Patience, Perspective and Respect and Responsibility

Fred wrote:This is one of your best articles yet.  I'm one of those men who loves and appreciates women for who they are and admire the skills and talents I see in many.  I'm sure that my view is different from many since my maternal grandmother was a preacher of the Gospel of Christ and held the rank of what is now called an "ordained licensed minister".  Also my Mother (at 91 years of age) continues to conduct evangelistic meetings, preaches from time to time as special guest in local churches and even at our denomination's Theological Seminary.  Quite naturally I support her (and others like her) in the struggle to be recognized for who they really are in clerical circles and in the world.

I have struggled with the ideas coming out of the feminist movement which you describe -as it seems to me they want to turn "Our Father" into "Our Mother".   There is only one God - and He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We humans are not God although we can have God forgive our sins and come to dwell in our hearts.  That can only happen when we accept the Holy Scripture by faith.  

 

To Fred: While I am thrilled for those of you who have had the parenting that would lead you to have God manifest in the form of mother, father, brother, or any other human sense, I feel fortunate that I have been able to sense The Holy Spirit in my soul by moving past the manifestations that I was taught to be the only true states of Divinity.

I may be headed straight to hell for my beliefs, but I certainly hope not. I felt like I was in hell as long as I tried to experience The Spirit of Divinity in listening only to the mothers and fathers of my childhood religion and reading only The Judeo-Christian Bible without a historical and geographical perspective.

I treasure conversations with those learned in their religions so that I can find similarities in the sense of The Spirit among many faiths from many generations of trying to understand the greatest mysteries in life's continuum. I know that I am not a scholar, so if I can understand the essence of what a person learned in their faith is attempting to impart, I feel like others in our human state can also find some truth in the different manifestations of The Almighty. Maybe we can stop fighting over the face of that which is so awesome that we are not meant see the whole at any one time.

Maybe "seeing" manifestations of The Almighty is like the story of the elephant and the blind men. Each of us is experiencing only a small part. I'd like to stop fighting and start listening so that I, too, can "see" manifestations that others "see."

This takes patience, perspective and respect. I pray daily for all three. Holy Spirit, take my heart; Holy Spirit, take my head; Holy Spirit, take my tongue; AND MAKE MY WORDS YOURS INSTEAD.

Jack wrote: I still do not see in the near future humans being comfortable with men having many women friends and the same with women having a lot of men friends, for some reason WE as a generation find this concept hard to manage because of the jealousy and ego's of both sexes. Seems to work for awhile in some relationships then the BIG BANG, and not creation either.
Well at least that is how I have seen life.
I have no problem with equal pay, I can admit that many jobs are better done by women, but I still see a difference in the sexes where brute strength is required, on a continual basis.
Mentally? Many times I think mentally, men are dwarfs, and very narrow minded.

To Jack: My nieces tell me about male and female friends who "hook up" even though they're only "friends." While I don't condone casual "hook-up" sex, I do hope that this leads to people learning the difference between animal attraction and what it takes to build a partnership for parenting.

Richard told me early in our relationship that the difference between humans and other animals is the humans' ability to say "no" to animal instincts. Maybe not in my lifetime, but I hope we will train our young men that they are not, in fact, dogs with no self-control. There are many who believe that a thing is not wrong unless one is caught. For the fathers who spread their seed without thought, maybe DNA testing will be a wake-up call.

I also see differences in the sexes. I do, however, know that not all men are physical and not all women are emotional. I am simply grateful that we have begun the process of recognizing the gifts of every human, even if they are different from "the norm."

The Fallacy in Feminism

Ever since the dawn of the feminist movement, there has been much talk and writing about the Divine Feminine. There is a misconception in this movement that a female deity would necessarily be less competitive, more community-minded, and more honest. Those who promote these ideas have not really read history. Traditionally, women may use other talents in managing and manipulating others, but they are capable of bringing on as much destruction with their ways as are the most abusive of men.

Our animal selves only want for our own comfort and the survival of our selves in this and the next generation. Once our survival needs are met, we begin to look for comfort. The Divine in us is what helps us temper our desires and balance them against the needs of other creatures. The Divine in us is even willing to sacrifice our basic needs to the needs of others.

Even though I am not a feminist, I am seen as one by many because I will fight for the right to stand toe-to-toe with a man. I have mightily fought myself to overcome the wiles that I had been taught were the only way for a woman to get ahead in this world. I have worked hard to gain the trust of the men in my life and the trust of their women. I can truly say that I have many male friends; something that my generation taught was impossible.

The men of my generation still struggle with the concept that they can be friends with women. I believe this will continue as long as women and men continue to discount the importance of each others gifts. In the animal kingdom males are good only for procreation and protection. The male young are usually killed at birth, as it takes very few males to propagate and protect a population. We humans wait until our males are grown, and then send them to be slaughtered.

When we begin seeing ourselves as fully human by tapping into and sharing our Divinity, we will hopefully recognize that The Divine is neither male nor female, but a synergy of all the creative energies in the universe. There seems to be consensus that the whole universe has one single origin that some call God, some Yahweh, some Allah, some The Great Mother, some The Big Bang. I am comfortable with calling this source of energy The Spirit and The Divine.

The Spirit and Scripture

Fred wrote:
"Ephesians 2:8,9 "8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."

We do good deeds because we have been forgiven. He who is forgiven much, loves much. And after we have done everything we can do we must say, "It was our duty." In other words, it earned no "brownie points". It is not grace and works that saves us. It is grace alone. Our good deeds are a response to the grace of God"

It seems to me that it is not boasting to say that we feel compelled by The Spirit to use our gifts to help humanity. I have a hard time believing that anyone who simply hoards their grace is in any way improving the positive power in the universe. I believe that when we are truly listening for the "voice" of The Spirit, we are compelled to do good. "Every time I feel The Spirit moving in my heart, I'm afraid."

Just as  writer feels compelled to write, a singer feels compelled to sing, and a scientist feels compelled to seek answers, a person with The Spirit feels compelled to act in compassion for creation.There can be no peace without turning that Spirit into action.

Gayle wrote:

We do not necessarily need to read Scripture to hear the voice of God in our innermost being.  What Scripture does is confirm to us that it was God speaking, and not our own voice.  It is hard to learn to trust that inner voice without having Scripture to confirm it.  But when we have heard God speaking, and then He leads us to a particular verse that we did not even know existed, then and only then do we begin to have confidence that we are hearing God and not ourselves.  The process is a kind of "school of the Holy Spirit."  What is required is that we desire to learn, that we desire to hear, that we pray, "Lord, I want to see You;" "Lord, I want to hear You."  This kind of prayer will not go unanswered.

I have long had problems with subscribing to the notion that only some of the universe is privy to the "voice" of The Spirit, and that this voice must be previously written by others to be the true voice of The Spirit of Divinity. I have experienced too much evidence to the contrary. This is why I believe that we must expand our acceptance of what we consider "sacred" scripture.

I believe we are baptized in The Spirit of our community before our births. The Spirit imparted with the waters of our mothers wombs, when we are conceived in loving commitment, will sustain us as long as that love is kept alive. Fathers must commit to feeding this fire of loving commitment in order for The Spirits of the mothers and babies to thrive.

Communities must commit to supporting and nurturing these commitments. I have as much issue with selling human sperm and ovum as I do with abortion, and as much problem with killing the father of a family in war as I do with human sacrifice. The Spirit only thrives within committed community.

Why are we so intent on preaching that the sins of the fathers are passed down to the sons, and not on the commitment of the parents and the community being the embodiment of The Spirit in our daughters and sons?

My Darling Daughters

It is painful watching parts of myself struggle again through this life on earth;
I see glimpses of my young self in my daughter and in those she gave birth.
I wanted so badly to shelter them from my mistakes and any harm,
The only time I felt at peace was when they were sleeping in my arms.

There is so much joy in watching them use the strengths they have from others,
Their parents and community members who are their other fathers and mothers.
Their school, their church, their grandparents who have all done their parts
To respect, love, guide and protect their minds, their souls, and their hearts.

As we enter this new phase of a cherished child learning to fly solo,
Parts of all of our souls and selves will, with her, surely go.
We will remain available for guidance and for extra strength
When she feels that her own resources may be completely spent.

To My Granddaughter as She Graduates

For what do you want to be remembered?
Is it for a soccer or scholastic trophy?
Or is it for the generous, kind adult
That you have worked hard to be?

Do you want to leave a legacy
Of how much property you own,
Or the bright light in the universe
That your life of justice has shone?

How will you give enough back
To leave a positive balance,
When you have so many blessings;
Was it simply by blind chance?

Or do you think you were chosen
To be an example in the world
Of the harmony on earth as in heaven
That The Prophet Jesus foretold?

You may face fears and fall
Many times on your life's path,
But I know your faith and family
Will forever be your ballast.

From the time that you were born,
You burned with such bright energy;
I'm grateful that you choose to share
Some of your beautiful light with me.

Community and Commitment

I sincerely believe that what we call religion is the defining of the undefinable. I realize we all need boundaries, so I understand this need, but I refuse to believe that any one generation or group of people has the only truth. Life is not binary; it is not a set of ones and zeros, as much as we would like for it to be that simple.

I believe that personal responsibility is what makes us above other animals, and compassion for the rest of creation is what makes us fully human. The Yiddish have a term for a person who embodies this. I think the highest compliment that one Yiddish person can give another is to call another a "mensch," (a real human being). I think this is rather analogous to a some calling another a "saint" or an "angel on earth."

If we are born with no capacity for free will, as is the case with certain brain injuries and other pre-birth and birth traumas, we will never reach our full humanity without constant guidance from one who is willing to take full responsibility for, not only their own actions, but for the life-time guidance and supervision of another. I am so fortunate that in giving birth, I was never tasked with this decision, but I understand those who don't feel prepared for such a huge commitment, especially those who did not willingly choose to copulate.

It may be that, in times past, there were communities in which all adults shared equally in the care of all, from birth to death. We do not live in such a society. Even the most religious of us are usually not willing or able to commit to being always available to the constant needs of those who are unable to lead full lives. We may be willing to take care of "our own," as in those of our blood, but how many of us are willing or able to commit our full lives to caring for the young, the disabled, the weak, and the dying without need for respite or remuneration?

If religions exist for mutual lifetime commitment to one another, perhaps there will be no more abortion. Until that time, I don't like it, but I understand what leads some to make that decision. I struggled to care for my own children with my limited emotional and physical resources; I know I am unable to start all over at this stage in my life. And even if I was willing and able, chances are I would not outlive the child. Who would commit to taking over at my death?

Religion of Deed, Rather than Creed

There is much discussion about whether sanctity comes through faith or through good works. Faithfulness isn't simply believing something to be true; faithfulness is following the path that is dictated by these truths.

Judaism seems to lay out a path for peace among those beings born with the special spark of Divinity that gives us the potential to be human. Jesus said that all the commandments can be boiled down to faithfulness (love, commitment) to The Divine in the heavens and The Divine in each other. "Love God (Godliness) with your whole heart, soul, and being, and your neighbor as you love yourself."

We are creatures that can turn belief and intent into action, if we choose to do so. Loving with one's whole being calls for doing. Giving our lives in the service of justice is the essence of faithfulness. It may be harder to live for a cause than it is to die for one.

My friend Susan, a devout Jew wrote, "loving deeds are the manifestations of godliness in each of us. And, it's also why I can really relate to the idea that Judaism is a "religion of deed, rather than creed." The operative word here may be "loving."

"Good" deeds for self-serving reasons are not loving. A corporation that gives to charitable causes to build business for itself may be contributing to society's well-being, but it is the loving deeds of the money in ministry through the hands of the ministers (every one of us called to action) that are the living out of one's faithfulness to The Divine way.

Limitless Love

It seems to me that the question is not whether God, Yahweh, Allah is a person, but whether God, Yahweh, Allah is also other forms of energy and matter. I think the answer is yes, and that we are each able to "see" The Divine in many manifestations: rivers of milk and honey, manna, a parting sea, a burning bush, a bit of bread and wine, a man living a perfect life physically ministering to others and giving his life to show his sincerity, a flame descending from the heavens onto our heads. Each of us is given a gift of experience in the manner that will be most effective for our souls. Mostly, I experience The Divine in the eyes, voices, touches, work, and smells of other people as they share their bits of Divine Energy with me.

It believe it is wrong to pretend that my manifestation is the only valid "face" of Divinity. This is probably why the Jews had laws against physical representations of The Almighty. It is too limiting. I find myself praying to all those who came before me, physically living and physically dead. When I ask a friend for a favor, with full faith that this friend will respond lovingly to my need, this is as much a prayer in my life as any other prayer that I pray.When friends simply show up, and I don't even know how they knew my need, this is as much Divine intervention as any other gift of Grace.

My beloved Richard wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for my angels on earth who held me and him while he lay in a coma. Would it have been the will of The Almighty to take him if these people didn't show up to intervene? Probably, but their love for him and me was so great that they were willing to pour it out onto us until our light was strong enough to go on again alone. Would we have had the same result if we had all simply sat in a circle and prayed. I'll never know, but I don't think so.

Two physician friends, with two specialties that were needed to save him "happened" to be our best friends and "happened" to show up at the critical times in the critical places. My daughter and son and their children came and loved us with huge passion for physical life. Other friends brought toiletries and clean undies for me. Some simply prayed. One called and made me laugh. Some came to visit, and some who couldn't bear to come sent their spouses in their stead. One prayed and gave her blood.

These are manifestations of "the image and likeness" of The Almighty in which I believe. These people choose to use their talents to help me. I believe it negates their sacrifice to thank "God" without acknowledging the human hands which feed my soul while ministering to my body.

Miraculous to Me

There are many things in life that are nothing short of miraculous;
To believe in miracles does one have to believe in a personal god?
Can't we believe in Divine Energy without putting on a face or name?

Whether we call that Energy Great Spirit, Yahweh, Allah, or God,
Whether we see The Spirit in sunshine, trees, man, woman, or child
All Divine Energy with any name or face, in essence, is still the same.

We rejoice in a new baby as it wakes to the wide world;
We thrill to the words of the poets and prophets sharing visions;
We are exalted by the music from souls who hear heavenly melodies.

The blooming in spring, dying in fall, and the long sleep of winter;
The food planting, the growing, the cooking, and the eating;
We celebrate Life's Holy Spirit in each small part of these.

Don't tell me that it's not God in the brilliant red of a maple leaf;
Don't say that my precious innocent newborn is born in sin;
I feel The Spirit in every breath and every cycle of life and death.

The awe of simply waking in the morning brings me to my knees,
With the absolute wonder of the Miraculous Energy around me.
I am often so overwhelmed, I silently pray to give my soul a rest.

Blood and Belonging

It is not only blood that defines who we are;
We pick up parts of others from near and far.
All of theses pieces make up the whole,
And help in the process of molding a soul.

Family is not always there to protect each other;
History is full of brothers who kill their brothers.
There is much about parents who sacrifice their young;
These are not families to which I want to belong.

Blood line can mean little when there is disagreement
On the very reason each of us, to earth, was sent.
The values that we follow once we reach maturity
Will define the family in which we choose to be.

In Love with Love

I guess I am in love with love. Why else would I still fall in?
Every time I see my husband's smile, it all begins again.
I am the same way about my children and their kids
I feel as great a love for them today as I ever did.

There are certain friends and some of my close relations
That cause me to feel the same sense of immense elation.
It hurts the most in love when we give some of ourselves
But the loved doesn't allow any of themselves to, in us, dwell.

Expressed emotion scares those who see love as simply action,
And don't trust feelings that are based on mutual attraction.
While it is true that all fires of passion wax and wane,
Truly committed love will always remain the same.

I believe that passion and commitment can exist together.
For me, the many ways of expressing love feels better
Than silently doing all the things that must be done.
Commitment shouldn't preclude having a bit of fun.

"Let the good times roll," is part of Louisiana life.
"Work hard; play harder," is our response to strife.
We laugh hard, and cry hard, and love just the same
We hold little back very while we, on this earth, remain.

When Did She Become a Woman?

My baby girl is forty-one today, but she's still a baby to me.
I know she's a matriarch to others, but my child is what I see.
It was a surprise to hear from someone she's a middle-aged woman,
That surely we've outgrown mother/ daughter, and are now friends.

I always thought I could make that leap and see her as my peer,
But she has so many superior qualities that I hold most dear.
She became my best friend so many years and so many lives ago,
I have never been strong enough to be the friend to whom she'd go.

I am so grateful that she has found others to be her confidants;
To give our children freedom of choice is what a parent really wants.
But my soul and heart still cry whenever I know she is in great pain;
There are many times I wish I could shelter her with my womb again.

I am concerned how she will fare when her baby walks away;
She has given so much of herself that, for her wholeness, I pray.
Without her presence in my daily life, I was so severely bereft;
Perhaps she will hold it together better than I did when she left.

Maybe eighteen is no more the age at which we set our young free;
Maybe this is too young for them to be who they're meant to be.
Maybe we have more years of innocence with our dear children;
Time when they can be both our sheltered children and our friends.

A Sister Tree and Me

My father used to say about his hormonal teenagers that we were "in love with love." It is true that the letting go of parts of oneself and putting new parts from others in the place of our old selves is quite exhilarating. Much of that exhilaration is actually anxiety that is a natural reaction to foreign entries into ourselves. Anxiety and lust are what we often call love because we are addicted to excitement. Love really means giving a part of oneself to another and taking a part of another into oneself. How carelessly we throw these words and our own bodies and souls around.

A good gardener looks for compatible stock before joining the two to one source of life. Love takes time to grow, just as a graft to a tree takes time to become part of that life system. And without a strong and compatible root system, the graft cannot flourish. You cannot succeed in grafting an apple to a banana tree. How foolish we are to imagine that we can create good grafts of ourselves with others without knowing anything of the habits and the seasons of the other.

All grafts begin with an "excitement" of cells that causes either permanent bonding or rejection. The graft is not successful until this "excitement" has subsided. Once the stress of introduction of the "life blood" of each being introduced into the other is complete, a new entity is formed.

When I met my childhood friend for the first time, I was mesmerized. Here was somebody who looked like me with her blond hair, flashing eyes, and ready laugh. Her family, like mine, was Catholic. It was "love at first sight." My six-year-old self decided that she was my sister, but the graft didn't take. We both grew up to be strong trees, standing straight and tall, but it didn't seem that our root stock could ever create a successful new entity.

We have decided to reclaim each other and have opened ourselves to learning the others habits and seasons. We are exhilarated by each others presence, but the process is anxiety producing. We are finding much in our values that seems to be compatible, even though we approach life from very different angles. We both seem to have our own strong root stock, so we will probably never be grafted one to the other for survival. But it sure is nice to have a neighboring tree that can sometime shade me and that I can sometime shade. We are both much enriched by the parts of each other that are becoming parts of ourselves.

Use It; Don't Abuse It

It is now official, I'll soon, once again, be unemployed;
I got my hopes up a bit about continuing what I enjoyed.
To have been hired permanently would be most enjoyable;
I've earned good money and been updated as employable.
But there are perks to having some time off between jobs;
I can catch up with friends and help others through life's slogs.

And, after all, summer's coming with grandchildren's vacations;
These are times they and their moms have little obligation.
I may do some granny camp by my son's swimming pool;
My youngest granddaughter still seems to think her granny's cool.
Maybe we'll convince her aunt and cousin to spend time with us
I could even keep one granddaughter here, if her mother doesn't fuss.

There are so many grandmother things that I'd still like to do,
But times with these busy, accomplished children are too few.
Working has been a way to earn money for our family  fun,
And, with too much idle time, I wasn't enjoying what I had become.
Maybe I will see a way to work only when it's convenient for me;
When my friends and family have time and call, I will still be free.

What a blessing it is to find ways to use
The talents that one doesn't want to abuse.
I have often seen many management opportunities
As a way to get others into doing what bullies please.
Charisma can be used to bring personal gain;
It can also draw in volunteers to be trained.

Every gift we're given can be used for greed or balance.
I am so very grateful that I have been given chances.
To hone the skills that my mother thought were arrogance
And use them to help worthy causes to secure their stances.
It is serving me well that I have learned to ask for assistance
Not for me, but for those who may encounter resistance.

Sometime it is possible to have our cake and eat it too,
If we don't limit ourselves to only one thing we can do.
My body wore out, so catering became too painful;
I still had management skills for work that was gainful.
Now my organizational skills, coupled with fundraising
Allow me to find employers who think I'm worth engaging.
 

Scripture and The Spirit

The writing of sacred words rarely conveys their full meaning;
Without seeing the eyes of the writer, how can we know of their truth?
If one has ever attempted to express love or anguish in a letter,
We know that even tears on the page can't fully express what we feel.

I see much sacred scripture "written" on the faces of many
Who welcome me kindly when I enter the rooms where they dwell.
This connection, more than their words, imparts their Holy Spirit
Into the farthest depths of my body, my brain, my heart, and my soul.

Even those tormented by demons nipping at their psyches,
Sometimes have a spark of joy leap when we enter their lives.
As long as there's an ember of Spirit still silently burning,
The warmth of another's caring can slowly bring it to full flame.

Perhaps words can act as the breath that will fan the flames,
But they are not sufficient without the warmth's close proximity.
From the time of birth, we are hungry for comforting touch,
And tastes, and smells. This is why we need physical intimacy.

I pray that my friends who are grounded in a greater god
Don't ever get tired of dragging my weary soul from the abyss.
I simply can't seem to stop myself from emotionally nursing others;
I need the nourishment of their souls to make me whole again.

Authority, Anger, and Awakening, Part 2

She is so used to appearing tough,
But I know her heart is now breaking.
I hope I'm not making her life harder
As her emotions are reawakening.

There is a saying in the Orient, I'm told,
That if you interfere and save a life,
It is your sacred duty to this person
To share in their continued strife.

How much is our responsibility
To those whose hearts we have entered?
Could it be that we harm them;
That our concern is actually self-centered?

Like a mother hen, with her chicks,
It seems my duty, at least, to try
To watch over them as they venture forth,
And they learn to emotionally fly.

This seems to always lead to loss for me,
As the natural order of this earth,
Is to be finally rejected by those
To whom our love has given new birth.

I seem to be a constant reminder of the pain
That they have already lived through,
When none of us were yet strong enough,
And there was nothing any of us could do.

It didn't work for me to feel The Spirit
Without the caring touch of another,
The strength that many people receive
From the loving touch of father and mother.

It is difficult to feel protected and loved
By an angry, jealous, or frightened parent.
Abuse when young makes one wonder
Why, to this earth, we have been sent.

This may be the reason many are afraid
To love the Biblical God The Father.
They feel that pain is the reward
For being His chosen son or daughter.

The message and example of Jesus are
A guide to be a good sister or brother.
I don't believe his father demanded his death.
Would this come from loving father or mother?

But The Spirit of Divinity is something
To which we can all relate if we look
Into hearts through the eyes of each other;
Something I did not often find in The Book.

I believe we were all put on this earth
To see Divinity in others and ourselves.
When we fill others with fear and anger,
There is no space for The Spirit to dwell.
 
I have long searched for a constant
Source of gentle strength and integrity;
Someone who is sure and strong in ways
That I wanted to, but  never could, be.

I am fortunate to now have in my life
A mate for whom marriage is a fact.
It is not based on my emotions
Or the emotions he seems to lack.

Our bonding seems to be on mutual sharing
Of strengths that we individually lack.
We take freely from each others gifts,
And offer to give our strengths back.

He is the well from which I draw
The continued ability to give.
He is the light that gives me strength
To continue, with pain of others, to live.

Mine is the source of laughter and hugs
That  give him a sense of complete humanity,
So that he finally knows that knowledge
Is not all that human life is meant to be.

I know that he, too, can hold my friends,
Without demanding any reciprocal reward.
Our strengths, which are here for the asking,
Keeps us, through all things, going  forward.

Because I didn't know how to fight for family
I have often run screaming from hypocrisy.
For me, this marriage is the holiest thing;
What my husband believes is the him we see.

We must each pick our opponents and battles;
There are those who will fight to their own death,
Who won't be vulnerable to learning from others.
All boundaries they consider something to test.

These are people who will take you to hell
Rather than partner in another person's plan;
These are people who have deadened souls,
And may never accept relationships' demands.

How sad it is when we must finally walk away,
Our own souls gravely injured from the fight.
To watch people destroy others, harms us.
Do two wrongs ever make for one right?

I think perhaps the most damaging thing
Is abuse that's disguised as loving guidance.
Where punishment replaces good example,
Peace and joy don't seem to stand a chance.

A new day and age has recently dawned
Where we disallow the gods of war.
It is my belief that this place in history
Is what the day of Pentecost was for.

Let all the soldiers of God and Christ
Put down their eternally flaming swords,
And serve each other with burning spirits.
Is this a world we're finally ready for?

Perhaps each successive generation
Since the Genesis of the body human
Has been one step further to the truth
About our roles in the Divine plan.

Perhaps we simply weren't evolved enough
To allow such a powerful Unseen Spirit
To take our base animal natures and refine us
To earthly beings with Divine spiritual merit.

For many centuries there was something
To which much of humankind did aspire.
And perhaps we've finally found a way
To fulfill humankind's hearts' greatest desire.

We've worshiped gods of fear, awe, and sacrifice;
We've now been given Spirit to match the mission
A world where we fight by standing firm and united
Is my most cherished and hoped-for heavenly vision.

Authority, Anger, and Awakening, Part 1

My little sister used to fight the world for her and me;
Until she found a little sister that she could mold.
There came a time when they both broke free
What they considered to be fun, to me soon got old.

I wanted to watch what others were doing;
They wanted to create an exciting stir.
I lost the love of my closest little sister
Because I refused to follow her.

They both spent their lives in protestation
Of our all our parents' inflicted fury and pain.
Eventually, each of them ran far away,
And they neither returned home again.

All sources of authority were expected
To cause the vulnerable to cower.
The truth is that we were all victims;
It was okay to abuse those with less power.

It was not in my sister or neighbor to fold;
They didn't stop fighting for authority.
I eventually became quite frightened that
They would take power away from me.

I have felt that I abandoned them both,
Though this belief doesn't fit our history.
I actually didn't run away from them;
The stopped wanting to be with me.

I've often felt that I should have fought
Our parents, The Church, and both of them.
Instead, I put most of my energy into
Finding for myself other family and friends.

I fled far away when I became a mother
To a place where I hoped I could grow.
I now had real responsibility for my babies;
My awesome authority wasn't merely for show.

I didn't have any of the relationship skills,
To achieve leading with awe, not with fear,
So unfortunately I, like my powerless parents,
Used shows of anger to make my points clear.

It was my beautiful children's innocence that
Lead me to sincerely seek another way to bond.
As they little-by-little became fully who they are,
Of their unquestioning trust in me, I grew quite fond.

I came to believe quite strongly that not all sacred
Can possibly have been revealed or written about
In the many versions of the Christian Bible I'd read;
Surely there was not a little something left out.

Where were the sacred words about children
And their enjoyment by husbands and wives?
How were we who now live so many years
To know how to structure our own family lives?

I began to seek the spoken and written words
Of other people, prophets and philosophers;
It could not matter that my childhood religion
And parents then considered me to be cursed.

My beloved sisters and brothers had run away
From the angry God we'd been taught to see.
I knew there had to be a more complete story
Of the earthly manifestations of Divinity.

There are many ancient scriptures of others
That had exalted all of the mysteries of nature,
As if each and every molecule is an integral part
Of The Omnipresent, Eternal Universe's Creator.

But the fear of corporal and divine punishment 
Had put, on my parents and siblings, a fast hold.
They, sadly, couldn't bring themselves to question
What so many generations, so forcefully, had been told.

Though they never stopped wanting for acceptance,
They simply learned to laugh at their's and other's pain.
And their deep shame in who they were lead them
To repeat fearful and angry acts again and again.

It became all about learning how not to feel,
And how to protect themselves from vulnerability:
If we let ourselves follow our mother's God,
The next life He demands might be from me.

My beloved little sister has long-since died;
I've been reclaimed by our next-door neighbor.
She now works to pick me up when I'm down;
I'm sincerely wishing I could return the favor.

Committed Contact

If we have ever experience simply being loved,
That's as close as this life gets to heaven.
There are reasons sacred scriptures
Equate Divine love to that of women and men.

When we are truly loved as we are,
We stand naked before each other.
We don't feel the shame that causes us
To want our weaknesses covered.

The light of pure love can be so intense
That it causes our hearts and souls to break;
Many of us turn from this intensity,
And human compassion foresake.

Physical expressions of bonding
Are the ways we trade our energies,
Parents' strong arms around us
When we're weak, when they're pleased.

When we, too young, are left alone,
We are like abandoned cats,
Constantly trying to knead nurture
From empty physical vats.

Committed contact is a sacred celebration
Where all the love is allowed to explode.
It is the closest we get to seeing The Divine
In our earth-bound, human modes.

Laying On of Hands is What Love Demands

Compassion is not feeling for sisters and brothers;
It is sharing in the passions of others.
We must be mindful of with whom we bond;
There are pieces of us that will forever be gone.

The trade-off is a piece of our fellow humans,
With whom the pieces of us will blend.
Do we ask ourselves when choosing soul mates
What kind of blend will we, together, create?

Even my friends with the greatest faith
Need to be loved by the human race.
We hear much of the laying on of hands;
Human touch is what love demands.

Will loving The Lord take away all pain
And make my world all smiles again?
Or are the people who reach out to me
In whom the face of salvation I'll see?

We cannot be fully human by ourselves;
It is in mutual need that The Spirit indwells.
But the fear of our own vulnerability
Causes us to attempt to live love free.

A heart closed to love will still be filled
By fear and anger, into hatred, distilled.
All our energy will go into protection,
Rather than face our fear of rejection.

It sometimes seems easier to live alone,
But we'll never have a sense of home
Without taking the risks of letting others in.
Vulnerability is where compassion begins.

Tempted or Exempted?

It is common and easy for any of us to see
Sin in temptations from which we are free.
This may be why Jesus was said to intone,
"Let those without sin, cast the first stone."
 
I may never have been tempted to kill another,
But I have disallowed some as sister or brother
Perhaps I'm  less prone to murderous temptation
Than those who kill parts of human creation.

If I have no weakness for recreational sex,
Does this make me better than those who expect
Immediate sexual gratification whenever tempted?
Or am I simply, from this weakness, exempted?
 
Jesus didn't limit his words to the sin of the persecuted;
He simply implied, from sin, nobody is excluded.
I am grateful I have loved ones who are strong
In areas where I seem prone to do wrong.

Is this coupling to be considered co-dependency,
Or a way for me, from my temptation, to break free?
I believe we must bond to others for balance;
This seems the human condition's only chance.

Rather than looking for others to castigate,
Our lack of their temptations we should celebrate.
Or do I find grievous fault with what I see
Because I wish the sin was being committed by me?

Abandonment and Acceptance

It is a mixed blessing (or curse) to have parents who abandon their children;
Those who accept that they are not competent may actually be doing a service.
At least jealousy doesn't prohibit their progeny from seeking parental guidance,
And motherhood is not defined by those who have opened a cervix.

We have created many opportunities for procreation and parenting
In our generations that have succeeded in creating life in test tubes,
But we have also created many questions about who creates new life;
This has lead to conclusions that fuel many pro-life, pro-choice feuds.

Many people have suffered the consequences of neglect
By those of us born to parents who continued to procreate,
And continued to deny their limitations and boundaries
Because they were taught that contraception would doom their fate.

Isn't it so much better to be destroyed before exiting the womb
And sent back to the arms of the Universal Energy of Life,
Than to be set on a continued  course of self-loathing and anger
That results in the propagation of the earliest recorded strife?

From the biblical story of Adam and Eve, their seed
Has been cursed by their story of jealousy and greed.
Is it possible that abortion is something God allows
So that we will only have the children we want to breed?

We want it both ways; it is sacred to create
The babies that are wanted, even though we generate
The zygotes that get destroyed or frozen for eternity
Without anyone having to commit to life's mates.

We have become society that acts as gods;
Denying there is a reason for the eternal plan:
That not one of us is able to create a baby alone.
A baby takes the seed of a woman and a man.

We all need energy from both our yin and our yang;
We exist on the cosmic and concrete levels.
How we become the most balanced we can be
Depends on the forces in which our spirit revels.

There are many I know who have conceived
In their need to be needed and loved by others.
Their casual sexual union resulted in animal life;
But becoming pregnant didn't make them mothers.

At the time of conception we have human potential;
Becoming higher than other animals takes responsibility
Parents who are led by only their animal instincts
Can't nurture that which makes us human, the spark of Divinity.

My People and My Path

One of the hardest things a parent can do is not to impose our own dreams
On what our children choose to pursue, no matter how futile it seems.
As long as they have a plan that doesn't necessitate our giving,
We must let them define their own ways of making peace with living.

This doesn't mean that we must celebrate every step upon their paths,
But it probably means we shouldn't give our advice unless asked.
I, many times, have had to limit my time and my exposure
When the actions of others brought up issues in which I have no closure.

I have many people in my life; old relationships are most important,
Because they seem to be part of the mission for which I was sent.
Those who have recently come to know me, can't follow the pattern;
They have no way of incorporating the many lessons I have learned.

As a nephew once told me, it is wrong to judge where we are,
Without also knowing the trials we have overcome, so far.
Everything and person that has touched my life is part of who I am;
It is not for me or others to know how we fit into the eternal plan.

Suffering and Salvation

There seems to be basic disagreement on what constitutes salvation.
Is the proof of faith the way we act or simply spiritual contemplation?
Is feeling guilty for harming others enough to cleanse one's soul,
Or do we have an obligation to attempt to make relationships whole?

I believe it is a misunderstanding of suffering as cleansing;
It is only through celebration that we help the earth's mending.
This means sharing other's joys as well as sometimes their pain,
But only sharing in the hurts that will lead to fruitful  gains.

Suffering may look like sacrifice to the casual observer,
But many use it to their own manipulative agendas further.
Parents complain about their progeny like the children chose life,
Acting as if parental actions didn't cause their parental strife.

Some people embrace their weaknesses with obvious elation,
Expecting that their suffering deserves others ministrations.
Sharing the good in life seems a greater responsibility;
Taking on the weaknesses of others won't make them pain free.

A Friend From My Youth

A friend from my youth was set up for sin
Before her life on earth could even begin.
Her parents had already grown to scorn;
Their children were recipients of this harm.

They set all manner of horrid example;
Their parenting wasn't nearly ample.
They were consumed with punishing the other;
It finally completely crushed her mother.

My friend then received her father's rage,
As was accepted in that day in age.
She became a pseudo mother and martyr,
As was the place of the oldest daughter.

I do not know how she has become
The person to whom her parents can run.
And she, with love, carries their load
Along her parent's last earthly road.

With good humor and determination
She sets to right her parents' creation.
She has no religion, but has such Spirit;
Surely all earth and heaven can hear it.

Spiritual Similes

The humidity is so thick, we'd have trouble sucking it through a straw;
Not like a too-cold milkshake,  like cream pie our breath tries to draw.
Clouds are accumulated and ominous; is this why they're called cumulus clouds?
Thunder rolls like a freight train, coming from a far-away, too-full shroud.
Ah, the wonders of nature that science and religions seek to explain;
I am most comfortable knowing that mystery is meant to ever remain.

Seagulls are the only birds not running for shelter from the storm gods,
And scientists who live by statistics, into the storms continue to trod.
There are those who accept their positions as the gods' chosen ones,
Who do not feel the need, from the great powers of nature, to run.
I am most comfortable observing from my safe upstairs window,
Confident that the sound, sights, and fury are only meant for show.

This is probably why we lost our home in the power of a hurricane;
As long as the power was only for show, I felt we could remain.
My scientist husband talked for a year about the dangers of global warming,
But he failed to mention it was time to move away from the storming.
I was more comfortable living in my safe, happy world of denial,
Than I was attempting to run away from the pain of the next trials.

It is better, by far, for us to face the realities with our best friends,
Than to run away alone to wherever our safety seems to depend.
I would rather die laughing at the capriciousness of the gods and fate,
Than to live solely in the world of statistics, which scientists overrate.
Because something isn't statistically significant to the scientific mind
Only means that, to the truths in serendipity, that scientist is blind.

I don't think anyone has seen the face or heard the voice of the one, true god;
I accept that many have imagined a face and voice on what they could not.
Our humanity we project on nature and the gods from whom we want favor,
But I reject that any person can fully explain the mysteries of all of nature.
Our similes and metaphors are part of our feeble attempts to relate
To the powers of the universe that rule our lives and our children's fates.

Purpose and Pride

I finally understand why people who are involved live longer;
I think it is the energy that we absorb from our surroundings.
Even those who live on negativity seem more content in groups;
I have found this realization to be immeasurably astounding.

The workplace gives many what they had in family or school,
A group who gets comfortable with who and what we are.
I am loving being part of a positive team of equal players,
Where no one person seems to want to be the shining star.

As a manager in the old patriarchal workplace,
I was expected to hold myself above employees.
This way caused me many problematic moments;
By my egalitarian nature, my employers were displeased.

I was so afraid all my life of working in a bureaucracy,
Afraid that I'd bristle at the many layers of authority.
But I find that clearly defined divisions of leadership
Can also relieve some burdens of responsibility.

Of course, as a contractor instead of employee,
The lines of my job are contractually limited.
I suspect that if I became permanent and full time,
The continued honeymoon feeling may be inhibited.

I know I will miss the sense of purpose and pride
When this contract reaches its natural finale,
But it has enabled me time to reclaim the essence
Of what always makes me feel like the best me.

Life's Lessons

Watching "my" little family as they play and soak up the sun;
Is this the inter-generational dynamic since time was begun?
I so miss the wonderful years when the grandchildren were mine,
Children learning on their own, as we adults killed so much time.

There is always the mindless urge to continue to procreate,
Continuing to live in the innocence that is a child's state.
But innocence is an illusion that takes much adult energy
To guard the young children, and keep them predator free.

Today there is a young mother and three children
Two children are hers; the other cousin or friend.
There are two older women; are they grandmothers?
I know the young mother claims only two as hers.

The truth of big families is that the older of the children
Are the youngsters' parents, not their sisters/brothers/friends.
I wish we would admit that there is only so much
Time, energy, patience, and nurturing arms to touch.

We then could extend the years when children are free
To learn what they need and learn who they are to be.
Now that we know we have such a  complex universe,
Growing up takes more years of putting our children first.

Hopefully, then, when we finally set them free as adults,
Children who are more ready to lead will be the result.
I don't know how those without their family's support and help
Hold on and protect for long enough for their children to develop.