What Would Jesus Say?
Please join the discussion as we look at present day events through the eyes of Jesus. If you would like to be a guest editorialist, please contact us.
30 Jun
Jesus says, “The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.”
(John 12:35)
For weeks now I have been wondering what to do with this blog. Is it really serving you? Is it helping you to see the deepest Truth that Jesus is eternally pointing you toward? Certainly, there is a prevalent fear of false prophets, false teachers, false leaders, and the great fear that the end of the world is near. In contemplating this the question arose, ‘What do you trust?” Can your thoughts be trusted? Your feelings? Can people be trusted? And a deeper question arises, “What can always be trusted?” Certainly if you are in the dark, if you are ignorant of truth, ignorant of the freedom, ignorant of the peace that surpasses all understanding, you are like a man walking in the darkness not knowing where you are going.
Jesus continues, “Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35) Where is this light? What is this light? What is the nature of light? Emotions change. Feelings change. People, places and things in your life are in constant flux, constant change. Life itself is a continuum of change, but what is it that never changes? What is always present regardless of your circumstances, your emotions, your wealth or your poverty, your tears or your laughter, your health or your sickness? Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What do I trust? What is present when I am happy and when I am sad?” What is always present that can always be trusted?
What do you trust?
3 May
Jesus says, “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your Mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
Some of you have expressed concern that I am using the word ‘Satsang’ to describe the Global Conference Call scheduled for next Sunday, March 9th at 9AM USA Pacific Time. Satsang means association with Truth. It is a conversation held in the highest Truth, a conversation with the sole purpose of directing your attention into the deepest inquiry. The conference calls that I am offering you are not casual conversations. The purpose for using the word satsang is to inform you that I take our conversations seriously, I take this blog very seriously, I take you and your life very seriously and I want to make sure you understand that these are not casual conversations. Also, using the word satsang honors Ramana Marharshi as well as my beloved teacher Gangaji, whose endless love and support helps people around the world discover the deepest Truth directly, intimately, for themselves. Without the support of Gangaji and my direct experience with the profound revelations that self-inquiry offers, this blog and the global conference call next Sunday simply would not be possible.
Jesus says, “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your Mind.” (Matthew 22:37) How can you possibly love This much unless you are Love? The satsang next Sunday will focus this core teaching of Jesus—Love. What is Love? Where is Love? Who is Love? Simply, very simply, Love is like your breath it is an essential aspect of Life. If you are like me you take breathing for granted, but that was not the case for Eva Markvoort. Last month she wrote on her globally recognized blog, “i can’t breathe every hour once an hour, i can’t breathe…” Two days later on March 27th, 2010 Eva died of cystic fibrosis, a hereditary lung disease—she was only 25 years old. Her story touched me so deeply, I wanted to share it with you. Eva’s story of the very essence of life, a poignant reminder to us all to stop, really stop, breathe deep and Love—it really helps put the everyday circumstances of your life into perspective. A few days before her death Eva shared her last moments with her online community, family, and friends in a YouTube video. Her message is a profound message of love, love, love… How can her sublime message help you understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
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27 Apr
Jesus says, “Abide in My Love.” (John 15:9)
Almost four weeks ago my life changed forever. On March 31, 2010 I had major surgery at Providence Hospital in Medford Oregon to remove cysts that were causing debilitating pain. Providence is the divine guidance of God and this guidance is the infinite Love that is always present never absent—the infinite Love that you are. It is the essence of life itself. The common experience for most people is to be completely unaware of this infinite Love, this omniscient guidance that is continually flowing through your life. Certainly, I have witnessed this invisible guidance at work in my life more than once and this recent surgery offers a perfect example. Dr. Lanita Witt was highly recommended by my doctor and, due to her reputation of being one of the best doctors in her field, it looked like it would be several weeks before I could see her, but when Dr. Witt saw my chart she immediately cleared her schedule and an appointment was made for February. On that cold raining day of my first appointment I was surprised to see a crucifix hanging on the wall across from the receptionist and was even more surprised to see a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in the lobby. ‘Hmmmm…’ I thought to myself, ‘This is no ordinary hospital!’ My first appointment was almost three hours in length—I have never had a doctor spend so much time reviewing everything. It was obvious from the ultrasound images combined with the intense pain that I was experiencing that surgery was going to be necessary. And with all the technology and professionalism what overwhelmed me the most was the Love. The Love that mysteriously led me to this Grace filled hospital and the very humble, loving, compassionate doctor who quite literally saved my life.
Jesus says, “Abide in My Love.” (John 15:9) Abidance is the state of abiding—unending, unchanging, unshakeable. Abiding in Love is simply stopping to recognizing that you are that endless, unending, unchanging Love. Love is so simple and so few perceive this infinitude. In 1827 a young woman named Émilie Gamelin was more than likely not thinking of herself as Love. She was still grieving the loss of her first two children who died shortly after their birth, when her husband died of a long illness, and as if this heartbreak wasn’t enough, it was soon followed by the shattering heartbreak of the death of her third and only remaining child. The heartbreak of this young woman was so intense that the only thing that offered her any solace was service to others in need. She devoted all of her time to caring for the sick, the elderly, orphans, and the mentally ill as well as those in prison. In 1840 she became a postulate of the Catholic Church in Montreal Canada. And on March 30, 1844 she founded the Sisters of Providence Catholic Order as Mother Gamelin, the first Superior General of the young community. Mother Gamelin later became known as Mother of the Poor and her shelters became known as the House of Providence. It was the Sisters of Providence who carried on the work of Mother Gamelin building the Providence Hospital where my surgery was performed as well as several other hospitals in Canada as well as the west coast of the United States. The profundity of Mother Gamelin’s tireless work and service are encapsulated in her final words. What were Mother Gamelin’s last words and how can this life experience at Providence Hospital help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
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4 Mar
Jesus says, “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)
Since this blogs inception there have been many verbal stones cast. I have been called an abomination, a false prophet, a false teacher, a heretic and the book of Timothy has been thrown in my face—After all according to Timothy women should not teach. Whew! It is a really good thing I am not teaching you anything. On the other hand I have also been given more compliments than I can count, someone even went so far as referring to me as the ‘Helper’ that Jesus prophesized that he would send—and have to say that is more than a little far fetched. Naturally, it was easy to receive the compliments and at times it was painful to receive the harsh criticism until I really stopped and opened my heart fully to receive this criticism without making any movement to fix or change it—and in that sacred stopping, realized even more deeply that Love bears all things. It is hard to believe that it has been four years since I started writing articles for this blog. Certainly, I have discovered first hand that it is not easy to be a messenger or more accurately a pointer or a road sign. I have stated it many times in comments and in the many articles that I have written—I am not teaching you anything, I am not drawing any conclusions, or telling you what to think, or asking you to become a Christian, or abandon Jesus, or disavow your religious beliefs. I am, however, pointing to something that tends to challenge the generally accepted norm of Christianity and perhaps more importantly, I am extending an invitation to you to look where Jesus is pointing and deeply inquire into your own heart.
Jesus says, “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) If Jesus is in God, and you are in Jesus, and Jesus is in you—How is it that you are separate from God? The tendency is to put Jesus on a pedestal, stare at his finger, and forget to look where he is pointing. In the latest blog I have been accused of drawing conclusions that somehow fall short of the kingdom of heaven or imply that you are God and that salvation is really up to you. It is a generally accepted belief that the kingdom of heaven is somewhere else, Jesus is God and salvation occurs through him, which naturally gives rise to the questions—What does salvation through Jesus really mean? Where is the kingdom of heaven? Who is God? Or more accurately where is God? Jesus is very plain about the location of God and who you really are, as well as the path of salvation, but your mind has a difficult time stopping to recognize this vast presence. The Truth of this vastness is so close to you it is very difficult to perceive. As Jesus explains, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14) Where is the narrow gate? Why is the way difficult? And why do so few discover this gate? How can this deep inquiry help you understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
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26 Feb
A disciple asks, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60)
In the Sacred Awakening conference call with Gangaji, she described her profoundly deep prayer for a teacher. A few years later she received a miraculous answer to her prayer when she met her teacher, Papaji, on the banks of the river Ganga in India. At that time she thought he would give her some spiritual practice or mantra, but to her surprise he asked her to do nothing, to be still, to stop everything and inquire into the depths of herself. It was the last thing that she had ever considered and her moment of stopping was the beginning of a profoundly deep discovery that led to lasting fulfillment. What is this fulfillment that she discovered? How do you attain fulfillment in life?
Jesus responds, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63) Life moves fast. It is very rare for you or anyone to stop even for a moment to contemplate the nature of life—What is your life? What is the Spirit that gives life? What is this deep longing? During the call Gangaji explained, “In all of the traditions everywhere whether they were religious or secular, that doesn’t even matter, there is this deep desire in the human being to discover something that is bigger, something that is more. Whether you are a scientist, artist, or a spiritual seeker, that desire is a very natural part of us.” Gangaji realized and Jesus points to something bigger, something astonishing, something so close to you it is closer than your breath. This teaching of Jesus is not the teaching supported by the world—as one disciple realized, it is a hard teaching, hard to understand and harder still to apply. On Saturday March, 2010 at 2PM Pacific Time USA (please see next page for registration info) I will be hosting a conference call that will begin a global conversation, a conversation that will contemplate the question—What offers you lasting fulfillment and how can life itself help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
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3 Feb
Jesus says, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” (Luke 12:23)
By now most of you know that this is not a typical Jesus blog. The perspective presented here is one of awakening better known as enlightenment or freedom from suffering—awakening to the truth of yourself in the Heart of Christ. It is not a Christian blog in that it does not adhere to any kind of dogma, catechism or Christian denomination. On the simplest level this blog is simply an invitation turn your attention where Jesus is pointing. What does he want you to see, to hear, to understand? If you think you know, stop for a moment and not know. Not knowing offers you the simple opportunity to discover for yourself without any idea or concept. Inquiring is self-discovery and it is through your own discovery that the profound depth of his message can be recognized, not understood, but recognized. It is a discovery so sacred so pristine it contains the power to change your life forever. Truly, it is a sacred awakening.
Jesus says, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” (Luke 12:23) Jesus offers you many clues that lead to self-discovery. If you look at his words as a question, rather than a statement, you have an opportunity to look into eternity. What is life? How is you body more than clothing? For years I was mystified by the Bible, it seemed that there was some hidden message that was not easily perceived, the language was strange, and incomprehensible—it left me feeling unfulfilled and disillusioned. In 1997 I had a profound mystical experience of Jesus that was the catalyst for a search for Truth. This search ended in July of 2001 when a profoundly deep prayer led me to one of the most profound teachers of our time—Gangaji. Her simple invitation, ‘To stop, be still, be quiet and discover who you are at the core,’ opened the flood gates of true wisdom. Suddenly all scripture became crystal clear. It didn’t matter if it was the sutras of Buddha, the words of Christ, the Quran, or the Upanishads—suddenly, infallibly I heard with out hearing the deepest message of Truth—the deepest message of Jesus—it was and continues to be a Sacred Awakening. Gangaji has been invited to participate in a global conversation that includes many of the world’s leading spiritual teachers in The Shift Network’s Sacred Awakening conference series—a deep conversation that contemplates the question: What does it mean to live a sacred life? Later this month you can participate in this conversation with Gangaji by phone. How can this global meeting help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
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17 Jan
Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 29:39)
In a moment what was now is not. A city was here and now it is gone. A mother, father, brother, sister, strangers, friends once pulsating with life are in an instant dead, gone, finished—a heartbreak beyond any concept of heartbreak. The devastation in Haiti is simply beyond comprehension. Thousands of people are trapped in collapsed buildings and untold thousands more are dead or dying while countless bodies line the streets in what was on Monday a thriving vibrant city. The world is responding with what we all know as humanitarian aid, but the deeper truth is that the world is responding with the essence of life itself—the world is responding with Love!
Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 29:39) When an emergency arises you naturally you stop and simply love your neighbor. Love is natural in a time of crisis. Unless you are in Haiti, it is impossible for you to know what the people of Haiti are experiencing, you are simply a witness to the unfolding news of devastation and heartbreak. It can fill you with a sense of hopelessness or helplessness or it can be just another tragic news blip that you would rather ignore. Many Christians view this as yet another sign that the return of Christ is near and Pat Robertson went to the unbelievable extreme of saying that the people of Haiti made a pact with the devil—the most heartless comment that could be made in the context of this profound tragedy. His mind boggling comments and this unfolding tragedy in Haiti present you with the most profound challenge regardless of your religious or non-religious beliefs. What is this challenge and how can the heartbreaking events in Haiti help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on and even deeper level?
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