An Ah Ha Moment

Light bulbs are made to turn on and shed light. I think our minds are meant to turn on to God, to The More, and shed spiritual light. In preparing my handout for my talk at church on November 11th, I had one of those precious light moments.

I was re-reading ideas about Alpha and Beta ways to follow Jesus, to walk The Way. I re-read Mark. Light flooded in, or maybe through.

Jesus gave us "to do lists," later people gave us "to believe lists." Think about it. What do we know or think we know?

• Do this in remembrance of me...
• Do help others... 
• Do unto others...
• Do talk with God intimately, even as a beloved daddy...
• Do as the parables teach, about doing good and noble things like forgiveness...
• Do live the Beatitudes.
• Do live the Great Commandment- do love...
• Do love even outcasts and enemies...
• Do participate in bringing the Kingdom here, on earth as it is in heaven...
• More examples- Mark 3. Matthew 25, John 14, the book of James (brother of Jesus), etc.

It was other people, mostly men, who didn't know Jesus, hadn't seen or heard him, that made up believe rules. Believe in creeds, believe in metaphors as literal, believe in a kingdom after death not here, even while saying "The Lord's Prayer" regularly, believe in whatever the hierarchy of men tell you, take what Jesus said and modeled with a grain of salt so you can buy whatever the "holy men" say. Be satisfied with a 2nd hand religion while waiting for your rewards later in the next life, and on and on. 

Since all the Beta ideas are men's ideas, they find it reasonable to violently fight for them, such as the Crusades, the racks of the Middle Ages, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, and so forth. They ignore the Alpha teaching of Jesus because they "have to" fight for their creeds and destroy all who understand otherwise.

It has occurred, strongly occurred, to me that by taking the Alpha teaching of Jesus seriously, we find the biggest turning point in our lives, and all is made new. At the same time, we participate in the biggest turning point on earth where the Kingdom of God has breathing room to exist, but hatred suffocates and limps away. 

So we have a choice who and what to believe. Where does your choice lead? Is that where you want to go? I want to live the Alpha teachings of Jesus as best I can for as long as I am blessed to walk this earth. I may fail, but I will pick myself up and start again and again and again, doing always the very best I can in every moment I live and breathe.

 God, give me strength and courage to walk The Way.