I have ever known. But she is clearly an animal with strong animal instincts.

Shiraz dominates our ancient poodle Amigo in ways that are both hilarious and cruel. When we feed Shiraz in her large dish and Amigo in his small dish, Shiraz walks over and quickly empties Amigo’s dish before leisurely finishing her own. If Amigo disputes the pecking order, he receives a growl or a quick bite.

This highly-efficient, competitive instinct has allowed Shiraz’s ancestors to survive when lesser dogs were starving. It is also grossly unfair to our little poodle. Although we have trained Shiraz better than any previous dog, we can not train her to surpass her animal instincts. Her aggressive wolf ancestry lurks just below the surface and comes out when least expected.

I share some of Shiraz’s virtues and also a few of her less admirable qualities. My temper can flare up in an instant. I too am competitive by nature, which has helped me succeed in the business world.

I had the good fortune to take a course in anthropology at Harvard with Irven DeVore, who still appears occasionally on TV nature shows. He told us wonderful stories about living with baboons in Africa, which illustrated graphically that we share a lot of behaviour traits with apes and other primates. For instance, male baboons wake up in the morning and sit around for an hour or more as if having a second cup of coffee, while the female baboons immediately spring into action to care for the young and get going on the day – that describes me and my wife.

Nevertheless, I am more that just a highly evolved animal. I am able to change and grow in ways that Shiraz and the apes can never emulate. I have a much bigger brain capacity. I also have spiritual potential that is nearly divine if I choose to develop it to its fullest. However, this spiritual side never quite fully transcends my animal nature. It seems like the struggle between my two natures—animal and spiritual—will always remain.

Sigmund Freud labeled our animal nature the “Id” and our spiritual capacity the “Superego”. Freud had profound insights about human nature which brought him fame. However, Freud’s materialist worldview limited his comprehension of our spiritual potential. Freud had no room for God and saw the spiritual side as repressing our legitimate animal desires. He never realized that this spiritual nature can enrich our lives immeasurably.

By contrast, his Jewish contemporary Albert Einstein achieved an even higher world stature; this is evidenced by Einstein’s selection by Time Magazine as the “Greatest Person of the Twentieth Century”, far surpassing Freud’s influence.

Einstein said that his faith in a Divine Creator gave him a distinct edge over contemporary physicists who believed in a randomly ordered universe. Einstein sought to understand God’s grand design which governs all matter, from sub-atomic particles to intergalactic space. Einstein paid tribute to God throughout his life. He said: “I want to know God’s thoughts. The rest are details.”

Debate on religious and spiritual issues has gone on for thousands of years and will confront us for the foreseeable future. But the biggest question is whether there is indeed a Higher Power from whom we originate, or whether humans are just the top of the animal pyramid, governed by random chance.

The question of evolution of life on earth is secondary. Most astronomers believe that all of the galaxies were created in one titanic explosion in a single instant of time—the Big Bang. If Einstein is correct that God orchestrated this entire cosmic production, we are wasting time on heated discussions about whether or not plants, animals, and humans change gradually through an evolutionary process. Because if God designed and ordered the most infinitesimal, sub-atomic particles, how could he not also control all subsequent development in all spheres?

We must feed and develop our spiritual nature. On the other hand, we don’t need to view our animal side as primarily negative – it too was created by God. The animal kingdom is wondrously beautiful and captivating. But we can become much more than super-intelligent animals. We have the potential to become sons and daughters of the most high God.

Viewing ourselves as spiritual creatures as opposed to merely being the highest evolutionary achievement in the animal kingdom makes a dramatic difference in our worldview. It changes our behaviour. It alters our destiny. That is what the concept “New Birth” or “Born Again” truly signifies. It means actively embracing our divine heritage and becoming a “Child of God”.

To be spiritual requires humility before a mysterious universe in which we play a special, but quite junior role. We comprehend a lot, but there is far more that lies beyond human comprehension. And our animal nature keeps us humble as well.

We should nourish our body, mind and spirit. Nourishing our spirit is a formidable challenge which takes a lifetime. In past centuries, we entrusted this domain to our religion. Now many people have left religious institutions while still trying to keep up their spiritual beliefs.

We spend a lot of time and money to develop our mind and body. But our spiritual side may be starving on scraps and leftovers. If we truly value our spiritual nature, we need to provide it abundant time and resources. We need to read inspiring books and to associate with others who are spiritually striving. Our spirit, like our mind and body, will atrophy without dedicated commitment and healthy discipline. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth if we pray for wisdom.

Shiraz shares the animal kingdom with other remarkable creatures like the bear I saw in my neighbourhood a few days ago. I wouldn’t want these animals to become much more intelligent with their uncontrollable animal instincts—they are dangerous enough already; imagine what they might do with guns or nuclear weapons. If humans are merely super-intelligent animals, then heaven help us.

Our spiritual side is what links us to a higher order of creation and to the God who governs the universe with exquisite wisdom. Our spiritual nature can connect us to His transcendent wisdom, which should guide our behaviour, our families, our communities and our whole society. That wisdom – if we grasp it fully – could bring world peace and the fulfillment of all our dreams.

Perhaps surprisingly, Einstein would agree. He said:

“If one purges the Judaism of the Prophets and Christianity as Jesus Christ taught it of all subsequent additions, especially those of the priests, one is left with a teaching which is capable of curing all the social ills of humanity.”

My last picture of Nephew Jon Michael Miller

2009-06-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Nephew Jon Michael Miller

2009-06-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Mike, I don’t know if you can see us or hear us from where you have gone. If not, my fond memories of you are still a comfort in this time of distress.

The news of your leaving us suddenly a day before your 52nd birthday was a great shock! Early Sunday morning I got an email at 6:00 from Rho saying emergency – death in the family. I wondered which brother or sister it might be. I spoke with Rho and got the details. Then I spoke with your mother Marj, your daughter Angie (Angela), and your cousin David Miller, who seemed almost like your twin brother when you were growing up. Dave had been thinking of inviting you down to the Florida Keys to go fishing on his sail boat. Now I may go visit Dave in your stead next October.

My cell phone was ringing at church on Sunday with questions about you. In the afternoon my children and extended family were trading phone calls, text messages, and Facebook comments about your untimely passing. My sister Loie (your aunt) sent around this message:

I'm just reeling at the news of the sudden apparent cardiac death in his sleep of Marj/Vern's son Jon Michael Miller who would have been 52 on June 15th -- Love Loie

My thoughts drift back 52 years to when you were born. Your parents lived in our basement for a brief time until their new house on Smith Kramer (in Hartville Ohio) was finished. I got to babysit you once or twice, which confirmed how little I knew about taking care of babies. My sisters knew how to do that and how to change diapers—but I didn’t learn that crucial skill for another 20 years when my own babies came.

When you got to be two and three years old I played with you a lot, often with your cousin David who was just six weeks younger. You and he were the younger brothers I never had. As you grew, we continued our close relationship.

I particularly remember going camping at Andy J’s pond half a mile behind our house. It was wild and wonderful. We waded into the murky pond. There was a small boat there. We fished, shot frogs and rabbits, and then fried them over the camp fire—delicious! We slept in old tattered blankets that Mom let us haul along (we hardly knew about sleeping bags). Instead of a tent, we brought a tarp in case of rain, but we still got wet. We lived like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. You and Dave never wanted to leave there!

As you grew older our adventures continued. We played music on an old guitar. We hunted and fished together, but soon you were organizing the expeditions instead of me.

Then you fell in love, got married and raised Angie and Jon Michael. Kathy and I kept visiting you when we came home to Ohio from British Columbia. Our four children loved the wild rides you gave them on your quad—Kathy wondered if they would survive. However, you became their biggest attraction for going to Ohio!

Last summer we had a wonderful time at your parents’ home, and then came over to visit with you as usual. You were out on your tractor, but you made us pancakes for breakfast and we had a wonderful conversation. As always, you were warm and pleasant. You had a wonderful heart—even if medically it was weak.

To say we miss you is a huge understatement. We hoped to spend many more years together, swimming, boating, cooking, eating, conversing and delighting in your company. But we will keep you with us forever in our hearts.

I will put a picture of you on the shelf above my desk where Mom and Dad smile down on me. I suspect you are with them now, happy to see them. The happiness here is mixed with tears, but that is because we love you so much.

Realizing the Presence of God

2009-06-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

Intellectually, I have been convinced of the continuous presence of God for much of my life. However consciously experiencing God’s presence each hour of the day has been far beyond my reach.

There are many teachings about developing continuous God awareness, or God consciousness. Psalm 139 is a lyrical description of God being ever with us:

“I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!

“Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"

The most obvious ways to realize the presence of God are through prayer, meditation, and imagination/visualization. I have practiced these approaches for many years. But now, I have found a way to bring these practices together somewhat better.

I recently reread the devotional classic The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, a 17th Century French monk. This humble brother worked in the kitchen with pots and pans in his monastery. He wrote:

“I still believe that all spiritual life consists of practicing God’s presence, and that anyone who practices it correctly will soon attain spiritual fulfillment… There is no sweeter manner of living in the world than continuous communication with God.”

When I first read Brother Lawrence’s book thirty years ago I grasped part of his concept, but I was unable to achieve it in daily life. Even in rereading this book I could not find explicitly how I might accomplish this; but I have begun to work out an approach.

I try to keep God in my thoughts whenever possible, both day and night. Sometimes this is through active prayer or repetition of short prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer. Sometimes it is through songs. But mostly, it is conversing in my mind with God as I would talk with my wife or closest friends in a completely relaxed manner.

Often God is just a fleeting awareness for me; he comes and goes in my mind. Sometimes I sit in bright sunshine and realize that he has made a million suns. Other times I discuss more trivial matters with my Friend. I try to keep this Divine Companion with me in every activity, day and night. There is no topic that I don’t include him, even in my less than noble thoughts.

Keeping God present constantly requires seeing God differently—no less holy or powerful, but more loving and tolerant of our constant failings. William P. Young's novel The Shack describes the kind of God I can hang out with. I need to share my dreams, emotions, entertainment, computer, TV, sexuality, and everything else that occupies my thoughts, whether good or bad

The God I grew up with could never have stayed with me through all of these. His strong disapproval of the real me seemed so overpowering that I could only hide and hope he would go away.

Fortunately, over the years my concept of God has shifted considerably. The God I now experience is no less exalted, but his patience and tolerance are virtually infinite. Jesus brought God much closer to earth by calling him “Father” or “Daddy”. But for most of us, he has been a stern and disapproving parent. Such a God would stay beyond my reach. But the God described in The Shack I can keep close day and night.

So keeping God always present is not a formula or a new year’s resolution; it is a lifetime journey. My experience of trying this hasn’t brought uninterrupted success. But God is closer than before. His presence is comforting and inspiring. He gently guides me into better ways.

At age 62 I realize that I will not live for many more decades. Facing life and death with an immortal Companion brings me tranquility and joyfulness. Each moment holds new promise.

The sunsets are more lovely. The birds sing more sweetly. The stars shine brighter. It is like the First Day of Creation.

That thought and feeling gives meaning to my daily life. As a young boy I learned these immortal lines of King David, a poet king of ancient times:

“Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.”

The Absence of God

2009-04-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was swimming at our local community pool when a fascinating conversation broke out in the hot tub. Two women were discussing their religious beliefs. One woman was excited about joining the local Baptist church, having grown up in another denomination. The other woman said she was an Atheist. She said “I believe in the absence of God”.

I have reflected for several weeks on the absence of God. Many people have experienced God missing at times, whether or not they have a religious faith.

I was struck several years ago by reading a conversation with Mother Teresa. She said that she had gone on for many decades after her first potent experiences of God’s presence, where he spoke powerfully to her. However, her transcendent ecstasies were not repeated again during the next fifty years, despite her exemplary life of service to the dying poor in Calcutta.

I have been reading the French philosopher and mystic, Simone Weil. She wrote about the necessity of God withdrawing intentionally from the human sphere. Otherwise, she says, we would not have the freedom to become the mature spiritual beings that God wants; we might be more like animals or puppets, responding to what God desires in a slavish fashion, rather than in a willing manner. She said God’s love for us requires some distance between us and him.

God’s absence seems apparent in many places. I have seen the empty cathedrals of Europe, lovingly built by people of great faith, but now days admired primarily for their architectural elegance. Has God gone missing in Europe?

What of those who suffer unimaginable evil from crime, war, torture, and exploitation. Where is the presence of God for them? Or is he perhaps found more often during times of misery than in times of pleasure?

Finally, there are references in scripture to God’s absence, whether in the Psalms or in Jesus crying out “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

For many years I have reflected on the presence of God, but now I realize that we experience his absence as well. This dearth is a profound dilemma both for spiritual seekers and for atheists: how do we deal with feeling such an immense absence?

Twenty five years ago my wife and I lost a baby girl who was only 3 ½ months old to crib death. That event left us in profound grief, feeling totally deserted by God. How could God take away a bright child whom we loved so dearly? Kathy had put baby Hannah down for a nap while we celebrated our oldest son’s fifth birthday. But when Kathy went back to check on her, the baby was cold and dead. We grieved for most of a year, wondering what we might have done wrong. Such events shake us profoundly, even if we have a strong faith.

There is a phenomena of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. When my wife, children or friends reappear after being gone a while, I am overjoyed to see them; I seem more excited than if they had been with me all along. Absence and separation from those we love most is a necessary facet of our existence. Perhaps this is part of why God doesn’t always seem present to us.

Even for those who strongly believe in God, our experience varies between feeling his uplifting presence and at other times experiencing his absences. I believe that God never truly leaves us, but our perceptions change. Should we focus intensely on recapturing his presence in our mind’s eye? Or are we better to wait patiently for this luminous light to reappear like the dawn?

Some people think that powerful worship can bring them quickly into God’s presence. Others wonder if emotional experience may not be more the result of suggestion than his real presence. They believe God is more likely to be heard in a “still, small voice” than in loud celebrations. Perhaps this depends on our temperament.

Our feelings of God are coloured by the religion we practised as children, or by the lack of any religion. We judge everything through that lens. So if we are bitter about our childhood religious experience, God may get tossed out, or at least his image may become disfigured in our mind.

I believe that those who seek God with all their hearts will find him eventually. We may seek God in music, books, scriptures, nature, meditation, prayer, or in other ways. The different ways we each experience God remain a magnificent mystery. So too are his absences.

A wonderful View of Life

2009-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Speech by Steve Jobs to Stanford Graduates

God and Money

2009-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Spiritual teachers throughout the centuries have focused on the conflict between our aspiration for God and our desire for money.

Money has an obvious, immediate appeal—even to the smallest child. I once offered my two-year old son a quarter. He said: “Don’t want quarters; want dollars”.

Money seems to satisfy all of our immediate needs, plus it brings us status and power. What could be better?

From the perspective of economic theory, money is–plain and simple–the ability to command goods and services from other people. So we can never have more money, except at the cost of some other person needing to produce what we demand because of the power of our money.

Possessing too much money can bring us an attitude self-importance, overconfidence, and conceit. It can deaden our feelings of compassion. It may become our total identity—“I am rich and important”.

Furthermore, material wealth cannot satisfy our deepest longings. It cannot buy love, happiness, health, good relationships, or a sense of lasting significance. It doesn’t help us face the prospect of dying. Wealth more often becomes a barrier in truly relating to other people and to finding God.

So what to do? The landscape of spiritual advice contains contradictory suggestions. Some suggest we give up money entirely and live in voluntary poverty. Others say quite the opposite. They suggest that God abundantly blesses those who are most devoted to Him and so wealth is a visible sign of His special affection—we deserve it.

I like the counsel of John Wesley, the great Methodist preacher of the 18th century. He said strong faith brings discipline to our lives. Discipline tends to bring us wealth after a while. But wealth then often turns our hearts away from God.

How we obtain our money is crucially important. Is our loyalty so strong to a corporation or to a well-paying occupation, that it compromises our allegiance to our family, friends, and to our community? Are we tempted to deceive and mislead in order to get rich? Or perhaps to take advantage of the weak? Do we believe “Let the buyer beware” when we sell our goods and services?

But even more dangerous than the corruption money can bring, is the distraction it presents: the passion, the yearning, and the ache for getting wealth. We may crave nothing else but getting money and spending it, so that it blinds us to all else.

One may even be quite poor, yet still totally obsessed with getting and spending money. We may buy lottery tickets or trade stocks feverishly, hoping to strike it rich. Even if we never succeed financially, our spiritual life may waste away because we devote everything we have in trying to get wealth.

The question comes down to what should take first place in our lives. Is it striving for the betterment of our family, community and the whole of humanity? Is it living our lives by moral and spiritual principals? Is it seeking to do the will of God? Is it creating security in our lives? Is it paying top dollar to keep fit? Is it going for cruises? Is it having a first-rate computer, or the ideal car? Is it using the shopping mall as the main source of pleasure?

We should not hesitate to pursue a good career or build a successful business if that doesn’t contravene our most important relationships in the process. Our spiritual danger comes not from getting money but from pursuing it too fervently at all costs.

There is nothing inherently bad about money per se. But like food or work, it can become an unhealthy obsession. Even worrying too much about whether we have enough is unhealthy. God provides for our needs day by day. That is why we pray “Give us this day our daily bread”.

My mountains

2009-03-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

2009-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

We Do Have Enough Time

2009-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

One of the nameless fears that has always hounded me (mostly subconsciously) is that I don’t have enough time.

Not time enough perhaps for arriving at an appointment punctually. Or for promptly finishing a project. Or for getting taxes filed by the deadline. Or perhaps for finishing my book without delay before I run out of steam.

Last week my wife Kathy said that since we are now retired, we actually do have enough time for everything we really need to do.

At first my mental reaction was no, we never have enough time. I seem perpetually busy, from when I wake up to when I sleep. Even in the night I wake up thinking that I need to send an email, or to work on my writing, or perhaps on my To Do List.

But on reflection, I realize that I do indeed have enough time, and that I have always had enough time, even when I was a busy executive flying from one city or continent to another.

It is true that at age 62 my time is finite. I just went to the doctor for my annual physical exam. Even though I enjoy good health, my doctor soberly explained the different things that could cut my life short. As a male, I am vulnerable to three types of cancer: one is easy to detect (prostate cancer), another is difficult to spot (colon cancer), and the final type is virtually impossible to identify until it is terminal (lung cancer).

But if I continue my exercise, reduce my weight, and constantly monitor my health, I might live into my 80’s or 90’s. But no guarantees.

Well. That might sound a bit discouraging. But on the other hand, it doesn’t need to be dispiriting. I have 525,600 minutes each year to enjoy. Perhaps 10 – 15 million minutes left in my life to fill with wonder.

I have stopped wearing a watch. I don’t need to sit by a computer or TV. I can unplug everything. I can sit and talk to whoever walks by. I can stroll idly around my garden or down to the beach. I can sing old songs. I can cook a meal without hurry.

So I actually do have enough time for whatever comes. And I have always had enough time for what truly mattered most. But we live in a culture that tells us the opposite. It says we never have enough time.

The attitude of hurry and worry fills us with unnecessary anxiety. We either live in the unfinished past or else we dwell on tomorrow’s problems. So there never seems to be enough time to live now, in this present moment.

We must decide which alternative to believe. We can either live our whole lives thinking “I can’t stop for a breath or I may lose this race”, or else we can make a conscious decision to think “I have enough time to slow down to live in the present moment”.

Whichever thought we choose will keep repeating itself in our mind again and again as we face the daily pressures of living.

One thought is tranquil, the other thought is anxious.

So I have decided what to think.

I have Plenty of Time.

Tony Blair & Yale's Faith and Globalization Initiative

2009-01-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is challenging the world to involve faith in every aspect of public life. To learn more, check this link.

Here is what Tony Blair said recently:

[My Yale teaching] experience has strengthened my belief that religious faith and economic and social globalization are partners – globalization needs values to succeed. In pushing people together, globalization has made multicultural and multi-religious societies, and it is necessary now for human capital and spiritual capital to link. This, combined with an increased need for multi-faith dialogue and action, will in time be seen as a defining question, and perhaps the leading question of the 21st century.

2008-12-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Answer is Out There

2008-12-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Every day of our lives brings some sort of challenge or struggle.

As young people we exert ourselves to get the education we need to fulfill our dream for the future.

Later, most of us search for a job that will support us. These days that could be very difficult. Even when we are employed, our job situation keeps changing, bringing new problems to deal with. We may want to change employers, which is also hard.

Some are looking for a life mate, perhaps someone to start a family with. Living by yourself can be lonely.

For older people, there are increasing health questions, not to mention enough money for retirement.

From time to time, we feel inadequate for our constant battles. We would rather duck or dodge, or go into a hole to avoid our difficulties; so we may distract ourselves with music, entertainment, drink, drugs, busy-ness. But escape is not a permanent solution. Eventually, we need to find a way out.

Our family and friends can provide help and comfort. But sometimes, our total resources seem insufficient. We feel we are near the end of our rope. We doubt whether we can survive these intractable troubles.

In such difficult situations we may ask is any help available from beyond us? Can a thoughtful well-read person really believe there a God who cares about us?

These knotty questions have bedeviled scholars and priests since time immemorial. Different religions (or different denominations) provide dissimilar responses. However, there is widespread agreement at least that there is real wisdom and help to be found beyond the human sphere.

Ultimately, such questions become intensely personal, involving ME and GOD (or whatever name you may call the Higher Power). As a university student, I started out thinking that it was just ME alone, with no Greater Intelligence out there. But that answer didn’t prove satisfactory for long, so I started searching every philosophy and religion to find a framework for understanding my life. After a decade of investigation, I returned reluctantly to my ancestral spiritual tradition for language, concepts and wisdom to deal with my life’s challenges.

I started to pray, even while my doubts remained about who or what was out there to listen. I prayed about my work, about my health, for protection from danger, for friends in trouble. I prayed for peace to still my anxious mind.

My spiritual journey has gradually taken me to better places, even though struggles and challenges remain. Like most retired people, I have watched my income shrink. I face health issues, due to after effects of the crippling polio I suffered at age five. I am struggling now to become a writer, which is a new and difficult task.

I continue to pray and I have started to record my responses. I prayed recently for the sale of a property after the real estate market had collapsed but surprisingly got a customer. I prayed about some new entrepreneurial aspirations and got the clear answer I needed for my future direction.

Prayer however, is a humbling experience; and it requires humility to start praying. Imagine addressing a Being far higher than any president or prime minister. That is enough to make any soul tremble.

As the Rolling Stones’ song says,

No you can’t always get what you want;

but if you try sometimes,

you might find

you get what you need.

None of us would expect a thunderbolt from Heaven with a clear and immediate answer to every question and to every request. But something changes inside of us when we pray. Occasionally the change is external and dramatic.

In our hopeless despair, the greatest wisdom is going to the Ultimate Source. There is an answer out there to life’s perplexity. God grants wisdom to those who earnestly search and ask.

2008-11-21T04:29:00.000-08:00

Good-bye to Timmy, our Loyal Friend

2008-11-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

Timmy passed away November 20,2008 after an unfortunate accident when he stepped in front of a car. Timmy was nearly 12 years old (84 in human terms) and had lived longer than the average Cocker Spaniel.

He was born in Mississippi on February 3, 1997, a son of champion and grand-champion show dogs. He came to our home for Ben’s 12th birthday. In his prime he had perfect markings and a wonderful champagne-color coat. But we remember him for many more important things. He was our constant family friend in many adventures.

He loved chasing birds, eating, and playing. He had a healthy respect for cats, having moved in with two of them when he was 10 weeks old. He had a wonderful nose and could track animals or humans. He loved to find a ball thrown into deep weeds.

In this past year he had increasingly poor health. His heart was giving out, the vet though he might have cancer also. He lost most of his sight, smell and hearing. But he was ever-loving. While he was fortunate not to go through final pains of old age, he will be fondly missed by his family – Paul, Kathy, Joel, Jenny, Ben and Michael – and by his many friends!

Good, but Flawed

2008-09-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

How many great leaders have you known who turned out to have serious flaws?

Most of us were indignant when we found out that presidents Nixon and Clinton lied to conceal their secrets. Many of us were also shocked to learn that Mahatma Gandhi and Chairman Mao had affairs with women in their older years. You or I could provide more examples of seemingly great people with large flaws.

We prefer forthright characters like Winston Churchill who proudly displayed his spicy disposition, so that there were no shameful secrets to be revealed after his death. We instinctively prefer people who acknowledge their flaws upfront.

In my student days I became enamoured with a famous guru who seemed to have the last word on virtually any topic under the sun. But eventually, as it often happens, it turned out that he had fatal flaws. He had seriously deceived both himself and his followers.

Actually, I have not met any person, however saintly, that has no flaws whatsoever. By flaws, I mean unintentional defects in our character or behaviour, usually due to ingrained habit or our blind spots.

It is actually comforting to be able to acknowledge flaws. Trying to keep them secret is tedious. Confession of weakness is good for us; greater clarity and deeper insight usually follow.

That is not to dismiss our necessary struggle to become better morally, spiritually and in every way. Nor is this any excuse to flaunt our flaws rather than to gently work on removing our rough edges wherever we can.

Not to acknowledge our flaws makes us appear hypocritical. That is why religious people are sometimes ridiculed. They often pretend, when they are unable to attain complete holiness, but this pretence is not convincing.

So this raises the question: is everyone good, but flawed? Regrettably not! All people may be flawed, but not all people are good.

Some people are mostly evil with perhaps one or two redeeming qualities. At the bottom end of the spectrum are the crime bosses, murderers, torturers, exploiters and warlords. We may rarely meet such an evil person, and we might not recognize them if we did. In fact, they usually pretend to be good on the surface. Deception is their hallmark trait.

The majority of people avoid extreme evil, but they also do not strive hard to become good. Those who do not make strong efforts to improve themselves continuously fall into this vast middle ground of “not quite good, but not completely evil”. This category of people contains many shades of grey, ranging from almost pleasant to generally disagreeable.

Finally, there are those who sporadically work on self improvement, moral betterment, and spiritual growth. Although their motives are good, they lack the patience, stamina, determination and courage to become all that they could be.

The question then becomes, can one become truly good despite having flaws? I believe that we can. A diamond can shine with exceptional brilliance despite its flaws; so can we.

Healthy spirituality requires constant striving for goodness in every aspect of our lives. It means pursuing good health, exercise and wholesome diet. It involves becoming very good at our work, so that people want our goods or services. It means doing good to others in every relationship – living generously.

It is never too late to start working on our spiritual health. The voice from the mountain peak calls everyone to begin the climb. There is much help available along the way. And it is the most beautiful and glorious path imaginable. The landscape and scenery is magnificent for those reach to the sky.

2008-09-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Climbing the Spiritual Mountain

2008-09-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

I live at the base of a large mountain, but most people who come to visit me don’t see it, because the gradually sloping mountain top is well hidden by tall trees behind our house.

Visitors notice that when you walk south from our house you descend a long way down to the beach. However, few people realize that if you walk northward you must also climb up almost continuously; in fact, you will ultimately reach a mountain peak if you keep ascending steadily.

From here, you can hardly tell that you are on a mountain side unless you go elsewhere to look at it from a different perspective, where the trees don’t block the view.

I like the picture of a mountain as an analogy for our spiritual life. It is a continual climb to reach the peak of our spiritual potential and many people at the bottom know little about the wonderful heights up above.

The spiritual life is virtually invisible to our normal senses, which is why great spiritual teachers have used parables, symbols and metaphors to speak about this indescribable world of the spirit. These teachers also climbed mountains to get away from busy crowds in order to encounter God directly. Somehow mountain heights make our Creator more visible to our senses and souls.

That is my reason for calling my blog Abbey Mountain. It represents my spiritual quest. This real and metaphorical mountain is located high above my house which I call Blackberry Abbey (also for symbolic reasons). I hope that the Abbey will become a pathway up this mountain.

Mountain climbing requires both serious effort and disciplined preparation. In the mountain heights we are sometimes exposed to raw elements, like thunder, lightning, ice, and unexpected storms. Survival is by no means assured if you get lost in mountain wilderness.

People often don’t realize how hazardous our ordinary lives can be until some catastrophe strikes: a broken marriage, a ruined career, a serious disease, or another major misfortune. Not all of these perils are avoidable, of course, but spiritual strength enables us to survive when we otherwise might give up hope.

Nurturing our spiritual life has lost its dependable form in modern culture. Traditional societies have had well known spiritual disciplines like prayer, meditation, community gathering, scripture and singing as means of strengthening our spiritual resources and seeking the Presence of God.

Today there are so many innovations in spiritual practice that it is confusing unless you belong to a traditional faith or have some solid anchor. For me that anchor is the teachings of Jesus (although I have also found great wisdom recorded in other faith traditions throughout the centuries).

I delight in spiritual innovation as long as it stays consistent with ancient belief and practice. Unfortunately, there are increasing forms of self-spirituality which seek to elevate us to a near deity level. While I believe that we should become sons and daughters of the Omnipotent Spirit that is far removed from becoming gods or goddesses without reference to a higher power – such belief is fantasy.

God created our universe with loving intention, despite all the evil that has come since. I admire Albert Einstein’s simple quest for truth: “I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details.”

Beyond a finding a basic belief, we also need to practise our spiritual faith daily. We need a sense of mission and purpose outside mere personal survival. We are either working with God’s help to build a better world or else we are becoming lost on the mountain climb.

Spiritual practice should strengthen every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our family and community, our health and emotional well being, our career and our wealth. Spiritual practice is of immense practical value, but it needs to go beyond practicality.

God in whatever form or name you may use is at the top of every real spiritual mountain.

Spiritual mountain climbing should never be a solo enterprise based solely on our own capability and knowledge. We need reliable guides, both in person and through writings to guide us to this higher realm. We also need healthy spiritual disciplines.

Mountain Climbing

2008-09-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

The Ultimate Source of Good Fortune

2008-08-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Whether we are young or old, we may sometimes wonder what we could do to improve our fortune. Improving it quickly would be particularly appealing!

We may attempt this by rational methods which we can control. Are there new skills, courses, disciplines or self-motivation methods that could make our life more successful?

Or we may look for a lucky coin, an auspicious horoscope, or the winning lottery number.

Or we might try business or investments to make a quick success.

Our quest is to rise above the world around us so that our life will be much better than normal drudgery.

The prospect of instant wealth has become a large industry which preys upon our gullibility. We may spend our money to enrich Las Vegas barons or perhaps at state-run lotteries.

We may purchase books and magazines that claim to share special secret knowledge.

Many of us flock to gurus and talk show hosts that declare they will provide us with the luck we need. Some do this in the name of religion, offering spectacular healing and other fantastic miracles.

Get-rich-quick scams abound of every kind that are supposed to provide us a fortune. Whether offered by Wall Street or by quacksters, these questionable schemes inevitably disappoint.

However, there is a genuine path to greater success in life even though it is perhaps slower than we wish. It lies in the spiritual dimension, in the realm of the unseen. It is the path of spiritual wisdom. If we diligently look for it, we will find it.

Spiritual development is mostly a slow process that depends on building good habits and character, lasting values and beliefs. There is not a quick easy path up this mountain of spiritual development. There are no simple techniques for sudden enlightenment.

This wisdom offers us hope for lasting relationships and a strong family. It teaches us how to work much better, how to lead and to motivate. It also shows us how our fortune is improved in helping others who are less fortunate.

At the top of the mountain of spiritual growth lies something great, a power far beyond ourselves. True wisdom is aligning ourselves with the Ultimate Power in the universe, who is often called God. You might use other names, but that is less important.

Most religions and cultures have believed in a world beyond us and in a Higher Power which creates our visible world.

However, many modern sophisticates have rejected this traditional view. They acknowledge none greater or higher than themselves in the universe; they believe that we are the gods and goddesses that create and control the world about us. So they blindly follow every passing fad, expecting to be rewarded for their great brilliance.

Albert Einstein was the greatest scientist of the modern era. No single contemporary has rivalled him in lasting influence. Einstein said he developed his revolutionary theories by trying to figure out God’s thoughts in designing the universe. Einstein said:

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.

Today we can still reach out our mind to the Great Intelligence beyond us. We do this in prayer, meditation and reflection.

From these come great creativity, wisdom, and insight.

Real fortune comes only from right understanding: of ourselves and of the world around us. It comes when we seek from the true Source.

Field of Flowers

2008-06-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Giving Good Gifts

2008-06-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

Most of us can remember significant gifts we have received.

When I was five years old I received $20 from my Uncle Will to purchase a new red wagon. Coming from a farming family with nine children in 1952, I could never have expected such a wonderful gift from any other source. My brothers and sisters marvelled at my good fortune.

Through the years I have received many other significant gifts, both tangible and intangible. In 1965 Harvard University gave me a four-year scholarship with room and board fully included; without this enormous donation I could not have afforded to attend one of the most expensive schools in the world.

Countless other people have given me gifts, far more than I can ever record; the most significant were continuous gifts from my wife Kathleen and gifts from my parents, who are now deceased.

My wife has given me a level of support and kindness that causes my friends and family to marvel at my great good luck. She not only takes care of household and family needs tirelessly, but she constantly watches to see if I am lacking anything, perhaps just a cup of coffee, or encouragement to take a swim. She cares for me beyond reason.

I have been told that I am also a generous person, but I take little credit if that is so. My parents instilled generosity by their wonderful example, so I have not thought too much about it. I just learned early in life that the look of delight you get when you surprise someone with an unexpected gift more that compensates for the time or money spent. So despite my shortcomings in other areas, generosity has not been so difficult for me.

As I grew older I learned to contribute both time and money to my community, for which I received the normal recognition. I could not give away $20 billion like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, but I can well understand the wonderful appreciation and recognition they receive, which make enormous gifts worth their while.

But let me move now from such colossal gifts to contributions that are virtually imperceptible.

Rather belatedly after 30 years of marriage I am now trying to support my wife better, day by day and hour by hour. I try to cook her imaginative meals. I try to respond more quickly when she enters the room rather than staying glued to my computer. I try to be more sensitive to her deepest desires. She claims that I have been a good husband before this time, but I remember being neglectful many times.

My purpose here is not to indulge in true confessions, but rather to share my struggles to improve my giving of intangible gifts. I am consciously trying to improve my sensitivity to everyone around me in the smallest of things, such as listening intently when people speak, rather than giving them half attention.

I have come to realize how enormously important are the little things we do each day and each year. We are either building up good relationships constantly, or else we are letting our relationships gradually wear down by mindless neglect.

Generosity is the basis for building strong community around us, wherever we live or work. When we give freely, most people respond in kind by giving back freely. When many people give freely to each other, the result is a caring sympathetic community where we feel loved and cared for.

The most important gifts we give are not just our time or money, although those matter. It is more giving our attention, giving compassion, giving sincerity and giving intimacy.

Most of us are fortunate to know at least a few people who behave this way. Our challenge is become benefactors ourselves.

Giving monetary gifts has become quite fashionable for those who are affluent. It is far less fashionable think of others at every moment, rather than “ME FIRST”.

My guess is that we can never achieve lasting happiness and purpose in life without giving freely to others. Other methods to achieve sublime contentment fail miserably.

Perhaps this is why generosity is at the heart of spiritual teaching. It is the essence of the Golden Rule: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.

Someone must take the initiative of being first to give. Why not you and me?

Karnak Temple in Egypt

2008-06-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

The People of Heaven

2008-06-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Finding your way to Heaven is not easy, because it has no address or telephone listing. It is not legally incorporated, files no tax returns, nor elects any leaders. Many people wonder if it exists.

However, the concept of Heaven is as old as human history. Virtually every religion has incorporated a concept of Heaven in some fashion. Our ancestors’ greatest project throughout history has been to build temples, churches, mosques and other monuments celebrating this heavenly realm beyond our normal senses.

From the cathedrals of Europe to the ruins of the Jerusalem Temple I have seen the evidence of this heavenly theme. Sculptures and paintings depict angels in a shining world beyond the skies. Poems and scriptures eulogize this Divine Destination.

In a trip to Egypt two years ago, I saw hundreds of giant pillars from Karnak Temple in Thebes still standing incredibly tall and straight after more than three millenniums of onslaught by wind, sand, and human destruction. This immense temple complex was built on 100 hectares (247 acres) of land and contains three major temples. Karnak is one of the largest temple projects ever built. The ancient Egyptian religion was consumed with preparing for eternal life. However, they believed that the barriers to reaching Heaven after death were nearly impossible to overcome, even for a pharaoh.

In China I visited the fabled “Temple of Heaven” in Beijing. Thousands of years ago Chinese people believed in a Shang Dì, an omnipotent, just and supreme being. They also believed in Heaven. The Chinese Emperors honoured this ancient tradition by making regular sacrifices and worshipping at the Altar of Heaven, right up to the beginning of the 20^th Century.

Of the many religious teachers, the most helpful that I have found is Jesus. The central theme of Jesus’ message was that the Kingdom of Heaven is very near to us and easily reachable if we seek it. Jesus called people to revolutionize their lives to enter into this Eternal Kingdom, which he said exists both in the Now and Hereafter.

The mysterious Kingdom of Heaven extends down to our earthly realm of pain, sorrow and struggle. Whenever we see someone sheltering a lost child; someone assisting an old person who has no relatives nearby; or when we find a person trying to bring peace and healing to hostile parties, we are likely watching a Citizen of Heaven.

Heaven is a reality which we begin to enter in this earthly life, if we expect to reach it at all. We enter Heaven by creating Graciousness and Beauty all around us through our compassion, generosity and non-violence.

My mother was one of the many People of Heaven. I wrote about her death in my blog on November 5, 2006. She created beauty and light wherever she lived and traveled. She worked constantly to help those who were suffering or in despair.

I have met many other people who are busy creating a small corner of Heaven right now wherever they live and work. It is hard to describe adequately the ineffable quality of life achieved by souls who strive to transform our world. You have probably also met some of the People of Heaven, whether or not you recognized them. In fact, if this description fits, you may also be a Citizen of Heaven.

The People of Heaven are not perfect, nor do they claim to be. Nevertheless they labour continuously to build a better tomorrow. As individuals, they may seem unimportant, but as millions they appreciably improve the world. They bring hope for the tragic world we face now. They also look forward to a better world far beyond us.

2008-05-13T00:55:00.000-07:00

A Citizen of Earth and Heaven?

2008-05-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting for quite a while on the issues arising from my identity and my loyalty. Many of you know that I was born in the United States but moved to

Canada

35 years ago. People still ask me: “So are you an American or a Canadian”. Legally, I could answer yes to both; but which of these is my primary identification?

To complicate matters, my ancestors were German Mennonites, and I learned to speak a German dialect (“Pennsylvania Dutch”) as a child. When I worked in Frankfurt, Germany in 1972, some German residents assumed that I was also German, which I am, emotionally, in part.

But I have other national loyalties also. My wife Kathleen is an Irish Canadian, so my children have both Irish and Canadian passports. I might thus apply for Irish citizenship (based on my marriage) so that we could all live and work in the European Union.

Furthermore, my mother’s surname is Overholt; this name comes from a picturesque village high in the Swiss Alps. My father’s family emigrated from Alsace which is now part of France. I worked for most of my career for a Dutch bank, so I also speak the Dutch language.

Finally, I have learned to speak a bit of Spanish and Chinese, so I can identify readily with those cultures also. Do you think I am slightly confused in my cultural/national identity?

Actually, I believe that I am fortunate to realize that strong national and cultural identities can often be more of a problem than an asset, because they often promote conflict.

The greatest challenge facing our world is conflict: clashes between individual people, between families, between communities; conflict between tribes, states, nations; conflict between cultures and religions.

Imagine a world where we stopped fighting so fiercely for our own possessions, for our own territory and our contending ideas; where Marxists and Capitalists could sit down peaceably for dinner, with Royalists, Anarchists and Democrats. Imagine Baptists, Catholics and Muslims and Hindus conversing pleasantly and exploring their vast differences amicably.

Imagine people from China and Japan, India and Pakistan, Israel and Syria, from Venezuela and the United States, all agreeing on a fundamentally new direction – where world resources were shared equitably and where we conserved the Earth from despoiling; where people from every continent helped each other notwithstanding their huge differences.

Utopia is what they call this. Poets, philosophers and prophets have long hoped for such a Utopian world, but this golden hour never seems to arrive. Our differences and conflicts seem instead to grow fiercer. More people have been tortured and slaughtered in the past 100 years than ever before in the history of Earthlings!

So what is to be done? Thousands of recipes for peace have been touted over the centuries; I am not a prophet or guru who can solve this intractable dilemma.

However, I believe that we have already heard most of the wisdom we need to contribute our individual part to world peace and harmony. We may begin this quest somewhat haphazardly, but as long as we continue heading in the right direction, much progress can be achieved. So what is stopping us?

It is our misguided loyalty. We support our own nation against other nations, even when our nation is wrong, or at least partly wrong. We assume our religion or belief is supremely correct, even when some of our fellow members (whether Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Marxists, etc.) are involved in wars that murder helpless victims. We amass wealth mostly for our family when someone down the road is hungry and cold.

As a Citizen of Earth, we should be loyal to every other Citizen of Earth, not favouring “our group” of citizens against other groups of citizens. This is much harder to accomplish than to preach, but it is worthy of our serious thought and reflection. Unless we individually stand up against the tide for what we believe, there can be little hope of stopping Hell-sent demagogues like Hitler who want to manipulate and enslave us. We should loyally oppose our own friends, our coworkers and our governments when they violate this principle of global citizenship.

But there is another dimension to this equation. Most religions and cultures worldwide have shared a historic belief in a dimension that transcends our mundane life on earth. Not everyone believes in a monotheistic God, but most people believe in a “higher reality’ which in many societies has been called “Heaven”. It is from this Higher Realm that our wisdom comes. Heaven is both our spiritual origin and we hope our ultimate Destiny. St. Paul wrote in his letter to Philippians: “Our citizenship is in Heaven”.

True prophets worldwide have always taught goodwill towards foreigners and strangers. They have advocated compassion towards all humanity, particularly the most poor and disadvantaged. We do not need to resolve all of our differences in order to work for universal peace and goodwill. Mostly we just need to renounce force and coercion as a means to resolve our disagreements.

At every turn in the road, we need to recall our obligation to be loyal to Heaven and loyal to our fellow citizens of Earth. We should examine our conduct to see that it is consistent with this larger and higher loyalty.

We will unquestionably encounter struggle when we oppose narrow-minded loyalties; but it is far better to struggle (or even die) for the right cause, than to fight for a narrow segment of humankind. There is nothing wrong with loyalty to our friends, family and nation, except when these loyalties become the context for doing wrong to foreigners and strangers.

Heaven help us all!

Driven by Fear?

2008-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

The plane took off from Boston’s Logan Airport and climbed towards a cruising altitude. Suddenly, there was an explosive sound and two stewardesses ran down the aisle in apparent panic. The plane hurtled towards the ground without any explanation from the captain. I was in complete shock and believed that we were going to crash! Fortunately, the plane made a successful emergency landing, but my fear of flying remained acute for years afterwards.

This Boston emergency was less dangerous than another flight I was on 25 years later in Texas, when we were forced to land our plane due to smoke in the wiring system. But the nightmare event in Boston at age 20 caused me sheer terror whereas the Texas incident didn’t.

Fear is something we all have in common. We fear for our safety from criminals, from wars, and from financial catastrophe. We fear being inadequate to deal with the challenges of life.

We especially fear for the future, for our own inevitable death, for the potential loss of our closest friends and family. We fear that the future world will not be a good place to live, whether due to pollution, economic collapse, terrorism, world war, or whatever.

We may just fear growing old, losing our strength, beauty and mental functioning, perhaps with no one close by to care for us. The list of fears is almost endless.

Our response to danger, real or imagined varies significantly from one person to another, and may change over the years as our personality and character develop.

Fear and anxiety grow when our lives become too busy and complicated to find regular rest and recreation. Fears may also grow when for some reason our lives contain far too much unproductive time and we think about ourselves incessantly.

Many of our fears come from outside of us: from books, movies, newspapers, TV, and other sources. While these vicarious adventures are thrilling, they can also build up our unconscious fears. A mental diet of less threatening material diminishes our fear. Peaceful hobbies, outdoor activities and restful thoughts all contribute to feeling peaceful

Building up a safe place in our mind, emotions and in our physical reality helps a lot to overcome fear. Mental habits are especially important, because fear is rooted in dwelling on negative thoughts.

Faith in a Transcendent Power can help quell our fears, where we trust that God will work things out for our protection. My developing faith helped me as a young businessman when I had to fly constantly despite extreme fear of flying. Although I was an agnostic at this time, I started to recite my childhood prayers whenever I flew. Before long I also started carrying a Bible and reading the Psalms, which comforted me when the plane would bounce and shudder violently.

I can not remember when my fears diminished to the point where they were no longer a major driving force in my psyche, since it happened quite gradually. However, I know that it coincided with my increasing prayer, meditation and faith.

I do not recommend faith as a security blanket, but I believe that it has helped me to live without being driven by fear. However, religious faith does not automatically enable us to overcome our fears. It takes all of our combined mental and emotional powers to surmount these strong emotions. It takes a multi-faceted approach.

Developing courage is a major part of overcoming fear. I often remember the saying: A coward dies a thousand deaths, but a brave person dies only once. We waste precious energy by confronting imaginary fear scenarios which never happen. Our courage grows when we confront our doubts and suspicions, and then resolutely march forward in spite of them.

Hiding from fears makes them grow larger. How many of us with a mysterious body ailment have avoided seeing a doctor for fear of it being something malignant or life-threatening? Reclusive people who don’t get outside eventually conclude that the world out there is far too dangerous. A short walk each day would prove that the neighbourhood is actually an enjoyable place.

Overcoming even a few small worries builds up our confidence. The more fears we confront rationally, the greater our confidence grows. This takes practice and determination. Learning to take small risks and to develop our capability gradually builds our character. Travelling out of our comfort zone frequently is excellent medicine.

Developing powerful relationships with close friends and family members helps to overcome fears. It is worthwhile to acknowledge our greatest fears and to list them. This should be done in daylight and ideally in the company of a close friend.

Separating out improbable dangers from those which are more real and immediate helps too. For example, the probability of dying in a plane crash on a major airline is less than one in a million, even though more people die in small non-commercial planes. When my cousin died flying a small plane, I erroneously concluded that all planes were highly dangerous, which was a bad understanding of probability. Instead, I should have resolved not to fly with amateur pilots in small planes.

Most fears involve blowing up a highly improbable danger into the most likely future, which is simply bad logic. Life is always a bit risky, but generally the dangers are tiny compared to our overly active imagination of danger.

Above all, we should not run away from our fears. There is no true escape, whether through sedatives, intoxicants or continuous entertainment. If we avoid them when awake, our fears will invade our dreams and imagination.

The best antidotes to fear and anxiety are hope, faith, confidence and courage. Seek to develop these qualities by taking daily small steps forward. Even small progress will make a difference. Fear can paralyze us and prevent us from enjoying life to the hilt. When we overcome fear as a driving force, we can begin to discover the real adventure of living well, of enjoying the unpredictability of life, and of exploring new horizons.

Nearly complete!

2008-03-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Digging Yourself out of a Deep Hole

2008-03-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

There are times in most of our lives when we feel completely down and out. At such times, our world seems to be collapsing around us and the pressures become intense. We are almost tempted to give up the struggle to survive.

I can remember some particularly dark hours. When I was a college student at Harvard in the late 1960’s, a summer roommate committed suicide. Not long afterwards my fiancé left me, during a time when I was experimenting with drugs. My moods became dark and confused. I was disoriented and totally off track.

I have had other dark times since then, perhaps not quite as intense. These times come due to sickness, a relationship breakdown, death of a loved one, a crisis with our job, or for any number of other good reasons. What these times all have in common is the intense feeling of darkness, despair and even depression.

Ancient spiritual texts (like the Psalms of David) speak metaphorically of falling into a pit or into a deep hole. Sometimes this pit seems like our burial ground, even though we are still struggling with all our resources not to become swallowed up.

Although it is possible for us to be ambushed by undeserved illness or by sudden misfortune, it is far more typical for us to be mostly responsible for our own pain and suffering.

We may have neglected our health, or our finances. We may have become hopelessly overcommitted with our jobs and/or family responsibilities.

We haven’t allowed enough time for rest, recreation, and other healthy disciplines. In fact, we may have grown dependent on drugs (legal or illegal) and alcohol just to get by.

Thus when misfortune strikes, we have drained our resources and are unable to meet the challenge. We fall into an attitude of hopelessness. The downward spiral seems almost unstoppable.

Most often, we need to accept responsibility for creating part of our difficulty. And even where disaster comes out of left field without any fault of our own, we ourselves are best able to improve the situation by using our creativity and determination.

For instance, I was severely paralyzed by Polio at age five. My parents assumed that I was destined to a lifetime of severe handicap and dependence on others. Fortunately, I dreamed of a wonderful future, which has indeed come to pass, despite having one bad leg. And sometimes I struggle still with this limitation and with my other shortcomings. That is part of the human condition.

Obviously, not every crisis has a fairy-tale ending. Some situations are virtually intractable. We may suffer from an illness which we know will eventually become fatal. We may live in a country or situation where there is little prospect for enjoying a happy life.

I wish there was a simple formula for getting out of any deep hole, but it is unfortunately not that straightforward. On the other hand, most situations are not doomed to failure, despite our dejected feelings. With time, most difficulties can be overcome.

Usually, it takes a crisis in our lives for us to recognize our own serious flaws and to begin the disciplined effort to make major changes in our lives. The great Swiss psychologist and philosopher Paul Tournier said that in times of crisis we can often make more changes in six months than we would ordinarily make in 20 years.

God and Destiny use crisis to bring us to our senses. These challenges come not to make us despair, but to work on our own transformation. Very rarely does falling in to a deep hole signify the end of our lives. There are almost always opportunities for us to dig our way out of our deep hole, however slowly.

Through fatigue or inertia, we sometimes choose to wallow in our dark hole for a long while before we start to explore solutions.

2008-01-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

Finding the Right Path

2008-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Life is a challenge for all of us. No matter how rich or poor, how intelligent or slow-witted, or how successful or unsuccessful we may appear to be, life never stops being a major challenge and a constant struggle for us all.

Of course there are moments in the sunshine, or by the beach, or in our gardens when life seems perfect for an instant. But regrettably, such moments never last. Before long we return to our struggles.

Philosophers and sages have long spoken of the “Right Path” or the “Path of Life” to deal with our continuing life struggles. There are other metaphors or similar terms, such as the “Right Road”, or just “The Way” to do things. Modern experts still refer to a Career Path, or a Path to Recovery. There are various Paths to deal with our other challenges.

The path each of us is seeking may be as deep and complex as one’s spiritual direction or as mundane as finding employment or even losing weight as a path to good health. Whatever we are seeking, if we are seeking for something good and true, there is a path to be found, however difficult the search may be.

Let me tell you about one of my long struggles and the path I have found to deal with it. Over 30 years I have gained too much weight. My doctor tells me this was the result of my high-flying, executive life style, where I lived on coffee and adrenalin. Eventually my body demanded more and more food to keep up the pace. Now I have what is called a “metabolic syndrome” which often leads to diabetes and heart trouble.

I have what is called “a thrifty gene” which causes my body to slow my metabolism whenever I reduce my calorie intake, which has defeated all my past diets (and there have been many!)

I have now started on the South Beach Diet, which was created by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston for his heart patients to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. It initially involves eating only low-carbohydrate vegetables (no root vegetables) and low-fat proteins (lean meat, fish, reduced-fat cheese and legumes) and avoiding sugar of all kinds, including any fruit. In later stages of the diet it becomes less strict; fruit and healthy carbs are then allowed in moderation.

My main difficulty with this diet has been to find tasty meals with a very limited list of allowed ingredients. I love a creative prospect and have challenged myself to create good recipes that my wife Kathleen also enjoys.

Surprisingly, this diet “Path” is working remarkably well for me so far and I am steadily losing weight, helped by my regular exercise regime of swimming. I sometimes stray from this path for a day and fall back into my former eating habits (which is typical for all dieters), but when I return to the path, the diet keeps working, far better than my previous attempted diets. I hope I have now found the Path to improving my health.

Finding this diet path took me a lot of investigation, experimentation and adaptation (and patience). It is important to realize that there are good solutions to life’s most perplexing situations; there is a path through the maze if you are persistent and humble enough to look for wisdom beyond your self. Many of us are familiar with the saying of Jesus, “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Finding the right Path for our struggles requires considerable persistence and determination. It requires seeking out Wisdom from the past and information from present day researchers and experts. I will continue to investigate and write further about these matters. My next challenge is to become a writer. I hope that my blogs are the beginning of this next Path.

2008-01-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Depressurizing

2008-01-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

Despite my retirement, I discovered this past year that I am still quite susceptible to getting myself overstressed. Building our dream house has been a wonderful project, but I underestimated its emotional toll. First we moved out of our Vancouver house, packed up, got our children settled in new places and said goodbye to the community where we had lived most of our lives.

Then we moved to a tiny one bathroom house on the lovely property where the new house was being built. We were over-crowded with housemates, visitors, workman and possessions stacked up to the ceiling. My involvement in the construction process became virtually full-time, especially when our contractor’s wife was hospitalized for months and he thus needed time off to look after his four young children. Although this recent period was far from the most stressful time in my life, it was nonetheless another storm of action and emotion which left me exhausted.

When we push too hard constantly, we get wound up tighter and tighter. The faster and harder we work the further behind it seems that we get. The only solution is to let go, slow down, and to depressurize (like a deep sea diver slowly coming to the surface and adjusting to less atmospheric pressure).

When I can find inner tranquility and calm, then I can see my priorities clearly. Although I will always have 1001 more things to do, when I focus each day on the most important jobs, everything else also works out fine. There is actually plenty of time available for fun and relaxation.

Those who are unable to slow down voluntarily place themselves into danger of serious trouble, whether physical, emotional or social. They become obsessive, compulsive, and driven. They often crash and burn. Often they find illegitimate ways to escape from this fatiguing pressure, such as through drugs, pharmaceuticals and alcohol.

The key to maintaining our equilibrium in stressful times is to stop completely for a time of recharging before our psyche over-exerts and becomes destabilized. Our nervous system, emotions and digestion are quite susceptible to overheating. Our minds cannot focus when the clutter of activity builds relentlessly without ever a significant time of rest.

Long term efficiency and health requires keeping our entire being in top shape. Regular daily rest and recreation help greatly. But sometimes we need to get away from the rush for an extended shut down in order to recharge our batteries.

Depressurizing is what is what is required.

2007-11-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

Super crazy busy. As usual.

2007-11-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

I saw this phrase on my son Michael’s page on Facebook (which if you are not up-to-date with the internet will perhaps become the next Google of the internet world).

Super crazy busy. As usual. This phrase aptly describes me, my wife, my over-achieving children, and a host of other people I know all around the world.

The adrenaline rush of speeding through a day with cars, jets, phones, computers, business, socializing, entertainment and more is intoxicating. Like my kids, I have many screens open on my computer so I can work simultaneously on many tasks, get information from many sources, and communicate through a bunch of message and computer/phone options.

I enjoyed that high-powered lifestyle for decades as a banker and executive, but I can hardly stop running now, even though I am “Retired”.

My excuse is that I am building a house, trying to become a writer, looking after gardens and investments, and trying to stay in touch with my far flung friends. But I wonder if this busy-ness will stop? Perhaps next year when the house gets finished?

Another phenomena I have noticed is that over-stressed and over-busy people like me have developed certain mindless habits that allows our brains to slow down a bit. For me it is computer games like Solitaire, Hearts, Minesweeper and Jetman (on Facebook).

For me, these are virtually forms of (cheap) meditation like a mental rosary, or counting beads in meditation. When I play these computer games, my mind is mostly operating on automatic pilot, so that I can think and reflect on what is most important.

Sadly, these games are not an authentic substitute for real pleasures, like looking up at the stars in my country backyard, where the stars are amazingly bright and present! Nor are these electronic diversions as revitalizing as going out into lovely gardens and sitting quietly. Outside, I see beautiful trees changing into autumn colors, and the ocean at a distance has an ever-changing set of colors and moods as it meets the sky on the distant horizon.

Yesterday morning I woke up with a great idea: I would try to live the next year as if it were my last year on earth. Fortunately, I appear to be in great health. My color is good; I can swim 25 minutes at a fast pace; I feel very good. Yet I know that at age 60 I have already outlived most of my ancestors. This year, if not this month could well be my last. And if not, I could still benefit from living with this thought.

The real point of living life as if it were about to end is that I must concentrate on what is most important to me and not delay things until the future. A few years ago I watched our friend Linda Bergwall as she was dying from cancer. She and her husband Jim lived very deliberately each day. They spent lots of time with friends. They travelled. They enjoyed each day more than you might imagine. It was a (bittersweet) pleasure to watch them live this mindful way.

Being as busy as I am, I doubt that I (or you) could hold this thought in mind unless I was actually dying of cancer, or something else serious. However, for a few minutes or days, this kind of concentration on ultimate reality helps sift out what really matters in our lives.

I wonder if I truly want to be Super crazy busy – as usual?

2007-10-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

2007-10-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Beyond Activities and Possessions

2007-09-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

I am now starting my third year of “retirement” and am still amazed how busy I am. For a while, I thought that this was just a temporary phase while I was catching up with all the things I had neglected during my executive career. Then there was the matter of moving up the coast to a wonderful small community and creating a pleasant life. I have succeeded in writing some blogs and in staying in touch with a wide variety of friends. But why do I still get up at 5:00 AM to make sure that I can accomplish what seems important?

Obviously the building of a new house on two lovely acres and all the landscaping and gardening opportunities fill a lot of hours. I have investments to manage and a few boards that require my best judgment. We just sold an old van and bought a new one. I have another car to sell off.

It seems that I can hardly keep up some days on doing what seems truly important. Does this sound like a familiar story?

Eugene Peterson said once that modern people spend much of their lives pursuing ever more possessions and ever more activities, but neither can truly satisfy our deepest longings, which are for Intimacy and for Transcendence.

Intimacy means an affectionate and loving personal relationship with another person or with a group of friends. It involves closeness, familiarity and warmth. It requires a lot of time and commitment. It means opening up ourselves on a deep level and becoming vulnerable. It requires shedding our veneers and facing our companions with our defects and insecurities on display. It means dropping our masks of respectability to stand naked emotionally with those we love. Intimacy is a lot more difficult than sharing activities and comparing possessions. Why do we need it so much?

Transcendence is an obscure word for many people. It doesn’t even appear in some dictionaries, although transcend, transcendent and even transcendental are used from time to time.

To transcend is to go beyond, rise above or be more important or better than something, especially a limit. Transcendent is greater, better, more important, or going beyond or above all others. Transcendental describes an experience, event, object or idea that is extremely special and unusual and cannot be understood in ordinary ways

Transcendence words are used particularly in philosophy, psychology and religion. This concept involves going beyond our normal range of perception. Sometimes it can mean being above and independent of the material universe. It may be expressed as supreme, extreme, ultimate, unsurpassable, or uttermost. It may be an experience, event, object or idea that is extremely special and unusual and cannot be understood in ordinary ways. All of these words are used frequently to refer to God or any other concept of Deity. They may involve prayer, meditation and the invisible realms of reality, such as Heaven.

So coming back to your and my ordinary lives, how can we pursue intimacy and transcendence, rather than just increasing our activities and possessions?

I may not choose to be intimately related to everyone I meet, particularly if I suspect that they are manipulative or malicious. However, I have daily opportunities to open up to new people and to spend meaningful moments with my closest companions. That should be at least as important as building my house or finishing my never-ending TO DO list.

Transcendence takes even more focus and concentration. It means looking up at the night sky with millions of bright stars when our dogs need to run out. It means watching plants and trees in their life cycle through the seasons and wondering about the cycles of my life and those of other people.

Both transcendence and intimacy deserve far more of my attention and reflection. They are what I long for most deeply when my busy-ness subsides at midnight.

2007-08-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

What is the Point of it All?

2007-07-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have spent most of my working life in Vancouver, which recently topped the Economist Magazine’s list as the best place to live in the top 120 global cities. Yet in this safe, exciting and wonderful city, I have watched some of the most fortunate people on our planet struggling in seeming futility as they try to reach their life goals.

Mothers rush their young children from music lessons to sports activities. Parents rush home for dinner before pursuing their evening’s activities. People are buying houses and cars, music systems and vacation properties. They save what they can for investments in the future: education for their children and for their ultimate retirement. People seem frenzied by their non-stop activities and by ever more things to buy. Few people that I know are really contented and happy.

An English poet from an earlier generation said: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. As traffic gets more and more congested with expensive cars, people are endlessly rushing around, and sometimes I wonder: what is the point of all this?

We all look with compassion at starving children in poor countries. We sympathize with youth in developing countries who will likely never share the opportunities of the middle class in Vancouver. But when we see successful managers and even multimillionaires working as furiously as the very poor, we stop and wonder, what is the point of all this?

These ultimate questions about life are what occupy me most. In fact, these questions have fascinated me for a very long time, which perhaps means that I am a “philosopher of every day life”. I believe that I know some of the answers to these eternally perplexing questions, but I struggle to communicate the answers adequately. This quest is the central purpose of my Abbey Mountain Blog and of the books that I plan to write in the next few years.

My answers are not entirely original, nor are the questions. These questions have been asked and answered since the dawn of human history. Some teachers give very simple answers to these difficult questions; but unfortunately, while the simple answers are not entirely wrong, they seem inadequate to satisfy this generation. The changes on our planet during the last 100 years are likely the most momentous seen during the past 5,000 years of recorded history.

One typical answer is that it this endless struggle in our lives is all about another dimension and where we will go after death. I don’t reject that answer entirely, but I find myself impatient with otherworldly solutions which are of no use to us living in the here and now. The wisdom we need most urgently is how to live our lives today and tomorrow. Hopefully, that wisdom will also point us to our ultimate destiny.

Since ancient times, some people have believed we should seek pleasure, moment by moment: in delicious food, in fine wine, in sex, in all kinds of physical pleasures, and in whatever artistic and cultural pursuits which satisfy our immediate longings. This hedonistic philosophy still going strong today.

A smaller group of philosophers has believed that most pleasures should be denied, that we should seek complete chastity, poverty, simplicity and purity of our souls. This ascetic philosophy is also advocated today in many forms, both religious and secular.

However, the largest group of humanity has little conscious philosophy in these matters: they are too busy rushing to their next activity to give this matter much consideration.

Let me end this post on a note of hope and optimism. I truly believe that there are answers to life’s ultimate questions when we look for them; there are good solutions to life’s challenges; there are wholesome ways to live our lives so that they do not end in utter futility.

But these questions demand our full attention. The solutions do not come in little pills, or in easy recipes which take two minutes. The answer is more like a journey we must undertake.

My hope is to provide you the best wisdom that I have found in terms of practical usefulness for every day living. I have climbed part way up this mountain of spiritual seeking. I have found a life for myself that is mostly harmony and peace. This wisdom will not exempt me from old age and death, but it provides me a deep sense of meaning and contentment as I watch the endless cycles of life. I invite you to come share this exciting journey!

2007-06-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

Work and Dreaming

2007-06-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Somewhere I once read:

Dreams without work are fantasy;

Work without dreams is drudgery;

But work in pursuit of a dream is ecstasy!

Young children (day) dream naturally. Adults often forget how to dream and don’t even realize that it is very important. Dreams (or meditative thought) create our vision for both the present and the future. They show us how our creative energies can contribute to a better world for ourselves and for everyone else. They transform our attitude towards the most ordinary jobs.

Adults learn to become good at work if they wish to succeed. But somehow, the vital connection between work and dreaming gets lost for many people after childhood. Our dreams degenerate into escapism and mental vacations. Our dreams get crowded out by busy schedules; we cram more and more activities into our weeks, so that our minds become overloaded with just barely coping. Our dreams are replaced by mental diversions like books, movies, TV, games, sports, travel, and intoxicants.

Often our work gets out of our control and we do it merely to survive rather than with enthusiasm. We stop believing that our work matters to ourselves or to others. It just has to be done to get money.

Some people drop out of work and essentially become dreamers, disconnected from everyday working reality. They work only the bare minimum needed to survive. They fantasize about winning the lottery and other improbable dramas not remotely connected to their real lives. They dream empty dreams with little chance of attaining them.

So we may alternate between fantasy and drudgery, but rarely do we find the ecstasy of passionate, creative work. How can we re-establish this vital connection between dreaming and our daily work?

Our first challenge is relearning how to dream while we are awake: this state is something like daydreaming, but more purposeful and more closely connected with who we actually are. This state is like meditation and reflection. It entails mulling over the ultimate questions of our life during times of quiet.

It involves considering all of the possibilities and goals for our life. What work do we really enjoy doing? What do we want to ultimately accomplish and to become? Where do we want to be in 5 or 10 years? How can we become more creative in our actual daily work situation?

Dreaming needs to be cultivated like any important capacity or talent. Learn as much about dreaming as you can. Set time aside in your busy day to pause and reflect. Find outdoor beauty or a tranquil spot in your home or office to just sit and think. Dreams must be unforced; they don’t come quickly, on command.

The difference between dreaming and planning is that dreams reach further out into time and space. It is like the adage of “hitching your wagon to a star” which our ancestors did when they explored new countries to settle. Dreams stretch far beyond our reach, yet they beckon us and inspire us. Plans by contrast are mostly about doing what is immediately achievable.

Our second challenge is to think and dream about the work that we actually do, to see its endless creative potential, both in the present and for the future. I suspect that my career success came mostly because I never thought that I had a boring job. My co-workers often seemed bored when they did jobs like those I had in my early years: as a farm worker, a carpenter, mason, library clerk, gardener, tutor, sales assistant, and as a banker. But I found each of my jobs infinitely fascinating and I always dreamed about where this work might lead me. So I always looked forward to going to work.

Our work ought to be our vital connection with our community and also our creative contribution to the world. Obviously, it helps to find a kind of work which is legitimate and worthwhile. But most kinds of work can be done in such a way that it enriches us.

My good friend Paul, who has run his shoe store for nearly 60 years, puts his heart and soul into selling and repairing shoes. He does it as his contribution to the lives of every customer. He wants to know all about you and will stop his work to talk for a long while. And he repairs your shoes with an expertise and passion that is rarely found. I suspect many of Paul’s daydreams are about his shoe business and about his customers. His radiant smile and joyful disposition clearly demonstrate the ecstasy he finds in his work.

So dreaming is not so much about getting rich quick as it is about enriching all of our relationships through our work. True wisdom considers our work sacred when it is done in the right spirit. A creative attitude can transform our menial tasks into a divine calling.

2007-05-21T09:28:00.001-07:00

Moving On

2007-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Many people start dreaming long before retirement about finding a better place to live, where they can enjoy doing the things they love most.

Nonetheless, there is something bittersweet about actually moving away from a family home, where our children have grown up, and where we spent some of the happiest days of our lives.

Kathy and I came to our Vancouver house when our son Michael was five, and our older children were seven, twelve and fourteen. Since then, our house has rung with laughter and parties for both children and adults. This old house, in this lovely neighbourhood, and in a great city, has been very precious to us!

But the time has come for moving on. One by one our children have moved out to seek their destiny elsewhere. Only Michael has remained with us in the old house, and he has spent most of his time away with friends. Fewer people have been eating at our table recently; usually just Kathy and I, and we now look beyond home for our social activities.

Our old house has been needing many repairs: the kitchen floor needs to be replaced; the dishwasher is broken; windows are hard to open and close; the hallway floor creaks because of a loose board. However, since we are now retired, we have decided to build a new and better home.

We are now moving to a virtual paradise on the Pacific Coast 40 miles northwest of Vancouver. We have an lovely acreage with mature trees, both fruit-bearing and decorative. There are colourful bushes and flowers in bloom much of the year. We are also building a wonderful new house with the help of an inspired architect.

The situation of our old house in Vancouver reminds me strikingly of my aging body. I am now 60 and although in good health, I realize that my body will wear out within a few more decades. Although my parents lived until their 90’s, I can not count on good health for that long.

My body has more creaks and pains than ever before, despite getting regular exercise and eating healthy food. My shoulders ache. My legs are sore sometimes. My digestion is not as good as it used to be. I am progressing through the normal stages of aging. Fortunately, I still look relatively young for my age. But I have no illusions that that I can continue long in the prime of my life. Soon I will become older still and then will come the time for the ultimate Moving On.

The prospect of giving up my old body is not as frightening for me as it is for many people. I still hold the beliefs of my parents and ancestors of a wonderful Home of the Soul where our spirit can go after our death. While I cannot describe this pace with accuracy, I sometimes get a deep longing to be in Heaven, where all is joy and peace.

I realize that my belief in Heaven is not shared by all. Many people regard belief in Afterlife as just lingering superstition. I cannot prove them wrong. But let me give you a few considerations.

Virtually every ancient culture worldwide has believed in an afterlife for the spirit: Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Polynesians, Africans, and Native Americans, among others, have all held this common belief throughout history; there are few cultures without this belief. One could conclude that all cultures suffer from common wishful thinking. On the other hand, perhaps these traditional cultures, less distracted by modern technology, have demonstrated a common access to a realm of the spirit that we have nearly lost.

These visions of Heaven have included an end to all suffering, pain and tears. It has been described as a realm of beauty and splendour, where glorious music and wonderful scenes bless those who enter there. Some people today still encounter this glorious place in their dreams and times of meditation.

So as I move on from my Vancouver house and consider that I will one day also giving up this body which houses my spirit, I am struck by similar feelings of poignancy: both seem like moving on to a Far Better Home.

A Lifetime Commitment in the Same Direction

2007-05-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to see the movie Amazing Grace, the story of how William Wilberforce led an evangelical group committed to outlawing the oppressive evils of slavery throughout the British Empire. If you had stopped the movie two thirds of the way through, you might have concluded that Wilberforce was an idealistic failure, who wasted his life, wealth and health on a hopeless cause.

But in fact, after a 20 year campaign, Wilberforce and his companions turned around both the Parliament and also British public opinion. A mere handful of idealists converted a great nation and the entire British empire to more humane standards which outlawed the slave trade.

His triumph surely stands near the peak of spiritual accomplishment. I suspect that Wilberforce’s contribution to human civilization was perhaps even greater than that made by Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi or Mother Teresa, not that comparisons matter. Unfortunately, Wilberforce has now been virtually forgotten some two centuries later.

What I found thought provoking was Wilberforce’s struggle as a young man, trying to decide between a life devoted to purely spiritual pursuits vs. a life of social action; finally, he realized that both callings could coexist together.

When you consider how great the cost of this struggle was to Wilberforce in every dimension of his life, you might conclude that he was misguided. For a while, he was a political and social outcast; his family life and health were nearly ruined; and he became addicted to Laudanum, an opium-based medicine that he took to sleep and to calm his bowels and shattered nerves.

But his ultimate triumph outshines these very real costs. He deserves the greatest honours for almost extinguishing the slave trade; although slavery persisted in the United States and elsewhere for half a century more, but at least there was an end to fresh capture of Africans to be transported across the Atlantic. Wilberforce stands as a beacon to anyone who considers committing themselves to a noble cause on behalf of wider humanity.

The other fascinating thing I saw in his story was the importance of a lifetime commitment. In today’s world of instant cures for all ills (particularly those promised in the political world) it is useful to reflect that great changes and progress seldom come quickly, sometimes not even within the duration of one lifetime. This principle applies to most forms of human endeavour.

During my career as a businessman, I was amazed to find that successful entrepreneurs were rarely exceptionally charming, well educated, brilliant, or talented. The one trait they possessed in common was a deep commitment for many decades to their business concept. They typically started out on a humble scale in a basement or garage and just kept going in the same direction for 20, 30 or 40 years. Equally, I observed that people who pursued completely new directions every year or two almost never succeeded – it seems the kiss of death.

This rule of long, lasting commitment applies to almost any type of career. It applies to relationships, including marriage and family. It applies to artistic endeavours, sports and virtually every other dimension of human accomplishment. To really succeed requires a passionate commitment for many years.

Obviously, not everyone who is strongly committed achieves spectacular success. However, I think they will become the best in life that they could ever be. And public recognition or accumulating significant wealth is not a good measure of a lifetime of accomplishment. I have written previously about my humble parents, who failed to reach much visible success, yet were recognized in their community as extraordinary people.

I once met a Jewish businessman who told me that religion is essentially discipline. While there are many other aspects of a spiritual life, including grace, spirituality clearly involves a strong commitment for a lifetime.

Of course, we experiment and explore in our spiritual life to find Real Truth for ourselves. But eventually, we adopt some lifetime core values (at least by default), whether these are values that lead to our moral dissipation or those that contribute to lasting human betterment.

Nearly all of us have a sense that we should do something worthwhile with our lives, something of lasting significance. This is best done by making our commitment long before the sunset of our lives. We should stick to our commitment both in pleasant times and also when we are nearly overwhelmed by chaos sweeping over us.

Such dedication and commitment, by even a few resolute souls, can change the life on our planet much for the better! William Wilberforce provides a wonderful illustration of how much can be achieved in one life by resolute dedication.

2007-04-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Metaphors and Stories of the Spiritual World

2007-04-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

The spiritual world is filled with stories and metaphors, which some people find intriguing, but others find frustrating. However, when religious thought is codified to simplified doctrines, it can equally prove a dilemma for those not raised with this mindset. From my perspective, it is best to accept the inherent mystery of spiritual language and concepts, which are due to the virtual impossibility of human minds trying to grasp the Infinite.

Let me illustrate this challenge with a metaphor. I have traveled more than many people. In my career as an international banker and later as a company executive, I took as many as 50 – 150 airplane flights per year. I often traveled to other countries and continents. When I returned, I found it difficult to convey adequately the places and cultures I had seen to friends who rarely traveled overseas.

Similarly, in my career in the world of finance, I worked with the invisible world of finance, dealing with millions and tens of millions of dollars in countless financial transactions. I found that trying to explain this financial world was even more challenging than telling about my travels to other parts of the planet. I made public presentations about finance for various audiences, both academic and professional. I found out quickly that using stories and metaphors was crucial to getting my points across to non-financial audiences.

But my most difficult challenge is trying to communicate about the spiritual world, which seems as real to me as foreign continents and the mysteries of finance. However, the challenge to find apt language is more daunting. I have found stories and metaphors are more useful than abstract theories to explain a world where there are no pictures and videos available to convey the hidden wonders of the spirit.

Take for instance trying to describe God: while every known language has words for the Highest Power in the Universe, sometimes it appears that the various concepts of God found around the world are irreconcilable. However, if we consider both the names for God and their meanings as metaphors of a greater Reality, rather than as precise descriptions, the conflict diminishes.

Allah is the Arabic name of God, which is used by Muslims. It literally means "The One Worthy of Worship”. In the Aramaic language used at the time of Jesus, a similar word Alaha was used for the name of God. The Jews have many names for God, such as Yahweh, Adonai, El Shaddai, Elohim, and Emmanuel, each with slightly different meanings. Christians tend to use the Jewish names plus Deus (Latin Catholic), Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit), and others. In Chinese, the name Shang Ti (Hanyu Pinyin: shàng dì) (literally King Above), is the name given for God.

Meanings for the name of God in various cultures include: Lord of the Universe (Ethiopian Orthodox), “The Holy One, Blessed is He” (Orthodox Jews), The One, The Great, The Supersoul, The Ineffable, The Ground of all Being, The Eternal, The Nameless Power, The Great Spirit, The Master of Life, and The Force (in Star Wars).

Not all of these names and concepts are equally appealing, but they all suggest a universal intelligence and power beyond us that connects everything. Fortunately, this Power seems congenial towards us.

Beyond naming or describing the Highest Power, there are equal problems in describing the human spirit or soul, and other spiritual beings like angels without using metaphors. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, wrote:

Calling an angel a metaphor says nothing one way or another about the reality of angels as such. Metaphor is a primary means by which language deals with what is unseen and yet real. If we say, as the psalmists often did, that God is a rock, and that “rock” in the sentence does not refer to an idol but is a metaphor for God there is no implication that the rock is not real on its own account. Angels as metaphors provide a means for making story and sense out of illusive energies and forces for which abstract terms seem unsatisfactorily thin.

I find that metaphor, poetry, and story work best in trying to convey the Indescribable. We humans must stretch to comprehend a Cosmic Power capable of creating and maintaining billions of galaxies, and yet also to keep the infinitesimal world of subatomic particles functioning. Ambiguity and mystery are inevitable for us in face of such awesome Infinity.

Doing What I Think I Should & Doing the Best That I Can

2007-03-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

As a much younger man and an aspiring folk singer, I used to play Green Back Dollar by Hoyt Axton on my Gibson steel-string guitar:

Some people say I'm a no count

Others say I'm no good

But I'm just a natural born traveling man

Doing what I think I should

Oh Lord, doing what I think I should

Well, I don't give a damn about a green back dollar

Spend it fast as I can

For a wailing song and a good guitar

Are the only things that I understand

Oh Lord, the only things that I understand

After nearly a lifetime of studying and observing the human species, and of investigating every possible moral philosophy, religion and form of spirituality, I have come back full circle to simplicity as the best approach to life. “Doing what I think I should” and “Doing the best that I can” may seem like a poor excuse for pursuing my highest ambitions, but the alternative looks worse.

A large number of people have given up trying to live a good life altogether, since it just seems too hard. Others are still striving valiantly to achieve perfection as best they can understand it, but are getting battered by the unceasing storms that blow them off their desired path.

Perhaps it doesn’t need to be this hard. As most of us move into an increasingly complex and complicated (“complexicated”) world in our large metropolitan areas, we have become rich in money and possessions, but poor in free time, leisure and simplicity. Just driving or commuting to work is arduous. Managing a successful career is increasingly challenging. Maintaining relationships, a solid family, and caring for the wider community seems more like an impossible dream than a present reality. Add to this the complications of exploding technology, communications, entertainment, and new systems for doing anything better (which usually disappear overnight), and we moderns are working full-out just to meet our minimum obligations.

The irony is that while we have ever more knowledge and educational degrees, we have less understanding of how to live life well. By contrast, although my parents and grandparents faced life-long economic hardships and health challenges, they didn’t spend their days in unfathomable complexity. They could come home after a hard day’s labour to sing, garden, cook, chat with neighbours, and to keep their simple faith.

Our generation seems in danger of losing what matters most in life. We may own cars that perform beyond the wildest dreams of our grandparents; and we accumulate home furnishings, travel to distant places, and live like royalty in some respects; yet, we suffer the severe modern anxiety where the speed of change has left us utterly baffled.

So I come back to simplicity and to manageable goals. At age 60, I have no illusion that just around the corner I will encounter a new success formula to bring great wealth, better health, effective government, or perfect spirituality. Rather, I see much unhappiness in those still striving for impossible levels of perfection in every dimension.

I remember fondly the days of my youth when I had few “green-backed dollars”, but lots of fun and leisure. I enjoyed never-ending days at the beach or in the mountains with friends and family. We sang around the fire. We cooked simple food. We made plenty of mistakes. But life was good.

I hope for the generations that follow that our material ambitions, our pursuit of education and knowledge, and our desire to achieve human perfection in every aspect don’t ruin what could be a good life.

My advice: just do what you think you should and the best that you can. It doesn’t get much better than that.

2007-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

From Oppression to Freedom

2007-03-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

One of the oldest recurring stories throughout the world is that of liberation from oppression. Countless foreign occupying armies have been driven out and oppressive rulers overthrown around the world in almost every century. In recent history, Simon Bolivar, El Libertador, freed Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia from Spanish colonial rule during the 19^th Century. Slaves in the United States were freed a bit later by Abraham Lincoln; and in the next century racial discrimination was finally outlawed under the leadership of Martin Luther King. Colonial rule was pushed out in India, Africa, and China during the 20th Century. European nations were also freed from Hitler; and later Eastern Europe was freed from Soviet rule.

These liberations brought ecstatic celebration by immense crowds in the streets, in cafes and private homes; normal life now seemed possible again for all the oppressed people. Liberation stories are endlessly wonderful. They are the stuff of legend, song and film.

But there are in fact different kinds of oppression. One type is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. This would include foreign domination, economic exploitation, misrule in companies and in other institutions, unhealthy media influence over our minds, and even extortion by criminal gangs, to mention just a few. This kind of oppression is usually caused externally.

The other kind of oppression is usually on a smaller, more personal scale. It the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc. It may involve mental and emotional oppression, often self imposed, such as addiction to drugs and alcohol. It may occur in families and in other important relationships. Whether oppression is due to large external circumstances, or to more subjective internal causes, it can be equally debilitating.

One of the recurring themes in liberation stories is powerful outside help. Nearly every story points to a Moses, a Gandhi, a Mother Teresa, or some other person or group who rescues people lost in helpless despair. Frequently these stories have religious themes. For instance, when Jesus began his mission of spiritual liberation, he quoted from the Prophet Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Spirituality is almost always linked to this quest for freedom from oppression, involving liberation both for ourselves and also for our friends and families. This quest for freedom may be expressed in political and economic terms, or in psychological, emotional and spiritual language, or often by a combination of these.

There is a powerful desire in the human heart to break free from whatever enslaves us, from whatever is holding us back, in order to soar to the heights like an unfettered eagle. Often, we can recall our spirits soaring at a younger age, perhaps in childhood. But now they seem so heavy and constrained by overpowering circumstances that liberation seems only a distant dream.

Spiritual wisdom has always taught that freedom is reachable, particularly freedom of the heart, soul and mind. Not every struggle for political or economic liberation will succeed during the lifetime of those who struggle. Nor can we all find perfect health and the physical freedom that allows us to run effortlessly. But there is a kind of inner freedom that is reachable despite oppressive outer circumstances.

This is the kind of freedom that Helen Keller discovered despite her blindness and her inability to hear any normal sounds; she reached out of her darkness and found a source of joy and normal functioning notwithstanding these drastic physical limitations. Of course, she had powerful help through a teacher (liberator) who showed her how to train her mind and spirit to thrive despite her seemingly helpless condition.

That is our situation today. No matter how rich or poor we may be, we all face struggles to survive, particularly in our inner world. We face sickness, loneliness, despair, anxiety, loss of direction, old age, and fear of death. So we should all seek spiritual healing and liberation.

Our spiritual quest will involve finding wisdom and powerful help along the way, since it is too difficult to achieve within our own limited resources. But the first step is an aspiration to find freedom of the soul.

As long as the dream of freedom is alive, we have good reason for hope. One day we too may sail to new heights like the eagles that I often see flying outside of my windows. Never give up this quest to go from oppression to freedom!

2007-03-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

The Listening Soul

2007-02-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Spiritual seekers are always listening to hear what is crucial to know beyond the mere sensory world. However, we also try to sharpen our ordinary senses to see all that there is to see; to hear every audible sound; to feel the slightest touch; and to taste and smell the wondrous scents around us. These too inform our souls.

But ultimately, to survive and grow spiritually we need to “hear” what is beyond ordinary hearing or seeing. The hardest challenge of our lives is knowing how to live, knowing what to do, and what we should avoid. How can we possibly distinguish the right course, among the countless influences and suggestions within ourselves and beyond us? How can we find a reliable way in such a perplexing world?

Since ancient times we have been told that if we “listen” intently enough, we can acquire special wisdom to guide our path. Sometimes this has been described as extra “sight” or “vision”. Some have even described a metaphorical “third eye” in our forehead. But what we are discussing here goes beyond any physical hearing or seeing, or any of our other senses, as important as they are.

The difficulty with a spiritual quest is the lack of adequate vocabulary to describe this invisible realm. We readily acknowledge the reality of taste or smell, although finding an adequate vocabulary to express what we have tasted to someone who has not tasted that substance is agonizingly difficult.

To illustrate this dilemma, look at the story of Helen Keller who lived in the 19^th century without being able to hear, see or speak. She lacked these ordinary senses completely since a childhood illness destroyed them at age two. Yet, with the help of an astute teacher, she was ultimately able to learn language, to speak, and even to write some best-selling books. She attended Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University. Mark Twain said that she along with Napoleon was one of the two most extraordinary people of her century.

We are all like Helen when it comes to learning about the spiritual world. However frustrating it is, trying to understand what seems almost incommunicable, the alternative of not “seeing” is unquestionably worse. Like Helen, we may be tempted to rage at the undecipherable nature of this hidden realm, trying to find language and concepts beyond all our ordinary senses.

And yet, this is exactly what every spiritual seeker has done throughout the ages. They may benefit from books and astute teachers, hopefully, but it is still a tremendous challenge. Often we give up, and decide we just want to enjoy normal existence. But then something brings us back to the challenge.

Life is full of unknowables if we face it without spiritual discernment. How can we tell good people from bad? How do we decide on difficult ethical and moral questions when there is so much unhelpful and conflicting advice? How do we know when we are getting it right?

Finally, how do we ever mature spiritually, so that we can stand on our own feet without constant dependence on teachers, however helpful they may be? This requires learning new ways of “hearing” and “seeing”.

The rewards for “listening” are ultimately life-changing, although at first they might seem unattainable. Guides are needed, but they are not enough alone. We need the ability to distinguish between false guides and reliable ones, between those who are only a few steps ahead and those who are mature. Even that requires listening and discernment.

This is a difficult challenge for us. However, walking in spiritual darkness, like the darkness and silence which Helen Keller had experienced, is even more frustrating.

We need spiritual perception to navigate the fog of life. Our friends and family will get sick or die. We will face dangers and challenges of every kind throughout our days. We need to decide where to live, whom to marry, what career to take and many more questions. These questions will all benefit from direct spiritual knowledge.

I encourage you to open the “ears” of your soul to hear. Begin this spiritual journey!

2007-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Aspiration

2007-01-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

I am looking for truth, ultimate truth.

I want to see, touch, feel and hear that which is beyond ordinary sense.

I want to find the world of silence, where prayer, meditation and reflection breathe.

I want a spirit within me that is connected to all of human kind and the cosmos beyond.

I want a guide for life, struggle, adventure, pain, and eventually death.

I want to live intensely with my family, friends, neighbors and strangers. Let me hear their words and sense the longings of their hearts.

I want all my senses to be finely tuned to the world about me. I want a vivid imagination also.

I want to work and create even better things.

I want to sing with joy and excitement about what I experience, the good and the bad.

I want my life transformed so I can become the best that I can be.

The Nitty Gritty of True Spirituality – Generosity, Graciousness and Compassion

2007-01-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

There are various definitions of spirituality (some quite bizarre), but if there were a worldwide poll, I suspect that the characteristics of generosity, graciousness and compassion might be agreed as about the best evidence of true spirituality. The descriptive words vary from culture to culture, but the ideal of love, generosity and kindness, even in the face of hostility, is a universal principle.

This is the spirit of Mother Teresa caring for the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. It is Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, and Martin Luther King standing up to powerful oppression, yet refusing violence and hatred. It is the spirit of bestowing little acts of kindness whether in the middle of a cruel war or just in the haste of modern rush and traffic.

Generosity is giving far more than required by reciprocity. It goes well beyond just being fair. For instance, generosity in a marriage (or in other relationships) means giving far more than required on a “50 : 50” arrangement; rather, it would mean giving 60% or 80% or sometimes even 100%. Generosity doesn’t require giving in to every need or request, but being willing to give liberally when our heart tells us it is right to do so; but this discernment requires a generous heart.

Graciousness means acting with grace and dignity even when everyone else may be behaving poorly. It means being pleasant, kind and courteous in all circumstances, however trying or difficult. It requires control of our emotions and reactions, especially when facing provocation.

Compassion means helping the weak and poor beyond what they may deserve. It is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate their suffering. It is sensitivity to the situation and needs of others, regardless of their own responsibility for their misery.

Most ancient religions affirm these qualities in one form or another, however different the words may sound in each language: love, sympathy, empathy, consideration, patience, open-mindedness, charity, bigheartedness, affection, civility, politeness, courteousness, sympathy, concern and care – the list of synonyms goes on.

Generosity, Graciousness and Compassion are necessary for the optimum functioning of all humankind – for ourselves, for our family, for our community, and for the whole world. They require giving space, giving time, giving attention, and always giving the benefit of the doubt, particularly when we are tempted to make harsh judgments.

These virtues are best shown in the face of their opposites: like stinginess, selfishness, rudeness, insensitivity, coercion, anger, aggression, cruelty, exploitation, tyranny and the other horrible faces of evil.

Not everyone may agree that generosity, graciousness and compassion are the best evidence of true spirituality. I leave it to each of you to reflect on what you consider to be the most convincing evidence. (It is a question worth pondering.)

But even for those who agree with this perspective, there are other significant questions which arise:

Is it possible for large numbers of people to reach this level of spiritual maturity, or is it reserved for a few “saints”?
Do people come by these qualities accidentally, or through genetic traits and social environment, or there reliable paths to reach this?
Spirituality involves some level of sacrifice, but does it require extinguishing our ego entirely, or can a person enjoy a happy, fulfilling life while being spiritual?
Can leaders in government, business and society be spiritual, or do authority and power invariably require elements of cunning, deception, ruthlessness and manipulation which preclude deep spirituality?
What difference would it make to our world if a large part earth’s citizens became more deeply spiritual?
Does spirituality require somehow anchoring ourselves in a deeper reality than that which we can see and hear?

There are more questions associated with this subject, but these are a few to consider.

2006-12-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

Immortality of the Soul & Existence of a Spiritual World

2006-12-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

Following the death of my mother a few months ago I have been thinking a lot about the nature of our souls, how they communicate, and the age-old question of what happens to the soul (or spirit) after death. This week I read an article by Kevin J. Corcoran, a self-defined Materialist-Christian theologian, who does not believe in the existence of a human soul that could survive the death of the body (A New Way to Be Human – A Christian materialist alternative to the soul). Corcoran wrote of his experience when his father died:

“My father was lying lifeless before me. How could he be with God in heaven? I came to understand that my mother believes what most Christians have believed down through the centuries: humans are immaterial souls capable of disembodied existence. Try as I might, I cannot bring myself to believe what my mother, and most Christians, believe about human nature.

[He concludes] Finally, a materialist view of human nature serves to protect us against turning our longings for a new day into longings for a disembodied existence in some far off and distant heaven.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2006/006/16.33.html).

I am delighted that Kevin Corcoran would raise such an important question in mainstream Christian circles. I suspect that he will get a torrent of rebuttals based on ancient Biblical texts. I could join in such a reply based on Scriptures, but I prefer to approach this from a different perspective, since I am not trained as a theologian.

Immortality of the soul is an age-old question that will never finally be put to bed, not until we reach “the other side” beyond death. Two thousand years ago this issue had already divided the Jews (Pharisees vs. Sadducees) at the time of Jesus, and it bedevils us still.

The question of immortality transcends the major faiths. There are many strong traditions all around the world about the survival of the soul (or spirit) after death. I will not even begin trying to review these. For a summary, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality

I have never dabbled in communication with the dead, or seen ghosts, or had visions of dead people coming back to life. But I have experienced strong intimations of immortality when I encountered the deaths of the people that I loved.

For instance, at the passing of my Uncle Joe (who is worth a story) I felt a profound sense that he had traveled on to Another World. I cannot describe this sensation here except to say that I was so deeply moved at my innermost core that I wrote a eulogistic poem about my uncle’s passing to the world beyond.

This same experience was repeated at the deaths of both my father and mother. When I saw the bodies of my father, and later my mother, lying dead in their coffins, my strong sense was that this was not actually my father or mother, that their indefinable essence had moved on to their Eternal Home, wherever that may be.

My belief in a spiritual world beyond the material also comes from apparent telepathy or “thought transference”. For a mundane example: a few days ago, I was thinking about taking the garbage out to the road for the weekly garbage pickup, when within 60 seconds I received three different messages by phone asking me to see that the garbage was removed before we left our coastal home to return to Vancouver. How could these different people, in different places, without talking with each other, all be thinking about precisely the same topic at the same nanosecond, when five minutes earlier, none of them had been thinking about this mundane subject?

I run into this kind of mental telepathy very often, particularly during communications with my wife or close friends. I think of them and suddenly the phone rings, often to discuss the very topic of my thoughts. This can be explained away as sheer coincidence; but being an old skeptic who has survived harsh wars in the world of business, I wonder if materialist logic is adequate to explain away these mental phenomena? I have experienced thought transference so often that it seems ludicrous for me personally to deny this phenomenon.

Let me tell you another story. My wife and I have made friends with a collection of special people who might be described as handicapped in some way. These people have appeared spontaneously into our lives at various times, so we try to take care of them as best we can. One of these friends was Mel Chang, a man in his 50’s who lived in a Salvation Army residence on the worst block in Vancouver (where more murders occur than anywhere else in this city).

Mel Chang had visited with us often for many years. The last time he shuffled into our house was just before Christmas about 15 years ago; just out of the blue, it occurred to me to ask Mel who we should notify if he ever got sick or died. With some effort, he pulled this information out of a small book and my wife Kathy wrote it down. This incident seemed uneventful at the time.

A month later, our friend Bill Walsh called to say that Mel Chang was in hospital. Then, before we had any chance to visit him in hospital, Mel unexpectedly died. We waited to hear about funeral arrangements, but none were announced. Then we got another call from Bill asking if we knew anything of Mel’s relatives, since the health authorities had tried for several weeks to find his family, but without success. Mel apparently had been adopted, of Chinese and Korean origin, but due to a changed spelling of his name, his family became untraceable. I asked Kathy to look up the information we had recorded on Mel’s last visit to us, which turned out to be the vital missing link. His relatives were then found and so the chapel was full at Mel’s funeral, even though it was held a month late.

What was so utterly strange about this experience was that we had seen Mel hundreds of times before this last visit, but we had never asked him (or any of our other special friends) for this type of contact information; the thought had never even crossed our minds. However, Mel would have been buried anonymously if I hadn’t followed a sudden impulse to get this crucial information.

I cannot explain this away as random chance. I believe that this was an example of spiritual insight supplied from the beyond the human realm, so that Mel could be buried with celebration and dignity.

I believe that the same precise thoughts occur simultaneously to unconnected people all around the globe, beyond materialistic explanation. Trying to rationalize these curious mental phenomena on the basis of global media, or by other materialist explanations, seems very inadequate.

These matters will never be decided by absolute proof. However, I encourage you to consider these questions about the soul in the stillness of you own heart and mind.

I believe that a rich spiritual world is available to all of us. It can not only help to explain our lives, but it can also provide comfort and strength to face sickness, misfortune, death, and other hard realities. I am now happily past my student days when I tried to face the world alone, as a determined materialist-atheist. My life now has purpose, direction and meaning. At age 60, facing both old age and eventual death, this is of great importance!

Anxiety – the Modern Curse?

2006-12-05T03:11:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for my 60^th birthday party this week showed me something in myself that is typical of our generation. I get anxious. I think too much about little details. I get slightly irritated with Kathy, who is one of the world’s best wives. I spend money. I eat and drink too much. Nothing is actually wrong, but I create stress for myself and over-react.

Then I start talking with my family and my friends and find that they too are anxious: about business; about family relationships; about life in general.

I go shopping at one of the nicest shopping malls in Vancouver. At first I am overwhelmed at the wonderful atmosphere of Christmas, with wonderful choral music, abundant merchandise, glittering colours, and enticing scents. But the shoppers rush by looking more worried than joyful at this immense banquet of material pleasures. They stop to gamble at the government run lottery. They fret in the long line-ups at the cash registers. They look tired and withdrawn. They too are very anxious.

Our responses to anxiety are often unhealthy. We take drugs, both legal and illegal. We eat and drink too much. We overspend. We worry and plan. Some of us barrage ourselves with loud music, games, and electronic entertainment. Others become depressed or withdrawn. In fact, together with loneliness, anxiety seems to be the curse of our modern world.

Strangely, our anxiety seems mostly unjustified. Our world is richer and safer than in any previous generation. We are living longer. We can travel safely and quickly. Many if not most of the things which worried our parents and grandparents are now better than ever. Yet we worry and stress ourselves and fail to sleep soundly.

There are cures to this anxiety at many levels, although these are intertwined. I would distinguish between the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of our beings. Curing anxiety successfully takes all three.

I find regular exercise most helpful. A good diet of healthy food is important. Regular routines and intentional forms of relaxation, like music, help a lot. Slowing down to talk with friends and strangers is calming.

What we feed our mind is equally important. Our mental diet is as critical to total health as the food we eat. What do we read, talk and think about? What movies do we see?

Then there is the spiritual dimension. The ancients have always maintained that there is a part of us which transcends the body and the mind which is our spirit. This in turn connects in some mysterious way with the Great Spirit beyond all worlds.

The ancients believed that we must shape our lives in accordance with certain patterns of behaviour which put us in right relationship with the Great Spirit and how the spiritual universe is formed and governed.

When we encounter stresses, setbacks, disappointments and storms in our inner and outer worlds, our spiritual reaction determines how we will come through.

Do we trust God totally, or are we in rebellion against this supreme power? This may seem academic when all is going well, but when intense storms grip us, our spiritual attitudes determine the outcome.

Trusting God completely with our lives and with our future destiny is the ultimate cure for anxiety. No drug or medicine or even healthy living can protect us from life’s ultimate crises, such as: broken relationships; sickness, pain and suffering; career or financial misfortune; getting older; and facing death, whether our own, or the death of those we love.

I will talk more later about the implications of trusting God, because it requires us to reshape our entire lives. But for now, I simply want to affirm that in the storms of my life, however minor (like a party) or major (like facing death), taking care of the body and psyche are both important, but not enough alone. We must also nurture our spiritual being daily to live life well!

2006-11-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

It is not a Perfect World

2006-11-26T19:20:00.000-08:00

Recently the headline in Vancouver’s major newspaper said 70% of the people surveyed in British Columbia believe that humans will destroy the world as we know it within two or three generations.

I have shared these fears since I was a young child. Whether we destroy the world in a big bang by nuclear war; or by some slower method like depleting all the forests and oceans; or by simply polluting the land and the atmosphere by our filthy disregard for our planet, hardly matters.

Some say this danger is due to our colossal ignorance, so better education could save us. Others think we are fundamentally flawed and evil, so we need moral regeneration. The most pessimistic believe that humanity’s capacity for evil, (whether personal or corporate) knows no bounds, so that we are fatally bent on self-destruction.

My study of history suggests that things are not much worse today than a thousand years ago, or ten thousand years ago, except that our ability to do harm (to the earth and to each other) has grown immensely. But fortunately, we also have mostly stopped being cannibals, which is a fairly recent development. Slavery was outlawed only in the last two centuries, and the concept of universal human rights is a virtually new political concept, hardly known in previous centuries. Humanity has improved in some respects.

I am neither an extreme pessimist, nor a total optimist. Humans have certainly demonstrated their capacity for violence and destruction: in our homes, on the streets, by business methods, by unceasing warfare, and by ecological destruction. But since none of this is new, I am not terrified. Only the universal media coverage of our inhumane tendencies is really new.

But though the world is far from perfect, it is beautiful beyond any poet’s ability to describe. My little property at the base of a mountain has trees, flowers, shrubs and wildlife (even visiting black bears) that are exquisitely beautiful, even in the rainy winter months. The beach near our house has such immensely lovely scenes that one almost cries with delight and happiness! So the world is both lovely beyond description and also flawed by the presence of humans everywhere.

A young man told me recently that he does not believe in God because of all the evil in our world. My response to him was that in creating a world where human beings had free will to choose actions and attitudes, God indirectly permitted evil because people might choose to act violently, cruelly, and destructively. On the other hand He also thus allowed humans freedom to save lives, to write symphonies, to invent submarines, or to teach philosophy. This free will is mostly a good thing; without choice, we would be limited like animals or robots. The young man responded that he would rather we had no choice. It is certainly true that choice involves risk. The Creator has elevated the state of humans far beyond animals to be more like gods; our creative capacity for both good and evil is truly incredible.

One of my reasons for believing in a Higher Power is the evident design of the world about us. It seems inconceivable to me that this world has evolved by pure chance alone. Take the behavior of water, as an example. Water is a necessary exception to the universal pattern of constant shrinking of all the basic chemical elements as they grow colder. (These elements include copper, hydrogen, mercury, sulfur, gold, silver, etc.) They all grow colder when they change from a gas state to a liquid; as they get colder still, they become solids.

But fortunately water does not follow this universal tendency; it alone expands when it becomes a solid, or else our lakes and oceans would gradually freeze solid, starting from the bottom up, and the entire planet would soon be covered with ice! One little exception was needed from a consistent pattern in the laws of nature to make life on this planet possible. The very existence of our amazing planet with just the right temperatures, just the right amount of oxygen, just the right sort of vegetation amidst millions of inhospitable spheres shows the hand of an intentional designer.

I delight in the delicate beauty of all nature: in the ocean, the trees, plants, animals, sky, and with stars and galaxies beyond, all swirling in endless beauty. The Creator God gives me hope for the future of our imperfect world.

However imperfect this world may seem at times, it is also infinitely lovely.

Why I am not an Atheist

2006-11-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

When I was a young student at Harvard, one of the most popular books on campus was “Why I am not a Christian” by Bertrand Russell. I devoured this book with glee, gratified by its sophomoric arguments, some of which I had already thought of by myself as a teenager living in rural Christian community. Russell heaped blame onto Christians for many of the world’s misfortunes, from the Crusades to the Spanish Inquisition. Russell’s book has thankfully passed into the obscurity which it deserves, but the argumentation it contained surprisingly still commands the attention of many academics, scientists and journalists.

However, now the target has been expanded beyond Christianity to include devout followers of any religion on the planet, who are all labeled “fundamentalists’. The front cover of Wired one of the technical magazines on the news stands in November 2006 proclaims:

“The New Atheism; No Heaven. No Hell. Just Science."

"Inside the new crusade against religion”.

The article begins “the New Atheists will not let us off of the hook simply because we are not doctrinaire believers. They condemn not just the belief in God but respect for belief in God. Religion is not only wrong; it‘s evil”.

I would not for one minute deny that many crimes have been committed in the name of religion; that is obvious. Whether the religious people so charged were truly following their own scriptures and teachers when they committed these offences is a separate question, too long to address in a short post. It could well be argued that the most devout of any religion do not hate and kill, but rather they feed the poor, care for the sick, and try to rehabilitate those in prison.

Whether religions are sufficiently tolerant is a harder question, and I suspect that often they are not. But then, who else in our world is sufficiently tolerant?

But those who pick up a sword should be prepared to be cut by a similar weapon. I could not begin to list all of the crimes committed in the name of Atheism, Reason and Science. But let me try to suggest their potential scope.

Let’s start with the French Revolution, which is perhaps the first modern example of a government officially pursuing the Rule of Reason. Its inauguration was accompanied by a huge bloodbath which forever immortalized the Guillotine. Whole classes of society were persecuted and exterminated. Vast mobs of unruly citizens attacked any available targets in unbridled class warfare. People starved, looted, and killed, until finally a dictator seized power and restored public order; but he then commenced wars on every front until most of Europe was consumed in a bloodbath. So much for the birth of government devoid of God and ruled by Reason.

But this movement was not squelched by the abject failures of the first attempt. In particular, Karl Marx, Lenin, and Stalin were fervent admirers of the French experiment, so no wonder that their government pursued similar means to reach their objective, using the pernicious slogan “The End Justifies the Means”. However, in Russian and China today you would hardly find anyone who would justify the terrible offenses committed in the name of Socialism, Reason and Atheism.

But the worst monster was likely Adolf Hitler; he was not the avid atheist as were Mao and Stalin, but he had no use for Christians or Jews, whom he exterminated in record numbers. And his Nazi movement extolled Science as never before. Indeed, the diabolical German Scientists in his employ threatened to enslave the planet with his bizarre ideology.

On the more positive side, consider the monumental achievements by believers of the major faiths, like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, St. Francis of Assisi, and many other sublime souls. What about the role of innumerable religious leaders in caring for the poor; establishing schools, hospitals, orphanages; and in eliminating human slavery in most nations (which had been a universal curse in every society throughout known history)?

Finally, in response to the claim that religious people are plainly ignorant in their simplistic creationist beliefs, please consider that the greatest Scientist of the last 100 years, Albert Einstein, believed in a Cosmos designed by a Higher Intelligence, based on his own experience and observation. This theory is still a valid hypothesis, not just ignorant superstition.

Atheism is waxing stronger these days, particularly among the better-educated, academics and scientists. I have no issue with those who find religion difficult to comprehend and who wonder about the evils committed in the name of God. These are important discussions we need to pursue. But substituting a new ideology of atheistic intolerance is not progress.

2006-11-08T02:17:00.000-08:00

Facing a Fathomless Future

2006-11-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

Next month I will celebrate my 60th birthday with a big party with many friends, lots of music, a warm fireplace, stories and laughter. I have been doing this every five years since turning 50, since annual birthday parties would come too close together at my age.

The decade of my 50’s has been remarkably fine for me, and the next decade seems equally promising. My Father lived to age 95 and my Mother reached 97 last month, just before she died. Who knows, I might pass 100. Right now my health is better than it was at 50, thanks to early retirement, active swimming and gardening, plus a better diet. My wife and I are building a dream home on the Sunshine coast of British Columbia with countless guest rooms, lovely gardens, and a 3 minute walk to the beach.

But clearly, this can’t go on forever. My primary concerns are for my family and friends scattered literally all around the world. How will our civilization navigate the challenges of constants wars, spreading nuclear weapons, a looming energy shortage, climate change, and economic instability? There appear to be almost equal grounds for great hope or great despair.

At my age, long term planning includes a will and an estate plan, but that is not all. We all must face our own mortality, sooner or later. I got a direct chance to experience this last month with the death of my Mother.

I sat at my Mom’s bedside for the last 12 days before she passed into a coma and died. Since then, I have been reflecting on the span of her life and its implications for my generation.

Mom was born in 1909 in a small prairie town and traveled by covered wagon across trackless wilderness as a small child. She and my father watched the first cars and airplanes arrive, not to mention electric lighting, telephones, central heating, and all the other wonders of the 20th Century.

But she also witnessed the Great Depression of the 1930’s, two world wars, nuclear threats, and other potential global calamities. She raised ten children and at age 50 started university without ever having attended high school. She succeeded in realizing her life dream to become a teacher. She published her autobiography and traveled and spoke at large gatherings until last year. In some ways, she seems fortunate now to be spared from the immense challenges still ahead.

My mother lived her whole life with a simple faith in God, with wholesome values like frugality, honesty, and generousity to family and community. My Harvard professors taught me less about how to live my life than did the simple country folks who were my parents.

My Mother also died well. She died at home, surrounded by her children, grand children and great grand children, plus other family and friends. She enjoyed good health until one month before she died, when she had a stroke. She still laughed, sang songs, and looked almost normal until the end. In her final week, she had dreams/visions of Heaven and of countless angels which were so lovely that she didn’t want to return back to her normal world.

As a modern well-educated person of the 21st Century, I could easily discount her primitive mindset, which is not much different from older people of other faiths and cultures all around the world. As a young student I was an atheist and a complete skeptic. Now with decades more of life experience, I have glimmerings of a spiritual dimension beyond our ordinary waking world. I am more hesitant to throw out the wisdom that has been passed down to me from countless generations, regarding both life and afterlife. In future posts, I will explore some of these musings with you.

At age 60 nears, these ultimate questions loom larger for me, even though I have health, wealth and a world of opportunity still ahead. My future is bright, but seemingly unfathomable.

2006-11-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

PAY ATTENTION

2006-10-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

In July, my family came close to major disaster on the highway, while driving back from a wedding in Denver. My son Michael (who is normally a superb driver) switched lanes on a 6 lane highway and moved in front of a semi truck. Just then, all the cars ahead slammed on their brakes. The huge truck struck us and spun our car around three times, but fortunately sent us safely onto the roadside rather than into the heavy traffic. A one-second lapse of attention nearly cost the lives of my wife and me, with our three sons.

Most of us are unaware of how scattered our attention is for what matters most to us. I know of a husband who has left a decades-long relationship with his wife not because of another woman, but because he feels he never gets the significant attention he deserves.

I sometimes watch myself drift along in a conversation with my sons, where we give each other perhaps 20% of our full attention. How often do we try to talk with someone staring at a computer or TV screen?

We half listen, but another part of our mind is very far away. We are all neglectful sometimes, whether in attention to important people, or to our jobs, or to other things we value highly.

Most people have trouble concentrating on one thing. We expect loss of concentration during times of stress, fatigue, illness, or crisis. But it comes equally from a somewhat careless attitude.

People today often blanket their minds with loud music, TV, and other electronic media, which provide a hypnotic relief from the outside world, but avert their attention from what is actually going on around them. Drugs and alcohol provide the same shelter from unwelcome reality. But they worsen our problems, rather than helping us. We are far better off to notice the pain or discomfort and to find out its causes, rather than relying on anesthetics.

Full attention involves a decision, a choice of priority. To concentrate on one single focus, you must deliberately ignore competing interests.

There are special exercises for building up our powers of concentration. This has always been a major objective of meditation and of other spiritual disciplines. By regularly focusing for an extended period on our breathing, or on our heartbeat, on a mantra or a prayer, we can learn to concentrate far better. (Academic disciplines, some games, and sports can similarly develop our capacity to concentrate.)

When we try to engage in such mental exercises, the first thing that we notice is the distractions which pull us away from our focus. For instance, we may be counting our breaths, but we lose track quickly because of the noises, competing thoughts, and other distractions. However, sustained practice over several years on such simple concentration exercises can bring tremendous benefits.

I find attention and focus to be highly important in every major sphere of my life: in my Work; Family; Health; Creative Projects; and in my Spiritual Development.

My ability to concentrate is partly a function of my health and general well-being; but it is also a faculty which can be developed with continuous practice. Years ago, I observed that while my ability to speak persuasively was excellent, my listening skills were mediocre. So I started to focus regularly on the faces of everyone talking with me. While I have not achieved Olympic level listening skills, I am now a better listener than before.

Full attention brings more tranquility and harmony into our lives. It enhances our enjoyment of life’s pleasures. It deepens our understanding. It enriches every facet of our lives.

You might want to challenge yourself to pay FULL ATTENTION in some area of your life where you want real progress.

Good luck!

Artificial bread and real bread

2006-09-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

Artificial bread that does not satisfy: gambling, pornography, prostitution, illicit drugs, junk food, mindless entertainment, investment scams, and insatiable materialism are all linked. These all depend on our normal desires being redirected to objects which promise much, but ultimately fail to satisfy our deep spiritual longings. They are examples of artificial bread that does not satisfy. An old prophet wrote:

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.

(from Isaiah 55)

Real bread that satisfies includes: honest work, true romance, intimate sex with a life partner, financial investments with integrity, wholesome food, compelling stories, live music, and quiet prayer.

2006-09-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Pope said it well!

2006-09-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

I am not a Catholic, but I have been impressed by the last few Popes. The storm of Muslim criticism of Pope Benedict's address at the University of Regensburg in Germany led me to read his address in full. I was favourably impressed. If you are curious, here is the link.
The Pope's address at Regensburg

His address was entitled Faith, Reason and the University Here are a few quotes from his address:

ON UNIVERSITIES

"I began teaching at the University of Bonn. That was in 1959, in the days of the old university made up of ordinary professors. The various chairs had neither assistants nor secretaries, but in recompense there was much direct contact with students and in particular among the professors themselves."

ON FORCED CONVERSION

"Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death."

ON REASON AND FAITH

"While we rejoice in the new possibilities open to humanity, we also see the dangers arising from these possibilities and we must ask ourselves how we can overcome them. We will succeed in doing so only if reason and faith come together in a new way, if we overcome the self-imposed limitation of reason to the empirically verifiable, and if we once more disclose its vast horizons. In this sense theology rightly belongs in the university and within the wide-ranging dialogue of sciences, not merely as a historical discipline and one of the human sciences, but precisely as theology, as inquiry into the rationality of faith."