Teaching is Love

Posted on May 16, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

Teaching is Love

(Note: I have shared this narrative with others before, but I believe this is the first time it is posted here on this site.)

My love affair while I was a teacher.

First, I want to dispel any fears or any false connotations.  The love I write about relates to the professional dedication to the art of teaching, a dedication to ensuring a safe, respectful, and amicable environment for children to grow and be themselves.  A love filled with goodness, hope and nurturing spirit.  The time I am writing about is when I was a young man filled with a hopeful spirit and a passion to make a difference in the lives of children.

In August 2010 I had the great occasion to visit and interact with former students that attended the school where I taught from August 1978 through May 1980.  As we shared our memories of those years, one of the students mentioned that they thought I was in love with another teacher.  After I squelched that notion, it occurred to me that I really had no personal love interest at that time in my life.  I was a bachelor with very little prospects for an engaging relationship.  Therefore, it was easy for me to conclude, in retrospect, that the students and teaching were my loves and passion during my teaching experience.

Since we were engaged in a Christian religious environment, I searched the bible for a passage that could provide a description that aligns with the message I hope to convey.  The general description that best fits my service as a teacher is one of “Humble Service” and “Love in Action”.

Romans 12:3 – 18

 Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

 Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

In the book by Harry Olson “The 8 keys to Becoming Wildly Successful and Happy” there is a chapter devoted to “Redefining Competing and Winning”.  The following is an excerpt from page 56 of that book.

BOX 5.2 Play with this model for a while.

 “BUSINESS IS LOVE”

 How do you treat a lover? Think back to a very special occasion with someone you really loved. Maybe it was a first date, or your wedding day, or a special time with your parents, children or a dear friend.

  • What made that time so special?
  • How did you treat that person?
  • How did you feel about t him or her at the moment?
  • How did that person treat you?
  • Why do you remember that event to this day?

 I’d bet that you:

  • Were extremely attentive to that person’s wishes and needs.
  • Listened carefully to what he or she said.
  • Went out of your way to do something special for him or her.
  • Gave freely of yourself, your time, and your resources and didn’t count the costs.
  • Were creative in thinking up ways to make that person happy.
  • Were attentive to the little details that would enhance your partner’s pleasure.

 This particular section rekindled my memories of my work as a teacher because it discusses one’s attitude toward their work or, as stated in this excerpt, one’s attitude toward business.  It is very easily applied to teaching. In August 1978 I was a 25 year old young man who was hopeful that somehow I could make a difference in this world.  Currently, I have been afforded the opportunity to contemplate on my life and career because I am retired.  As listed in the excerpt above, I often wonder: What made that time so special for me; How did I treat my students; How did I feel about them then and now; How did they treat me; Why have they remained a vivid memory for me even to this day?

The second part of the excerpt talks about the actions taken by someone who has experienced a very positive event.  I like to think that I was attentive to the students’ needs and wishes.  I know I tried to listen carefully to each of them; although I am sure, there were instances where this did not occur.  I certainly think that I gave freely of myself and I still attempt to give freely of myself to this day.  I never counted the costs, and I rarely consider personal costs to this day, except when it comes to my family.  There were times when I did “go out of my way” and there were times where I did not when perhaps I should have.  I think together the students and I were creative in how we approached our lessons and our relationship as teacher-students.  Also, I think I tried to find ways that made each day better or more pleasurable to the extent that it was warranted.

Naturally, there were days that I did not, in my opinion, fulfill the notion of “Teaching is Love”.  However, I think it important to note that my fondness of the experience and my fondness and “love” for each of the students as individuals has not waned or diminished in the years since our paths were intertwined.  Unlike a hurricane that gains great strength at first but begins to lose its force as it approaches land, my fondness for the students and our experience together has grown over the years.

With the advent of “Social Media”, we now have the opportunity to cross paths technologically.  As I read the students’ comments and posts, it is apparent that each of us has grown in a myriad of directions along many divergent ideologies pertaining to politics, spirituality, professions, financial standing, personal insights and so forth.  I am sure we have all grappled with the meaning of life and our individual understanding and meaning of reality as it relates to others and the universe.

In August 2010, some of my former students expressed gratitude for having me as a teacher, but it is I who needs to thank each and every student.  I have benefitted many times over from my experiences as a teacher.  It is the simple mathematical concept of “one to many” and “many to one”.  I was merely one young man with a responsibility entrusted to me by the people of the community, but the students were young and eager and willingly gave of themselves to learn and to make the school experience special.  Together I think we were able to do that.

I submit this to you in light of the concept that “Teaching is Love”.  It is my hope that somehow it provides others with encouragement and light to continue life’s venture knowing that each positive contribution can influence a grateful soul in a very positive way.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Career Passion, Community, Friendship, hope, Life, Self-reflection, Teaching

I am a hypocritical heretic

Posted on May 15, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

I am a hypocritical heretic ensconced in the paradoxical problem of didactic diatribes.

No matter what I write I am sure there will be notorious notions, contradicting comments, suspicious statements, piqued prejudices, erroneous eradications, indeterminate identities, misguided miscalculations, conflicting conclusions, delusional deductions, fake falsehoods, undeniable untruths, malevolent misquotes, inadvertent insults, peculiar particulars, quasi qualifiers, obstinate opinions, irrelevant irregulars, and superfluous substance.

Here are some rambling thoughts that lend credence to my feelings of heresy.

  • I believe not in the capitalistic concept that a socialistic attitude is a bad thing; instead I embrace the notion of providing help for the diseased, downtrodden, and citizens in need.
  • I believe not in the concept of freedom through military force.
  • I believe not in oppressing others and I especially disbelieve in denying equal rights of all.
  • I believe not that immigrants are a great cause for concern.
  • I believe not in the capitalistic exploitation of our workers and environment.
  • I believe not in the religious dogma and rhetoric of the major religions that focusses on the disparaging people unlike a preconceived acceptable image or behavior.
  • I believe not that the white men in suits who are elected to SERVE their constituents know best what is best for our existence.
  • I believe no in rabid nationalism.
  • I believe not in military use for imperialistic purposes.
  • I believe not in trusting my freedoms to others who are wielding weapons.
  • I believe not in the denial of education to all our children.
  • I believe not in the influence of money in our political system.
  • I believe not in the refusal to compromise.
  • I believe not in political rhetoric and obstructionism.
  • I believe not in the need for greedy excessive accumulation of wealth.
  • I believe not that the voice of money and power should overrule the voices of reason and compassion.
  • I believe not in the hateful rhetoric of politicians.
  • I believe not that you and I are separate, but instead we share a common citizenship in our beings.
  • I believe not in the disparagement of others.
  • I believe not in the limited concepts of religion’s unyielding dogma, but instead embrace the openness beyond the limitations of human words, thoughts and perceptions.
  • I believe not in imperialistic undertakings

So when I embrace the concept of being a heretic, I undeservedly, and with great pretension, place myself among some of the greatest contributors to the development of human kind.  The following list of people have been at some time or other condemned for their heresy: Michael Servetus, Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Mother Teresa, Esther, Thomas Jefferson, Joan of Arc, Anne Askew, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, William Blake, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Michelangelo, Dante, Shakespeare, Hosea, and on and on and on and on and on.  I think this is a good group with which to identify….

Therefore, as I offer these words to the world, I suspect that there will be some backlash from the indignant dogmatic draconian paranoids who will defend their ill-conceived notion of righteousness and truth as known to them through the faulty illusion that some spiritual scholars identify as the ego.

I hope this finds you having a pleasant experience today and every day hence forth.

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in Answers, Behavior, Community, hope, Humor, Life, Questions, religion, Self-reflection, Spiritualism, Tolerance

Friendship and its value…

Posted on March 17, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

The muse for this writing comes from two quotes I recently read.

“True friendship consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and value.” by Ben Johnson

“True friends are greatest riches.” – German Proverb

What does friendship mean to me? The feeling associated with friendship is in many ways beyond descriptive words. The essence, the aura, the nature of it is in some ways beyond my capacity to describe. Here is my disjointed attempt to capture the loving feelings that emanate from being in the presence of friends.

I often bask in the warm glow of the friendships that have been bestowed upon me. I, at times, wonder whether I have been such a good friend in turn.

Some compelling features that come to mind of the people that allow me to call them friend are:
• Forgiveness: their capacity to forgive me for my utter miscues amazes me.
• Acceptance of my flaws: I think sometimes we all try to hide our flaws in an effort to be more appealing to others, but I am not very good at hiding or dishonesty, so most people see my unrestricted frailties.
• Acceptance of wealth: It matters little who is the more accomplished when it comes to material goods, on the field of friendship we are all equals.
• Generous giving of themselves.
• “BEING” in the same space at the same time. Sometimes just being present with no other agenda than to share that particular space and time is a wonderful blessing.

Friendship has a value beyond this materialistic existence. There is no gold standard, no currency exchange, no balance sheet, no market value and so forth.

Friendship also seems to transcend cultural agendas; there are no policies and procedures, no stipulations, no contractual clauses, no initiation fees, no indoctrination. Friendship just seems to happen; similar souls do seem to find each other in this interesting mosaic of life. Sometimes it just seems like a miracle that we get to connect with each other.

If there is one requirement, perhaps the idea of love is the one simple requirement. Love and a soulful connection are two descriptive words that provide insight into what draws me into a relationship. Quite simply, I love the people who have become true, dear friends.

Once the miraculous connection is made, there is the component of nurturing. The full development of friendship requires genuine personal care. I think in some ways one must set aside the personal ego and make contributions to the relationship with no expectations. Giving without expectations is the greatest contribution a person can make. Not every seed that is planted, watered, and given sustenance blossoms into greatness, and without giving the effort, no blossoms will ever come to grace us.

The intent of this narrative is to acknowledge how blessed I am to have friends, and to declare that the treasure of these friendships makes me feel wealthy beyond measure. My existence here in this world is worth living and is profoundly enriched because of the wonder of friendships.

Since I am writing this on St. Patrick ’s Day I end with an Irish Blessing:

“MAY YOU ALWAYS have these blessings…
A soft breeze when summer comes –
A warm fireside in winter –
And always – the warm, soft smile of a friend.”

I hope you have a delightful experience today and every day henceforth.

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in Friendship, Life

Write like nobody is reading it…

Posted on March 10, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

Writing ideas pop into my head, but the process of getting them into words worthy of presentation gets thwarted and another missed opportunity passes me by without a narrative to post.

Then today I recalled the quote by William W. Purkey:

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”

I am can unabashedly say I do dance to my heart’s glee, and I am constantly reminded by my family to please stop singing and humming while I am working.  I sing so much that I even annoy myself sometimes.  I did, at one time, love like I would never be hurt and occasionally find that my heart is bruised when my compassionate interests are spurned.  And sometimes when I am enjoying an exhilarating bicycle ride, I do feel like I am in heaven here on earth.

Then it occurred to me, what if I could write like nobody is reading?  I wonder; whether that would result in more words being posted here?

What are some of the things I would write if I knew nobody would read them?  Perhaps I would write items such as:

  • A love letter to someone dear to my heart.
  • Challenge the hatred in this world with heartfelt love.
  • Engage in political debates.
  • Advocate for a peaceful world in the face of the extreme violence that is reported daily.
  • Call out others for their ignorant posts of political propaganda and rhetoric.
  • Advocate for women’s rights and the upheaval of patriarchal control of our government and introduce a feminist mindset into our culture.
  • Question the main stream consumeristic culture of buying material items and accumulating wealth at the expense of our environment and the needy people of the world.
  • Advocate for education of all our children.
  • Challenge the “freedom” propaganda of the military establishment.
  • Acknowledge the true non-violent heroes of our world.
  • Support environmental causes.
  • Strive for spiritual enlightenment for all those who are certain their religious dogma is the one true unyielding purpose in this world of being.
  • Write something funny every day.
  • Share joyous experiences and write messages to enhance the happiness of others.
  • Write so that people understand that I “Give a Sh*t”.
  • Write something about my love of baseball.
  • Motivate people to get some physical exercise.
  • Write so that when I depart this existence of ours I would have made a contribution and left this world with the thought that my contributions, although miniscule in the grand scheme, made this place a little better because I was here.
Posted in Uncategorized

Comedy equals serious politics

Posted on January 27, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

Comedy and a sense of humor have been a saving grace for me for as long as I can remember.  When I was a cub scout I had to come up with an American Indian name that described me, so because I loved to run and laugh I took the name of “Laughing Deer”.  Often times when I start to take myself too seriously I have friends who help to enlighten me and call me out for my delusional and illogical thinking.  Consequently I rediscover my mirth and my lost “Laughter”.  Other times I go for a run or a vigorous hike and let the Deer part rematerialize in order to calm the turbulence that resides within me.

Along my life’s journey humorous insights flash into my consciousness that force me to halt my activities and make an effort to capture the moment and share it with others.  Of course this sharing is not always received at the same humorous insightful level that it strikes me, but that is the nature of comedy and humor; it is certainly subject to individual interpretation.

Recently while watching the Marx Brothers movie “Horse Feathers”, I was struck with an epiphany as it relates to our current state of affairs with our politicians in all forms and levels of government.  At first I was going to utilize this enlightenment to support my view points and throw a dart at the political agenda that differs from my own, but quite simply,  this is too good to be claimed by only one faction of our political process.  We all should share this Groucho Marx delightfully humorous encapsulation of all things wrong with politics.

Here is a YouTube URL clip of Groucho Marx singing “I am against it”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29E6GbYdB1c

Please note that the intent of this post is to call out ALL the political factions who have been elected to SERVE (not lead) the citizens of the United States of America.

There are times when I read about politicians wanting to find common ground and I do certainly hope that such a noble conduct can be achieved.  It seems that more often than not we have too many Groucho Marx characters dancing around critical political issues.

Meanwhile, whenever I get my thinking embroiled in my radical political idealism, with the false hope of somehow making sense of all the misguided and self-promoting pontificating of politicians, I hope I never forget to look to humor and comedy to make sense of this bizarre and twisted entity known as politics.

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Behavior, Humor, Politics

Happiness Recipe

Posted on January 24, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

This was my post for today on Facebook; I am placing it here too… I started down a path of morose thinking and my recent posts have been a reflection of my reading of very caustic political, religious, and cultural rhetoric.  I allowed it to percolate and cast a shadow upon the positive blessings that are abundant in my life. Some supportive posts from friends have stimulated my thinking toward the positive and I started to work on the “Recipe of Happiness” ….  Please feel free to contribute and edit as you see best.  I am interested in knowing what your recipe is… Recipe for Happiness:

  • Be kind, especially to yourself.
  • Do an unsolicited good deed for your neighbor.
  • Go for an invigorating walk and smile at all that you see.
  • Listen to joyous music.
  • Listen to your friends’ advice and accept their kind gestures humbly.
  • Try something new once in a while.
  • Leave out the things that you know you don’t like.
  • If it isn’t good, throw it out.
  • You always have the choice to not go back for seconds on what you don’t like.
  • Things you don’t like doesn’t make them bad, just different.
  • Unlimited refills on those things you really like.
  • Cook a good meal and share it with others.
  • Embrace Joseph Addison’s suggestion: “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”
  • Stay away from the negative vibes and commentary on Facebook.
  • Understand that each person’s recipe is unique and may not contain the same flavors.
  • Stay, don’t run, and be an agent for positive change.
Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in Behavior, Friendship, hope, Self-reflection

Ignorance, despair with a dash of hope….

Posted on January 22, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

The ignorance that exists within my psyche continually confounds and astounds me. Thusly, the ignorance I observe all around me in our existence as humans is beyond all my comprehension. It pushes my thoughts to their limits and forces me to ponder; how we are able to maintain any semblance of decorum amongst our conflicting perceptions? I wonder now more than ever if my individual ignorance will ever remove itself from my humanly perception.

This concept that I have labeled ignorance appears to me in the image of a huge boulder resisting the elements of the weather. The forces of reason don’t seem to have an effect on the tumultuous unyielding clutch it has on the delusional minds of all sentient beings otherwise known as humans. Could it be that we have actually deluded ourselves into believing that are our perceptions are truths. But truths change every day whether we know it or not. The universe does not know nor follow the rules of the human mind so what you believe today will not exist tomorrow. I know this because my limited perception is similar to the thought that the earth is still flat.

Yet like the rain, wind, sun and other environmental conditions that meet the boulder of ignorance, there is an erosion of the mass. Slowly over the course of many eons the boulder begins to yield and lose its density and each passing moment that it resists, it loses some of its mass and hold on the perceived reality of its existence. Even though it reluctantly clings to the falseness of the perception that it can last forever, it slowly fades.

And thus I wonder how long it will take for our humanness to overcome our ignorance, our hatred, our violent nature; how long do we have to wait until our emotional catharses occur? I fear that I will never witness such a great transformation of our species. This feeling of despair is based upon the fact that I have yet to find such a transformation or enlightenment within my own soul, mind, and heart. There are times when I feel we are a condemned species headed to ruin. Yet ever so faintly, there is a glimmer of hope that resides deep within that will not yield to utter despair. Slowly, over the eons, our ignorance will fade and I will meet you in a better place.

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Behavior, Envirionment, hope, Life, Questions, Self-reflection

No advice is good advice

Posted on January 21, 2015 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

The muse that stimulated this writing is a Chinese Proverb; “If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice.”

With this proverb in mind I offer you the following narrative:

Whereas I have no power vested in me,
and whereas these words are worth nothing,
and whereas I cannot officially attest to documented affirmations,
and whereas my credentials and prestige are unverifiable,
and whereas there is absolutely nothing to be implied,
and whereby this is not a narrative recommended for repeating,
and whereby this cannot be construed as any official recognition of any facts,
and whereby I cannot take any credit for this matter,
and whereby I refuse to acknowledge these words as relevant:
I offer you this passage in conjunction with the uttermost facilitation and conveyance of nothing in particular.

DISCLAIMER:
If at any time these words appear to be organized and convey meaning, it is merely a coincidence or a freak accident.

DISCLAIMER 2:
Decisions of words used herein may not be rational, and may not conform strictly to grammatical rules set forth by the skilled pundits of writing, and may not be based solely on the merit of any specific meaning. This author claims and reserves the right to make wrongful and unfathomable decisions which are merely based on nonsensical standards. There is no intended appeal implied and whatever is gained in regards to our understanding of intents and purposes is solely up to the discretion of the reader.

I therefore implore you to go forth and do no harm; particularly to yourself.

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Answers, Behavior, Humor, Self-reflection

Blocks and Cramps and mindless thoughts, or a lesson in the parts of speech.

Posted on November 7, 2014 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

Topic: Blocks and Cramps and mindless thoughts, or a lesson in the parts of speech.

As one can imagine, mindless thoughts do wondrous tricks to the human psyche. In some ways I am prone to flights of fancy in which I cruise along in a delusional state believing that I am a writer and then I crash and burn and stumble over many obstacles that some call “writers block”. But in truth I never stop writing; I just stop posting my sentences because of a fragility that consumes me.

Hence the phrase of “writer’s block” is a kind way of describing my malaise, instead of naming it for what is truly is, which is probably more accurately described as fear! This fear takes on many forms, which would most likely fill a book larger than the most prodigious collection of words.

So here I sit trying to think about these “blocks” and nonsensical thoughts surface. I am thinking that maybe I am suffering from “writer’s cramp” which is an actual physical condition from which I suffered in the sixth grade. I had to write the definitions of the parts of speech over and over because I failed the test so miserably that I not only got a failing grade, but several shades of failure below a simple “F”. The teacher had this degree of failure system to measure your level of failure. There was the “F”, “F with a line under it”, “F with a line and sides”, and an “F within a box”. I had earned the feared “F within a box” and I was assigned the task of writing the definitions of the parts of speech. For my personal edification, I looked them up and here are the definitions…

• Noun: Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas.
• Pronoun: A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.
• Verb: a verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being.
• Adjective: Adjectives modify or describe nouns and pronouns.
• Adverb: Adverbs modify or describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
• Preposition: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word or element in the rest of the sentence.
• Conjunction: A conjunction is a word that joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses.
• Interjection: An interjection is a word that shows emotion. It is not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence. They are usually one to two words that come at the beginning of a sentence.

I am not sure I have mastered this grammar thing yet, and I am not sure this sixth grade exercise really had much benefit, because I know that I did not really gain some command of this topic until I actually had to teach grammar as part of the 7th and 8th curriculum. And I know for sure I have not mastered my fear of failure, nor have I overcome some of my self-esteem fears.

Regardless, I have found my way back to this blog and I dutifully submit this collection of words for your edification or maybe obfuscation.

I hope this finds you having a pleasant experience today and every day hence forth.

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Posted in Answers, Humor, Life, Questions, Self-reflection, Teaching

Where is the feminist Goddess?

Posted on October 16, 2014 by fillfreedom — Leave a comment

Where is the feminist Goddess?

Having been raised in a traditional Christian religion I have become increasing curious about how it can still be sustainable considering that Christianity and most other dominant religions have “little to no” recognition of the contributions women make to our lives.

I must unequivocally state that I not a woman and I do not pretend to know what it is like to be a woman. However, I do identify as a feminist because I embrace the inherent equality of our humanity that has been evident in my life experiences.

My favorite reading material is the feminist magazine Ms. (http://www.msmagazine.com/). I read it with an open mind and heart. It contains interesting articles which capture the outrage regarding the extreme patriarchal dominance of our culture, and as an extension, the dominant religions throughout the world. What perplexes me is; why isn’t there more outrage in mainstream media?

For me, it is simple logic that there is something wrong with the notions of exclusion and dominance. When a group is suppressed and oppressed, it detracts from the overall wealth of life’s experiences. This includes any group that identifies differently than me; that is why I embrace the concept of coalitions united to pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism.

I like to think that we live in a new world of enlightenment, yet I continue to be astonished by the evident lack of compassion and narrow mindedness in many statements that I read on social media and news articles. I am especially dumbfounded by women who support misogynist practices that are contained in our national culture. Why a woman would support a male who purports to exert male dominance is beyond my logical reasoning. Why do we allow ignorant sexist men to continue to dominate the conversation about women’s religious, economic, political, and personal reproductive rights? Maybe, it is because we are coerced into such thinking by misguided sexist, male dominated religions.

A friend once offered to take me to see a popular evangelical preacher talk about God and his son Jesus. To me this preacher man was deceptively representing the true message of Jesus and the God that sent him into our presence many years ago. My response to my dear friend was that in my way of thinking, God our father and his son Jesus made a nice effort to help mankind, but the evidence indicates that they failed miserably. What we need now is for God our Mother and her Daughter to return to our presence and get mankind back on track to a more just and equitable existence.

There is a hymn that I remember from my days as a Catholic school teacher that I still sing to myself; the words contain the phrase “With God as our father, brothers all are we”. Well I changed it to “With God as are parent, siblings all are we”. This hymn also contains the words “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” I close this narrative with this primary thought; May peace find you and overwhelm you.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful experience today and every day henceforth.

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Answers, Feminism, hope, Politics, Questions, religion, Self-reflection, Spiritualism, Tolerance