The Absence of God

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

Speech by Steve Jobs to Stanford Graduates

God and Money

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

 
 

 
 

We Do Have Enough Time

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

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.

The Answer is Out There

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.

Good-bye to Timmy, our Loyal Friend

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

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.

Climbing the Spiritual Mountain

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

The Ultimate Source of Good Fortune

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

Giving Good Gifts

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

The People of Heaven

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.

A Citizen of Earth and Heaven?

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?

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!